electric main

**les jansson** · 09-26-2009, 02:11 PM

any advice on which is the best tool to measure the main coming into the home .. i have been running into homes that one leg is sometines bad or even heavey brown outs ,, i have been looking at a bunch of tool but i wanted to get advice from some who uses one so i don't have to buy twice ,, thanks

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**Jerry Peck** · 09-26-2009, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by les jansson

any advice on which is the best tool to measure the main coming into the home .. i have been running into homes that one leg is sometines bad or even heavey brown outs ,, i have been looking at a bunch of tool but i wanted to get advice from some who uses one so i don't have to buy twice ,, thanks

"Measure" as in measure in what way?

Voltage? Current? Terminal torque? Size?

Sounds like the power company needs to be called rather than you measuring anything.

**les jansson** · 09-26-2009, 05:49 PM

pretty much want to measure voltage in this case and amps ....

**Jerry Peck** · 09-26-2009, 05:53 PM

For voltage, any decent quality multi-meter will work.

For current, any decent quality clamp-on ammeter will work.

But unless you are actually measuring the voltage and current when there is a brown out, you will not know it or be able to determine if it happens or not.

Besides, actual brown outs are power company problems, which would likely include, and may even be, related to or caused by the overhead service drop or underground service lateral being deteriorated.

**les jansson** · 09-26-2009, 05:59 PM

thanks for the info ,,, you help me asure my choice ,,,, in this cae i have been working in condo's that were built in the late 80's and are now having problems with service lines thru out .... there are alot of factors goinig on here ..... but we are finding out that aout of them are have one side of the drop line actually working ,,

**Jerry Peck** · 09-26-2009, 06:05 PM

Are you having problems with the service TO the condo building, or from the condo service equipment to each condo?

**les jansson** · 09-26-2009, 06:16 PM

the problem seems to be at the service equipment to each condo to the hook up from the utility company ,, also there are a few empty units and a couple were jumped wrong when power was back on .... i knew something had to be wrong ,,, the heat pump systems wound not turn on ,and the stove burners did not get very hot , but all lights worked ,,,come to find out when they put the power back on it was jumped wrong and only one leg was getting power ....

**Jerry Peck** · 09-26-2009, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by les jansson

the problem seems to be at the service equipment to each condo to the hook up from the utility company ,, also there are a few empty units and a couple were jumped wrong when power was back on .... i knew something had to be wrong ,,, the heat pump systems wound not turn on ,and the stove burners did not get very hot , but all lights worked ,,,come to find out when they put the power back on it was jumped wrong and only one leg was getting power ....

Les,

It is really difficult to understand what you are saying with the terminology you are using, so far, up until the above, I *think* I've figured it out, but in the above ... ????

A) "the problem seems to be at the service equipment to each condo to the hook up from the utility company"

B) "also there are a few empty units and a couple were jumped wrong"

C) "come to find out when they put the power back on it was jumped wrong"

D) "and only one leg was getting power ...."

What I think you are saying, but am not sure, is:
A) The problem seems to be at the service equipment connection to the utility power AND at the service equipment to each condo?
- If the problem is at the service equipment to the utility power, that same problem will show up down the line.

B) "jumped wrong"?
C) "jumped wrong"?
- Do you mean the feeders between the condo unit panels and the service equipment? That there are two feeders and only one is 'hot'? Not sure what you mean by "jumped" much less "jumped wrong".

D) Only one leg has power
- Okay, and if that is also at the service equipment to the utility power, then there is no way to get that leg hot downstream to the condo panels. This would be a utility problem, a dropped leg.
- Now, if the service equipment has power at both legs, but no power at ANY of the condo panels, then something happened to that one leg coming off the service equipment.
- If the service equipment has power at both legs, and SOME condos have power at both legs but SOME condos only have power on one leg, then it may be that the service is 3-phase and on leg has been dropped, which would properly power all the condos on the two working legs but not any of the condos with one working leg and one dead leg.

It would really help if you used proper terminology.

Also, and I really hate to say this, but ... if you do not know the proper terminology then I think you quite possibly do not know enough to do what you are doing, especially not and charge for it, but even not to do it as you could screw something up really bad, which could injure or kill someone, which means you should have a knowledgeable, qualified, and licensed electrical contractor come out and go through it all and find the problems, with you "hanging out" with that electrical contractor and learning as much as you can. Sorry, but with what you are saying, I really think that would be best for you and for your client(s), both for your safety and their safety.

**H.G. Watson, Sr.** · 09-26-2009, 07:31 PM

Are you refering to the metered service equipment at a bank of meters for the condo building (where the services are) or the feeders to the individual condo unit panels?

What is the reason behind your questions? Are you performing an inspection for a client?

**les jansson** · 09-26-2009, 07:32 PM

yes i agree what you are saying ... i have touched on o few different topics off of my request of a tool .... my example was just one of the units that i was in and reported what i have found and have pasted alond to the board and as far as the finding of the wrongs jumps , this is what they are telling me ,,,, i told them when all of the work is done to call me and i will go back a confirm there work ,,,,, thanks agian for the advice on the tool meters ......

**les jansson** · 09-26-2009, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

Are you refering to the metered service equipment at a bank of meters for the condo building (where the services are) or the feeders to the individual condo unit panels?

from what i am told from the condo board the utilty company jump the power wrong and have to come back and do work to fix the power .... this is all i was told from the condo board... i think there are more problems that the utilty compy is not letting on ....

**Gary Burnett** · 09-27-2009, 04:22 PM

Les,
You might have a pissed off late shift worker that comes home and goes to the panels and just flips the main breakers off and then back on for a thrill. I know that 100 years back, when I lived in an apartment, I had a guy below me that would leave his stereo blasting and leave his apartment. I just went out and flipped his main breaker.