Help Needed - Residential Electrical Problem

[Nehkara]

Hey CP!

We have a strange electrical problem in our house.

We have four light switches and three wall plugs that don't work.

We have established that the problem is not at the breaker box. The problem stretches across two breaker circuits, but some of the things on the breakers still work.

We have tested the wall plugs and they are showing ~110 volts between hot and ground, ~107 volts between neutral and ground, and only 11 volts between hot and neutral. We have used an outlet tester and it shows hot/ground reverse but I have discovered that is probably "open neutral" instead.

We have been trying to figure this problem out for several days, including asking my friend who is an electrician to look at it. However, he works mostly commercial construction/industrial and it unfortunately baffled him as well.

Any thoughts from the CP community? Is anyone here a residential electrician?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

We have tested the wall plugs and they are showing ~110 volts between hot and ground, ~107 volts between neutral and ground, and only 11 volts between hot and neutral. We have used an outlet tester and it shows hot/ground reverse but I have discovered that is probably "open neutral" instead.

That's not good. Do not plug anything into those outlets. Call an electrician. Sounds like somebody royally screwed up the wiring on those outlets. Someone needs to open those boxes, test all the wires and then put it back together properly.

Edit: It almost sounds like you have a 3 wire coming into the boxes carrying 2 hots and someone has hooked both hot wires to the outlet.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Jacks

That's not good. Do not plug anything into those outlets. Call an electrician. Sounds like somebody royally screwed up the wiring on those outlets. Someone needs to open those boxes, test all the wires and then put it back together properly.

Edit: It almost sounds like you have a 3 wire coming into the boxes carrying 2 hots and someone has hooked both hot wires to the outlet.

Keep in mind this wiring has not been altered in probably over 40 years. Certainly not in the last 17 years we have lived here. There was also no incident that stopped these things from working, just woke up one morning and they didn't work.

My electrician friend also checked the outlets and said they were all wired correctly, despite the very odd readings. This was part of the reason he was baffled.

Don't worry though, we will be contacting a residential electrician soon.

[GoinAllTheWay]

edit

nm...i see your electician friend already verified they are wired correctly.

That is one screwy issue though. If you do find the culprit, please do report back. I like hearing how these end.

[normtwofinger]

Do any of your 220 appliances work?

If not, seems like there is a break in one of your main supply cables coming into the house, causing you to only have 1 110 cable functioning.

We had a similar problem. It ended up being a break in one cable after the meter.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by normtwofinger

Do any of your 220 appliances work?

If not, seems like there is a break in one of your main supply cables coming into the house, causing you to only have 1 110 cable functioning.

We had a similar problem. It ended up being a break in one cable after the meter.

Yeah all of the 220 appliances work fine.

[ricosuave]

The receptacles you refer to, do they have UPSs installed on them, or on the same circuit as them?

I'm also wondering if it is a bad connection on the neutrals on those circuits, bad splice somewhere. Loose neutrals can cause strange things to happen.

[Bindair Dundat]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

The receptacles you refer to, do they have UPSs installed on them, or on the same circuit as them?

I'm also wondering if it is a bad connection on the neutrals on those circuits, bad splice somewhere. Loose neutrals can cause strange things to happen.

That would be my guess as well. Likely as not, one of the connectors with a number of neutrals spliced together has failed and is breaking the connection back to the buss bar at the panel. Sharing neutral paths is permissible among light and plug circuits when this is the most practical way to wire these circuits. The condition you describe leads me to believe that this is the case here. Call in a sparky; this situation is potentially catastrophic. The bad connection is probably in a multigang switchbox; this is where I would look first.

[speede5]

No idea what else to suggest, but definately let us know what the outcome is.

[MG153]

aluminum or copper wiring?

[Bindair Dundat]

So? Any update on this?
I think I probably caught it (as described in my post upthread).

Inquiring minds want to know...

[Shnabdabber]

This situation sounds much like the classic ol loose neutral. Time to start digging!

[GoinAllTheWay]

/\/\/\

He's already stated an electrician friend has verified the wiring is fine.

Originally Posted by Bindair Dundat

So? Any update on this?
I think I probably caught it (as described in my post upthread).

Inquiring minds want to know...

X2!!! Updates plz!

[speede5]

There should be a law that any requests for help on forums include the resolution as a thread closer.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Totally agree. We need to see this through to the end!

[Ironhorse]

Maybe the OP has electrocuted themselves?

[GoinAllTheWay]

I shouldn't but....lol!