Need help half my circuits just went out

[James23912]

Hi I don't know what happened, half my circuits just went out, seems to be the 15 amps, breakers did not trip, they are the new type , surge protectors. I checked the refidgerator, which was out but the light inside was flickering, it works now off a 2o amp plug, this is crazy, any ideas please?

 

[Fitter30]

More than likely lost a neutral. Pull receptacles in that area look for burnt wiring if wires are stabbed in the back not under screws put wires under screws.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[James23912]

Thanks, I don't think it's just recptacles, half the circuits are out. I got ahold of the guy who did my breaker box and he is coming in the morning, from what he said and what I have read it is something in the main incoming wires, I have it underground and my meter is on a post 100' from the house, and the post is 100 yards from the street so I am hoping it isn't something in those lines somewhere, will get back tomorrow, thanks again

 

[Afjes]

they are the new type , surge protectors

Not surge protectors but probably AFCI breakers (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters).

my meter is on a post 100' from the house

Mobile Home?

I got ahold of the guy who did my breaker box

Is this a new installation?

 

[Reach4]

The guy coming over will check the voltage coming into the box. Normally each hot leg should measure a nominal 120 VAC to neutral. That will require pulling the front cover off of the breaker box.

It could also be a failure of the main breaker (maybe 150 or 200 amp breaker.) I would have toggled that breaker off and then back on, and see if things changed. I doubt that they are designed to be able to trip-disconnect each leg separately, but not being sure, I would have toggled.

 

[James23912]

Hi all, thanks for the reply, so I had lived in a trailer which I got rid of and built a new house starting in Sept 2019, still working on it, but the underground service was from 1993, direct burial. The electrician tested a bunch of stuff and one leg at the meter is significantly lower than the other and (he works at a college) used some equipment to check the voltage of the underground and found a weak spot and he called the electric co to check the pole and transformer, they said it is the underground so I will have to see if some bigger outfit can try to splice it but I probably will end up just putting in a new line as I plan to sell in a couple of years. The electrician was able to use a jumper and run the smaller fuses of one leg so at least my boiler still works. Thanks again for the responses as it would have been way more difficult to do all the work I did without the help from this place. Probably be back for more.

 

[Afjes]

The electrician was able to use a jumper and run the smaller fuses of one leg so at least my boiler still works.

Maybe I am not reading this correctly. Fuses? - do you mean breakers?

Jumper? What do you mean by a jumper? Are you saying your electrician ran a jumper from the hot leg to the lower voltage leg?
If so this will affect any MWBCs you may have. Do you have any MWBCs? If so then both legs of any MWBCs will now be on the same leg of service which may overload the neutrals on those MWBC circuits.

one leg at the meter is significantly lower than the other and (he works at a college)

From my understanding the electrician jumped from the leg reading "ok" to the leg that was "lower" in voltage? Humm. Did the electrician disconnect the lower voltage leg before jumping to it? He works at a college - and? Are you reassuring us that because your electrician works at a college your electrician know what they are doing? I don't get it?

If the electrician jumped from the good leg to the bad leg and disconnected the bad leg you do realize any 240v loads will not work properly; example: electric hot water heater, stove/range etc. as you only have 120v one leg system now.

they said it is the underground so I will have to see if some bigger outfit can try to splice it

Try and splice what?

With all due respect James23912 I am hoping that it is your lack of proper terminology understanding not being able to explain properly what the electrician did as a "temp fix". How long before the main lines are fixed? I have concerns about this "temp fix". We are here to assist you but are you asking us to tell you that the decisions that your electrician made was correct or are you asking us to tell you what your electrician should have done. Your post really sounds more like a "narrative" instead of a "question".

 

[Ewaan.davids]

Hi all, thanks for the reply, so I had lived in a trailer which I got rid of and built a new house starting in Sept 2019, still working on it, but the underground service was from 1993, direct burial. The electrician tested a bunch of stuff and one leg at the meter is significantly lower than the other and (he works at a college) used some equipment to check the voltage of the underground and found a weak spot and he called the electric co to check the pole and transformer, they said it is the underground so I will have to see if some bigger outfit can try to splice it but I probably will end up just putting in a new line as I plan to sell in a couple of years. The electrician was able to use a jumper and run the smaller fuses of one leg so at least my boiler still works. Thanks again for the responses as it would have been way more difficult to do all the work I did without the help from this place. Probably be back for more.

Glad to hear your electrician found a workaround, Upgrading the underground service sounds like a smart move for resale. Keep us posted on your progress. We are here to help

 

[James23912]

Glad to hear your electrician found a workaround, Upgrading the underground service sounds like a smart move for resale. Keep us posted on your progress. We are here to help

so the electrician knew of a company that specializes in tracing lines, i would not have thought that existed, so last Monday we were waiting for the crew to come and the power co had to disconnect the line and one of the power company guys started tapping on the conduit coming down the pole, I had dug around the bottom earlier , and a bunch of dust fell out so they pulled the line out and you can see the result, completely disintegrated, the picture is not real clear you see only some dust residue, there is no wire left at all. the electrician replaced all three wires up the pole as he could not buy just one and even a single connector connector would not fit in the conduit so it is in the ground. Also want to say that all the 240 lines had been shut off on the panel. the jumper was put in the electrical panel, not sure what he did, and i am old so sometimes say "fusebox", I remember my grandfather putting pennies in his. Thanks for the help, I had kind of panicked the night it happened. Just waiting for the bill.