No Power To One Section Of House
#1
03-29-08, 08:15 PM
No Power To One Section Of House
I have a problem where one section of my house does not have any power.
After talking with my grandpa he suggested that I may have a bad breaker circuit. My breaker box uses Cutler Hammer circuit breakers. I bought a 20 amp CH breaker at Lowes and temporarily replaced each 20 and 15 amp breaker (one at a time) and tested for the power, and I couldn't get the power to come on.
I did not replace the "master" breakers. Is this something I should check?
Any other thoughts?
After talking with my grandpa he suggested that I may have a bad breaker circuit. My breaker box uses Cutler Hammer circuit breakers. I bought a 20 amp CH breaker at Lowes and temporarily replaced each 20 and 15 amp breaker (one at a time) and tested for the power, and I couldn't get the power to come on.
I did not replace the "master" breakers. Is this something I should check?
Any other thoughts?
#2
03-29-08, 08:26 PM
you need a voltage tester.
It sounds like either the main breaker is bad OR you lost power on one of the wires from the utility company somewhere between their connection and your panel.
I would guess the feed is the culprit. It happens more than a main breaker going bad but could be either.
there could be several places that you would have lost the feed connection though.
It sounds like either the main breaker is bad OR you lost power on one of the wires from the utility company somewhere between their connection and your panel.
I would guess the feed is the culprit. It happens more than a main breaker going bad but could be either.
there could be several places that you would have lost the feed connection though.
#3
03-29-08, 08:29 PM
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you can test the voltage at the main breaker but ONE WARNING there is two wire comming from the meter to the main breaker that is UNFUSED and stay alive all the time so even you turn off the main breaker the two wire will stay hot all the time.
anyway you take a voltmeter and test it and you should get 240 volts across both hot wires [ the big one you will see ]
if not check with one of the 2 pole breaker like stove or dryer or waterheater and check their termails if only read 120v instead of 240volts stop right there and turn off all the 240 volts breaker and call the POCO right away and tell them you got partal power loss they will come out and check it out.
Merci,Marc
anyway you take a voltmeter and test it and you should get 240 volts across both hot wires [ the big one you will see ]
if not check with one of the 2 pole breaker like stove or dryer or waterheater and check their termails if only read 120v instead of 240volts stop right there and turn off all the 240 volts breaker and call the POCO right away and tell them you got partal power loss they will come out and check it out.
Merci,Marc
#5
03-29-08, 08:36 PM
Is it just lights? Just outlets? Both?
If one or the other, a possible culprit is a loose connection at the first switch or outlet on a line to that area. Typically wires runs from the breaker to a switch or outlet, then from there to the next, and then to the next, etc. So if at any point, a wire is loose, then everything "downstream" will be dead.
Particularly trouble some are outlets where the wire is just pushed into a hole on the back . Those connections are famous for getting loose.
If one or the other, a possible culprit is a loose connection at the first switch or outlet on a line to that area. Typically wires runs from the breaker to a switch or outlet, then from there to the next, and then to the next, etc. So if at any point, a wire is loose, then everything "downstream" will be dead.
Particularly trouble some are outlets where the wire is just pushed into a hole on the back . Those connections are famous for getting loose.
#6
03-29-08, 08:40 PM
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#7
03-29-08, 08:46 PM
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Once the POCO take care of their part and if their system is good then you will have to get a hold of electrician the reason why i say that because main breaker repacement is better off let them do it.
the electricians have safe prodcures to do replace the breaker [ they will deal with the POCO with few items ]
but there are some case the metersocket can go bad also
if the meter socket is bad the electrician will have to replace it [ this is not a diy project at all ]
Merci,Marc
the electricians have safe prodcures to do replace the breaker [ they will deal with the POCO with few items ]
but there are some case the metersocket can go bad also
if the meter socket is bad the electrician will have to replace it [ this is not a diy project at all ]
Merci,Marc
#8
03-29-08, 09:51 PM
Are you sure that section isn't on a subpanel? Do you have any 240v appliances such as a stove or dryer. Do NOT turn it on now to test but did you by chance use it after the problem started? Did it work? If not don't try to test it now by turning it on. Wait till the problem is sorted out.
