I was checking out a pair of 3-way switches in my living room that seemed to do nothing. I discovered that they control a single outlet. At least one is wired wrong and maybe one of the switches is bad but in discovering all of that I noticed that my outlet only shows 87 volts. I went and checked the other rooms upstairs and they are the same. This house was built in 1974.
I have the feeling that the Lord wants me to work on this one!
No landlord either, it's mine. I've only been here 2 years. Was my wife's before we were married.
Call the power company, there is most likely problem with the line in. I would guess transformer problem. This will F up electronics, Power tools and appliances so I would not wait.
Oh, try a different meter first.
IP: Logged
01:21 PM
Wichita Member
Posts: 20696 From: Wichita, Kansas Registered: Jun 2002
I agree with Witchita here. Check for loose neutral wires in the circuit.
One other thing to check to ensure you don't have a transformer problem is to check the voltage across the terminals on the power lead to your fuse/breaker box. You should have about 120 VAC to ground or neutral from any of the black wires coming in. And between the two black wires coming in you should have about 230-240 VAC.
If you don't feel comfortable working on it, get someone qualified to work on it.
IP: Logged
01:30 PM
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
You definitely have a problem somewhere, or a combination of several problems. Check the voltage at the breaker panel. Actually, I guess the first thing would be to make sure you're using a good meter and that it's giving you an accurate reading. 87 is *really* low. i.e. if it's a battery operated digital meter, try replacing the battery too, just to be sure.
Meter each leg to ground where it comes into the panel. I would check each leg as is, then turn all the breakers off. Have an alternate light source ready, obviously. Meter incoming voltage with no load. If it's low then, there's a problem with the utility, or with your service entrance. If it checks okay with no draw from the house, then restore each breaker one by one to see if there's an obvious problem with one or two circuits so you can narrow your search.
What type of construction? We have a manufactured home. One of the things I did soon after we bought it was replace the cheap, worthless quick-connect splices where the wiring goes from one side of the house to the other. Put up a big J-box and used real wire nuts, and labeled all the wires in the process. We also had voltage issues due to the service. When the home was set, the utility put a pole-mounted transformer at the road and then had a run of about 500 feet to get to the meter, plus another 76 feet inside to get to the box. They looked at it and said it never should have been installed that way to begin with, ran new service underground and put a transformer much closer to the house.
IP: Logged
01:33 PM
84fiero123 Member
Posts: 29950 From: farmington, maine usa Registered: Oct 2004
I agree with Witchita here. Check for loose neutral wires in the circuit.
One other thing to check to ensure you don't have a transformer problem is to check the voltage across the terminals on the power lead to your fuse/breaker box. You should have about 120 VAC to ground or neutral from any of the black wires coming in. And between the two black wires coming in you should have about 230-240 VAC.
If you don't feel comfortable working on it, get someone qualified to work on it.
as do i.
check other outlets voltage, if they are different cances are it is just the ground for that outlet, not something to call the power company about, unless they all have lower voltage and it is not just a loose wire.
steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.
IP: Logged
01:34 PM
Boostdreamer Member
Posts: 7175 From: Kingsport, Tennessee USA Registered: Jun 2007
What type of construction? We have a manufactured home. One of the things I did soon after we bought it was replace the cheap, worthless quick-connect splices where the wiring goes from one side of the house to the other. Put up a big J-box and used real wire nuts, and labeled all the wires in the process. We also had voltage issues due to the service. When the home was set, the utility put a pole-mounted transformer at the road and then had a run of about 500 feet to get to the meter, plus another 76 feet inside to get to the box. They looked at it and said it never should have been installed that way to begin with, ran new service underground and put a transformer much closer to the house.
It is a stick-built brick and siding house. It is about 75 feet from the power pole on the road.
what volts do you read at the breaker box what color are the wire strands not the cover the wires themselves red/copper is good green is bad silver is very bad [alloy]
IP: Logged
02:04 PM
Boostdreamer Member
Posts: 7175 From: Kingsport, Tennessee USA Registered: Jun 2007
what volts do you read at the breaker box what color are the wire strands not the cover the wires themselves red/copper is good green is bad silver is very bad [alloy]
I can't access the wires at the breaker box without removing the outter panel. I'm not comfortable doing that. I can't get a voltage reading there.
