Elec circuit failures in my home Appliances

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jimlow

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:confused: For the last 3 months I've had circuit board failures 5 major appliances. The Utility company dose not seen to care so im reaching out for some answers. I'm new to this board. I suspect some kind of noise interfience coming across my lines but can not prove it. I have checked for any lose wires in panel, meterbase, ground all check good. My next thought is Isolating my earth ground fron my netrual bus removing the bonding jumper but im kinda hesitating on that part for saftey sake. An Isolating Transformer has been a thought but the expense and trouble it would take kinda knocks that out.any thoughts please ?
 
I second the open noodle.

Open the panel and check the following voltages:
L1-L2
L1-G
L2-G
L1-N
L2-N
G-N


Also try whole-house surge protection.
 
I agree with JW that an open or poorly connect neutral is a likely cause.

Take some voltage readings L to L, L to N etc. Also it would not hurt to put an amp clamp on the neutral and on the GEC.
 
Nope on the open neutral (L1 -G 125) (L2-G 125) (L1-L2 249) Imbalence on Neutral .02 A Ground Rod reading 15 Ohms
L1-N 125),L2-N 125)
 
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cant be an open ground (L1-L2 249), (L1-G 125), ( L2-G 125), L1-N 125)
(L2-N 125) Neutral Imbalence .02 A on Neutal
 
Try taking the same voltage readings after you start opening some SP breakers on one leg of the panel.

In other words, turn off half the single-pole breakers that are on leg A and try the voltage readings again.
 
jimlow said:
Imbalence on Neutral .02 A
Click to expand...

The load was balanced when you took your readings an open netral will not show up with ballanced loading.

Shut off all phase A breakers and take your readings again, then turn all of phase A back on and turn off phase B.



(Before anyone gets after me about calling a single phase service phase A and B, don't bother. :smile:)
 
You may want to do it like 480 sugested, one or two breakers at a time.

If you do it the way I suggested and you do have an open neutral you may smoke a bunch of equipment.
 
iwire said:
You may want to do it like 480 sugested, one or two breakers at a time.

If you do it the way I suggested and you do have an open neutral you may smoke a bunch of equipment.
Click to expand...

Slight voltage increases each time you turn off a breaker aren't significant. Going from, say, 120.1 to 120.2 doesn't mean anything other than you've increased voltage due to a load being removed.

But if it really jumps, say from 120 to 135, you know you've got a loose neutral.
 
ok turned off all 2 pole breakers and all phase A got a Neutral reading of .04A
Voltage was 124.4
then turned A back on and B off Phase B .07A with voltage of 124.5
 
jimlow said:
:confused: For the last 3 months I've had circuit board failures 5 major appliances.
Click to expand...
It could be you have 5 bad circuit boards. Or it could be something in the devices themselves are bad and causing the boards to fail. Did you repair the devices or replace them? If you did repair them, you might want to check them to see if they are the culprit.
 
Do you have any power outages (clocks reset, etc)? Is your service in good shape, rubbing a tree or anything? How about a neighbor's service on the same transformer? Is there a large industry real close?
 
jimlow said:
ok turned off all 2 pole breakers and all phase A got a Neutral reading of .04A
Voltage was 124.4
then turned A back on and B off Phase B .07A with voltage of 124.5
Click to expand...

You don't find it odd that you neutral has not loaded up more then .07A?

I would find a way to place a heavy load on the neutral.
 
jimlow said:
ok turned off all 2 pole breakers and all phase A got a Neutral reading of .04A
Voltage was 124.4
then turned A back on and B off Phase B .07A with voltage of 124.5
Click to expand...

You need to turn off SINGLE pole breakers. One at a time, and only those that are on the same phase.

iwire said:
You don't find it odd that you neutral has not loaded up more then .07A?

I would find a way to place a heavy load on the neutral.
Click to expand...

Assuming the neutral has good connections. If it's open, I could see an 0.07a reading.
 
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