An electric fog


curlyoak

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In the US, and maybe Canada(?), residential service is typically fed from a center-tapped, single phase transformer, at 240 volts. The two 'hot' leads, often marked L1 and L2, measure 240 volts between them, but between either L and the center "N" will measure 120 volts.

If the N opens between the transformer and the service entrance, you are left with the L leads still at 240 between them, but only the earth ground to serve as the neutral reference for the 120 volt circuits. Depending on the distance to the nearest upstream utiliy ground, soil conductivity, the voltage of the upstream line, and other factors, the ground point at your house can be at a vastly different electrical potential than the regular N lead would be, causing the voltage measured at any circuit using the N buss of your service panel as a reference point to be unpredictable. In cases where the utility has an existing "ground fault" on the upstream line, you could see several hunderd to several thousand volts appear between the L and earth ground.

In the large (and aging) industrial facility where I work, this happens rather frequently, but rarely with any feeder more than 480 volts. In a public utility service, I believe the primary, or feed, side of your tansformer is much higher than that.

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  • 3 weeks later...

IMG_9230.thumb.jpeg.54abb5f9bf9aa6871ed4acde7a0cb4c3.jpegIMG_9233.thumb.jpeg.904a756c70e28894c3bb207a9e054796.jpeg

I have been waiting on the microwave. A week after it was promised I cancelled the order and found it at a local Lowes. The previous one fit the hole. Time to call a carpenter. Me. I like working in my shop but not on the job. Including my house. If I was doing this for someone else I would need a portable table saw and jointer. Or another way around. It was a lot trickier than it looks. The bottom of the oven is way below the bottom edge you see. So I created 2- 1.5" X 2" X 20" to set the unit on. My guess was off by an eighth so I made 2 - 1/8" X 2" X 20" to lift it. Then I needed two stop blocks to keep the face in proper position. That became 4 handed and of coarse mis calculated. Re-position the stop blocks and nailed it. Then Slide it deeper in the pocket to add the face frame, slide it back to the front over the stop blocks. Then sanding and finishing the added face frame. The labor to install it was 5 plus hours. The time added up because every time I needed a tool was a walk and bak from the shop. If I hired it out it would have been $200 to $300. Or more. More than the cost of the oven.

But it is done and the last item, I hope, from my overwhelming electrical experience. I am still waiting for a response from the claim I made with FPL. Sao far all costs over $4000.

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On 1/13/2023 at 12:46 PM, wtnhighlander said:

I think it is pretty rare that the Neutral is broken between the transformer and home service entrance, too.  @curlyoak just got caught in a "perfect storm", so to speak.

 

In our case squirrels chewed through the bare aluminum cable that was the neutral on the line running too our house. It presented as voltage backfeeding through the cable connections ground sheath burning out its connection to ground. Took the cable provider two service calls to catch on to what was happening and recommend the power company come out to repair the line.

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On 1/13/2023 at 10:46 AM, wtnhighlander said:

I think it is pretty rare that the Neutral is broken between the transformer and home service entrance, too.  @curlyoak just got caught in a "perfect storm", so to speak.

 

Not as rare as one might think, particularly with the older overhead services. The overhead triplex cable has a bare neutral and thus moisture is more apt to get into the splice and cause mischief. We had just such an issue a few years ago. The place was close to a busy highway and the utility lineman said that the salt spray that drifts over from the busy roads causes frequent splice failures.

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  • 1 month later...

The total was 3700,I'm getting $3400. The balance is theft out of my wallet via the power company. Initially they wanted to pay 1800. I think I could get more if I hired a lawyer. I would hire one if there was a lot more money. I think it is good value for my money not to hire an attorney just so I can avoid contact with them. A lot of work and aggravation. The number has to be big enough to consider it. I am supposed to have the money soon. By the time that happens it will be 3 months.

This was all their fault. I got a text that read outage due to power company fault. And yet instead of standing up and doing the right thing they tell me that they want to pay me based upon current market value of appliances. There is no market for used appliances. That it was their policy. I told the clerk after I talked with a lawyer  that they are not a federal or state congress and their policy means nothing. The lawyer said it should be out of pocket costs. They make a business of reducing claims. I'm old. I have paid this company well over $100,000 in todays value. And my parents paid before me. I'd like to see what the competition has to offer but there is no competition.

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