Time to check things out

[enjenjo]

While I was on vacation fatcat told me that there was a problem with the electric power to my barn. It operated intermitently, and when he disconnected the ground wire outside, it arced. So I had him shut it off until I got home.

Checked it out yesterday, and the problem appeared to be at the meter, so I called Edison to get the power cut. The neutral wire had corroded in two at the meter connection! This was hooked up in 1973, and aluminum wire had been used. The technician said it's pretty common in this area. So it might pay to check yours if you have aluminum entrance wire. I replaced it all today with copper wire, they are coming to hook it back up in the morning.

[wayne petty]

ohh.. thats really hard on anything hooked up.....  without a common..  if stuff is plugged in on both sides of the drop....   L1 + L2    you will have 240 on everything that is plugged in...

sort of like how 1157 bulbs act in brake light circuits when the ground fails...

going backwards through the other bulb element ...

a loose common will blow out all kinds of stuff again and again and again... until someone plugs in a 5 buck plug in tester and sees no common..

hope it did not burn out anything expensive...

[Crosley.In.AZ]

My previous house had electrical aluminum wire... the 110 circuits in the house were aluminum.  The 220 stuff was copper

Any time I replaced a circuit breaker or outlet in the house I had to buy an AL compatible  part