120v present but no power?

[gar]

101128-2331 EST

Your troubleshooting procedure is inadequate.

Do any voltages change by more than a fraction of a volt at the main panel when you apply a load at the subpanel or the main panel?

If the main panel voltages are stable, then get a long extension cord or insulated wire. At the main panel connect this wire to the neutral. Be careful. Use electrically insulated gloves. Take the wire to the sub panel. This wire is a long test lead from the neutral at the main panel. Connect it to one side of the meter.

Use a high impedance digital voltmeter. Relative to the main panel neutral measure the voltage at the subpanel to ground, neutral, and each hot. Record these values.

Next put a 100 W lamp from neutral to one hot. Again measure the four voltages. Next from neutral to the other hot. Again record the values.

By now you should know what wires have high resistance connections.

Is the water pipe you are using for an EGC a conductive pipe all the way back to the main panel? If so and any hot wire appears to to be good, then connect a 100 W bulb from the good hot to the water pipe. Relative to your long test lead read the voltage to the water pipe at the subpanel, and to the hot supplying the lamp. What does this tell you? If the water pipe appears to be a good connection from the main to the sub, then try a 1500 W heater load. Again what are the results?

By now you should know where your problems with bad connections are. Get the setup to code as soon as possible. Maybe get a GFCI at the destination soon.

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[LarryFine]

My guess: the meter is booted, and the DVM is reading phantom voltage.

 

[ptonsparky]

you should try using a pigtail and light bulb to test the voltage for 120v....Then use two pigtails in series for 220v. Sometimes dmm give you inaccurate readings

These definitely get rid of the ghost voltage, and I used a set for years. Safer is a wiggy or tpro.

 

[hillbilly1]

My guess: the meter is booted, and the DVM is reading phantom voltage.

I agree, I had the same situation with a cabin that the Boy Scouts of America had.

 

[ptonsparky]

My guess: the meter is booted, and the DVM is reading phantom voltage.

That's a pretty good thought but isn't this being fed from a house panel? The POCO does not install sub metering (for lack of better term) in this area. Maybe so for calisparky6.

 

[augie47]

Calisparkey,
Back to your original post "OK. apprentice question here".
You obviously have an unusual situation here and we are all trying to help, but, absent being there, these are just "shots in the dark".
Part of your training should be to give it your best shot, as you have, and then acknowledge we all have our limitations.
I think it's time you get your journeyman involved. You need to resolve the problem quickly and you don't need to set up a situation that might be harmful to your friend.