I've changed some light fixtures, etc and all the conductors have been solid copper, three-wire romex.
I checked the outlets downstairs. They showed 95 volts. I re-checked the upstairs ones. They are 95 also. I'm going to suspect the meter for now. Let me change batteries.
Only way to find where the problem is ( supply, or your house) is to open the panel. Do you know an electrician? It's bad if the problem is in the panel or somewhere in the house. Fire is a real possibility.
IP: Logged
02:54 PM
Boostdreamer Member
Posts: 7175 From: Kingsport, Tennessee USA Registered: Jun 2007
Only way to find where the problem is ( supply, or your house) is to open the panel. Do you know an electrician? It's bad if the problem is in the panel or somewhere in the house. Fire is a real possibility.
That's what worried me into fixing my last problem. I had three switches controlling the same light in the stairway. They didn't work right so it bugged me. I finally got into it and they had used the wrong switches. I'm not completely impressed with the wiring in this house!
I can't access the wires at the breaker box without removing the outter panel. I'm not comfortable doing that. I can't get a voltage reading there.
I've changed some light fixtures, etc and all the conductors have been solid copper, three-wire romex.
Getting into the panel is really the only way to make sure if the problem is yours or the power company's. It's not that big a deal, but don't do it if you're not comfortable. One other thing you could try is to kill all the breakers on one side, plus any 220 breakers, then check voltages at the remaining outlets. Then do the same for the other side. That could help give some clues before tearing into the box. Alternately, if there happens to be a circuit with outlets close to the panel (better yet an outlet right below it on its own circuit) kill everything but that one, unplug anything else on the circuit, and check voltage.
When you have checked voltages, have you checked outlets from both legs? In other words, from circuits on both sides of the panel?
Other than that, get an electrician, or a friend who is a little more comfortable to dig into the panel.
IP: Logged
05:10 PM
fierobrian Member
Posts: 2976 From: aurora il 60505 Registered: Sep 2003
i would shut the main braker down then take the cover over and turn power back and test it with a voltmeter . if the power is off while you take the cover off there is no chance of shorting anything it is ok to turn on with cover off everything will stay inplace . the cover is just a sheetmetal cover very thin piece of metal just to keep peaple from sticking finger in live wires .
IP: Logged
05:55 PM
AndyLPhoto Member
Posts: 2420 From: Skandia, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2001
Well, yes and no...even with the main breaker off, there is still live power coming into the box. It cuts it down to only two lugs with voltage, but they're about the biggest thing in the box too. It certainly cuts down on the number of places you can get burnt (so to speak) but you still have to be careful. The danger is minimal if you take it slow, and don't go poking around with your fingers--use a meter.
IP: Logged
06:40 PM
Lilchief Member
Posts: 1754 From: Vevay,Indiana Registered: Feb 2004
If and when you test your panel for voltage make sure to test to the neutral lug and at the neutral wire it self. I had a similar problem at the meter base. Low voltage at the lug but good (120V) voltage on the incoming neutral wire. Problem loose wire and lug was ceased up/ corrodied. I had the Electric CO come fix it, I could have if they would have just killed the power at the top of the pole. Hot wires were too close for comfort.
------------------
85 GT 3.4 14.9 @ 90 1.9 60' Old TH125/3.06 Unknown New 4T60/3.42
IP: Logged
06:43 PM
PFF
System Bot
Lilchief Member
Posts: 1754 From: Vevay,Indiana Registered: Feb 2004
Changing batteries for reading voltage probably wont matter. Meters use batteries more for ohm tests than anything else. What make and model meter are you using? How old is it? Hopefully not some $3 meter from Harbor Freight. Try unplugging and replugging the leads in several times to make sure they have a good connection. Are you comfortable removing an outlet from the wall and seeing if the wires were just pushed into the back of the outlet or if they are screwed to it. Measure the house voltage at your dryer or range outlet so you don't have to pull the cover off the panel. Put your hand on the exposed parts of the circuit breakers and see if any of them are warm, they should be room temperature. Warm could be bad, hot is really bad.
