SilverFox
New member
- Location
- Nevada City, California, USA
I have 6 paralleled neutrals from 6 separate breakers located in the main panel. All are 120v circuits. This is in a 7000 sq ft, 3-story residence. I need to find the place or places where these 6 neutrals come together. When I remove each neutral from the main panel bus, I see a short circuit from each neutral to the bus, and I see a short circuit from each neutral to each other neutral. They all seem to be in lighting circuits (mostly ceiling cans).
I have an Amprobe AT-2004 tracer. But with so many wires going to so many circuits, the receiver sees signals all over the place!
When troubleshooting 2 paralleled neutrals, it is easy to trace, or to divide the circuit in half somewhere and trace to the other half ("divide and conquer"). But with 6 interconnected circuits like this, I'm finding myself chasing my tail.
You may wonder how this could have happened, especially since the building was gutted and remodeled just 10 years ago. There were 3 different electricians working on it. I spoke with one of them, who was totally unfamiliar with there being any problems with MBC neutrals, and didn't even believe me that properly wired circuits will read open from neutral to the neutral bus, unless there is another paralleled neutral circuit it is connected to somewhere. I showed him in the main panel how other circuits were okay by removing other neutrals from the neutral bus and showing him with an ohmmeter that they read open to the bus when they are disconnected from it, if they are properly wired. What this tells me is that this guy might have actually joined some or all of the paralleled 6 neutrals together, possibly in several different places, and that I'm likely not seeing a failure or nicked wire etc. And all of the circuits are working - no breakers blow and all lights and switches work. And yes, there are many 3-way and 4-way switches throughout the house.
Any ideas on how to trace? Any way to get to the place or places these neutrals come together?
I have an Amprobe AT-2004 tracer. But with so many wires going to so many circuits, the receiver sees signals all over the place!
When troubleshooting 2 paralleled neutrals, it is easy to trace, or to divide the circuit in half somewhere and trace to the other half ("divide and conquer"). But with 6 interconnected circuits like this, I'm finding myself chasing my tail.
You may wonder how this could have happened, especially since the building was gutted and remodeled just 10 years ago. There were 3 different electricians working on it. I spoke with one of them, who was totally unfamiliar with there being any problems with MBC neutrals, and didn't even believe me that properly wired circuits will read open from neutral to the neutral bus, unless there is another paralleled neutral circuit it is connected to somewhere. I showed him in the main panel how other circuits were okay by removing other neutrals from the neutral bus and showing him with an ohmmeter that they read open to the bus when they are disconnected from it, if they are properly wired. What this tells me is that this guy might have actually joined some or all of the paralleled 6 neutrals together, possibly in several different places, and that I'm likely not seeing a failure or nicked wire etc. And all of the circuits are working - no breakers blow and all lights and switches work. And yes, there are many 3-way and 4-way switches throughout the house.
Any ideas on how to trace? Any way to get to the place or places these neutrals come together?