For about the past year I've been having trouble with my microwave and washing machine, I bought the cheapest microwave because I barely use it and I had bought a used washing machine years ago. So, I just assumed they were both breaking. Until one day I smelled a slight burning smell coming from my circuit box. Nothing was tripped, but I was scared something was going to catch on fire so I cut the power to everything and took it off to look. I didn't see any smoke or any burnt wires. But then immediately after wards my hot water tank also stopped working. So I just figured I blew one of my breakers.

Before I had a chance of fixing it my hot water tank starts working again. But I notice the outlet the microwave was plugged into (which is now unplugged) and one other outlet in my kitchen are barely working. I always use the one for my vacuum. When I plugged the vacuum in it was barely working. Then a few days later my hot water tank stopped working again.

Then I borrowed my father-in-laws volt meter and found out one leg of my power is out. Every other breaker is working. Left leg side works right side does not work.

I live in a mobile home, so I thought then it could be my outside fuses. I went out and looked and they were very burnt. I bought new fuses and replaced them. Also bought a new breaker because I know how to change them. but after all of that still one leg isn't working.

(it's a Sunday so I can't call my power company)

Any advice?

 

Did you call the 24 hour emergency number?

 

Flip off the main breaker or pull the main, here, outside, fuse(s). Then flip a coin.

It's a tossup whether to call an electrician first to see if the problem is in your outside fuse box or to call the power company first to see if the problem is in the lines coming overhead from the utility pole.

Or you may be able to put the power back on and figure out for yourself where the problem is. If you should ever measure a voltage somehat higher than 120 at a receptacle for 120 volt power, or if you see a light that is abnormally bright, you should unplug all electronic devices from that circuit.

Chances are, if something is very burnt then the entire box containing that something needs to be replaced. Most likely a connection worked loose and loose connections heat up when current flows through them.

 

I tried it and all I can talk to is a computer

 

Disagree. The power company is free, the electrician isn't. If it is on the power company side do you want to pay $100+ to an electrician to make a call you could have made for free?

 

I agree, I called the 24 hour number. Basically it was just a computer. No way of talking to an actual person of course. I left the message so hope I at least get a call back.

 

Most panels are arranged ABAB top to bottom, not left and right. Do you by chance have a Bulldog panel?

 

The breakers are like that ABAB. But where the wires go into the main switch is where the one side reads 120 and the other is at 0

 

Not sure if anyone will know but if I'm renting my land is fixing the outdoor fuse box my responsibility or my landlords? I already had bought the fuses for it.

 

You have lost an incoming leg of power. Whether this is your responsibility or the landlords would depend on the rental agreement. Is anyone else off the same pole as you?

 

The fact you even have fuses makes me wonder about the condition of your electrical. Not so much related to your problem but just for situation assessment can you post pictures of the fuse box and breaker box. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/li...rt-images.html

 

Might be a terminology issue here also. I am seeing both fuses and breakers in the problem description.

 

How burnt were they? They shouldn't be burnt at all.