IP: Logged
10:29 PM
Boostdreamer Member
Posts: 7175 From: Kingsport, Tennessee USA Registered: Jun 2007
I'm going to take the front panel of the box off tomorrow. Before I do that, I'm going to try the test where everything on one side of the box is off. Then the other side. My meter is a Craftsman model. Probably 10 years old but it has always been taken very good care of. It still looks like new. It has always performed well. It is digital. The continuity test works just fine. I've had switches and outlets pulled out. They have all had the conductors pushed in at the rear. Never connected to the side screws, except once. That time the wire was wrapped the wrong way around the screw. Idiots.
Make sure when you test either side, also turn off any 220 breakers, like for a range, well pump or water heater. Even though the breaker is physically only on one side, it draws from both legs. Then, if there are significant changes, you can also test with each 220 breaker back on individually. Good luck! Looking forward to hearing the results.
IP: Logged
11:21 PM
AndyLPhoto Member
Posts: 2420 From: Skandia, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2001
One follow-up comment. One thing I posted above was stated incorrectly, and misleading after I thought about it. I asked if you had checked voltages from outlets on both legs of the service, meaning both sides of the box. In reality, because of how the circuits are laid out, every other circuit on either side is opposite. i.e. the top left and top right are both on the same leg. The second one down on each side are on the opposite leg, and so on.
So turning off one side of the box doesn't kill everything on one leg, but it does take half the circuits out of the equation. As I mentioned above, also kill any 220 breakers (like a range, water heater, welder, well pump, etc.) because they are connected to both legs. If you've got the cover off, you can kill everything and measure what's coming into the panel. Again, looking forward to hearing your results!
IP: Logged
11:41 PM
May 8th, 2013
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
Just as a backup check, take your meter and test a few friends houses voltage at their outlets. It would show if your meter is bad or if theres a general electric delivery problem.
IP: Logged
03:21 PM
Boostdreamer Member
Posts: 7175 From: Kingsport, Tennessee USA Registered: Jun 2007
So it is every plug in the house? My father in-law had this problem with an apartment he built in his garage but it was only on one circuit of plugs... I tracked down to a loose neutral wire at the first plug in the circuit.. like someone suggested before.... No idea if it is every single plug in house... what about at the light switches?
So it is every plug in the house? My father in-law had this problem with an apartment he built in his garage but it was only on one circuit of plugs... I tracked down to a loose neutral wire at the first plug in the circuit.. like someone suggested before.... No idea if it is every single plug in house... what about at the light switches?
Every outlet I tried had the low voltage. I tested in 6 rooms. Upstairs and down. I tested one light switch. Same result. I have not gotten into the breaker box yet.
Originally posted by Boostdreamer:I have not gotten into the breaker box yet.
That is what we are waiting for. If the problem is before it gets to you, it is not your problem, it is the power companys. Confirm the problem, make a phone call.
IP: Logged
07:13 PM
May 10th, 2013
DeV8er Member
Posts: 747 From: Oak Ridge MO Registered: Oct 2004
Gonna open the box in a few hours when my wife gets home. She works half days on Friday so I'll be able to kill the lighs while still being able to see what I'm doing and have a responsible adult present "just in case".
Gonna open the box in a few hours when my wife gets home. She works half days on Friday so I'll be able to kill the lighs while still being able to see what I'm doing and have a responsible adult present "just in case".
So, she will be the one holding the broom, to pry you off the box?
IP: Logged
10:55 AM
Boostdreamer Member
Posts: 7175 From: Kingsport, Tennessee USA Registered: Jun 2007
Check for DC on the circuit. Neutral and ground go to the same circuit in the panel. If there is backfed DC in the circuit it would affect your voltage readings.
also, are these readings taken under load? (with the light on?) check if the readings change with the applicance (light, fan, whatever) on or off.
