Electrical Help PLEASE: Random circuits not working
- Thread starter solarz
- Start date
I have never used the pen device. Will it help diagnois if the issue is with the neutral or hot? Just asking
G
grow nerd
Probably not if the issue is with the neutral, but I thought we were testing for very basics. Like a faulty breaker.
Most people who have to ask this type of question wouldn't know how to handle a multimeter.
Most people who have to ask this type of question wouldn't know how to handle a multimeter.
solarz
Member
ok, well...i will be honest, i've never fucked with electricity before...not that i can't learn, i just would rather pay than to play with it....lol. But in this situation, i may not be left a choice. I can run to home depot and get the device you were talking about DTF, and i'll attempt what dybert suggested about the breaker switching.
I just looked at the panel and the circuits that are not working are not placed in a zig zag pattern. The washer and fridge breakers are right on top of each other (2nd slot from the top on the left). The garbage disposal/lights breaker is directly across from the washer and fridge breakers (on the right). One of breakers in the room is located 2nd from the bottom on the right, with the only circuit that's working being the bottom breaker on the right. See...its pretty randomly placed in the panel.
I just looked at the panel and the circuits that are not working are not placed in a zig zag pattern. The washer and fridge breakers are right on top of each other (2nd slot from the top on the left). The garbage disposal/lights breaker is directly across from the washer and fridge breakers (on the right). One of breakers in the room is located 2nd from the bottom on the right, with the only circuit that's working being the bottom breaker on the right. See...its pretty randomly placed in the panel.
The non contact current pen will work perfectly... All you need to do is measure the hot wires coming off the breaks of the effected circuits. If the hot leads are NOT hot, then there is something wrong with the breaker and/or panel. If they are hot, then there is a wiring problem further down the line.
solarz
Member
Will this allow me to ID if i've "lost half my panel"? Or will this just give me info about whether or not my breakers or wiring is bad?
And out of curiosity...why would 2 practically brand new breakers (installed less than a year ago by electric company) go bad....as well as the relatively older breakers (the fridge/garbage disposal/washer breakers)?
It will let you check every breaker and see if its hot or not... Which means you can deduce if half of them are bad.
Most likely it isn't the breaker, its probably the panel or the wiring... the pen will let you check both, and its one of the best, and safest tools you can get for working with A/C power.
EDIT: You should still get a multi-meter... its needed for lots of stuff
G
grow nerd
See if you can solve the problem with just the pen, that way you can be a jew like me and return the other one.
Let me know what time dinner's served. Hopefully all the work will be done by then.
Let me know what time dinner's served. Hopefully all the work will be done by then.
See if you can solve the problem with just the pen, that way you can be a jew like me and return the other one.
Let me know what time dinner's served. Hopefully all the work will be done by then.
^^^
solarz
Member
I think this is it right here. After getting back from the store, and taking the panel off, and really looking at it, it dawned on me. It is going ina zig zag patter, and it skipped right over all of the 240v circuits. So it started @ the top left circuit and zig zagged all the way down hitting only 120v circuits.
I haven't taken the breakers out and switched them yet, just to make sure, but i think that i'm going to put some shit on the bad breakers that i don't need...and put my damn fridge back on a good one!
Now my next question is, what exactly is the cause of this...and how do i fix it? Is it as simple as getting a new main breaker, like from HD or Lowes....or is this something the electric company will need to handle?
solarz
Member
This is true of the situation also....none of the 240 shit is working...except the dryer...that's still working. But the stove isn't working....and i'm almost positive the ac hasn't kicked on at all today, however the display is reading some thing funky...like E2 (and i have no clue what that means).
How do i solve this problem?
madpenguin
Member
I completely skipped over page 2 but if only the working breakers are in a zig zag pattern and no 240 shit is working then you've lost a leg.
Could be with your main breaker, could be with one of the hot bus bars.
Is the dryer breaker pretty much all the way at the top of the panel? If so then you've blown a hot bus bar and the panel needs to be replaced.
And get your food on ice man!
Get a multi-meter. You need it. You also need to be comfortable working around live power. If your uncomfortable at all, then just don't do it. Hire someone.
To see if you've blown a hot bus bar, get a flashlight and throw the main breaker at the top of the panel. Then pull every single breaker and inspect the hot bus bar that the breakers make contact with. You should be able to tell where one has been broken/melted in half (not the breaker but the metal bus bar that the breaker snaps onto). The damage will probably be up top if the dryer breaker is at the top.
So just start with pulling the 4 top breakers or so and very closely look at the hot bus bar. You should see some damage there somewhere.
What kind of a panel is it anyway?
Could be with your main breaker, could be with one of the hot bus bars.
Is the dryer breaker pretty much all the way at the top of the panel? If so then you've blown a hot bus bar and the panel needs to be replaced.
And get your food on ice man!
Get a multi-meter. You need it. You also need to be comfortable working around live power. If your uncomfortable at all, then just don't do it. Hire someone.
To see if you've blown a hot bus bar, get a flashlight and throw the main breaker at the top of the panel. Then pull every single breaker and inspect the hot bus bar that the breakers make contact with. You should be able to tell where one has been broken/melted in half (not the breaker but the metal bus bar that the breaker snaps onto). The damage will probably be up top if the dryer breaker is at the top.
So just start with pulling the 4 top breakers or so and very closely look at the hot bus bar. You should see some damage there somewhere.
What kind of a panel is it anyway?
solarz
Member
Its a Westinghouse panel..and i've talked with an electrician over the phone and he walked me thru the testing part...and we've concluded that it is actually one of the mains that is being fed from the meter (i'm guessing) that isn't working.
Here's how i tested it:
i started out with both prongs on the feeders coming into the main breakers (there's 2 of them) and it was only reading 124. So i kept one prong on the main, and moved the other to the neutral bar...and it still read 124. I then switched the prongs on the main, and neutral...and i was getting nothing. So that is what lead me to the conclusion that one of the mains is broken.
The electrician (a family friend who doesn't know the deal...) told me to call the electric company...but i'm a bit skeptical about doing that. Any suggestions.
Also, MadP...do i still need to go about pulling all the breakers as you described earlier? Also, if i have to call the electric company out...or if i even have to hire an electrician, is this/would this be a good time to upgrade my service? I'm maxed out @ 125amps i believe...and the panel is full as of now...only allowing 60 dedicated amps to the hobby...
thanks in advance,
solarz
Here's how i tested it:
i started out with both prongs on the feeders coming into the main breakers (there's 2 of them) and it was only reading 124. So i kept one prong on the main, and moved the other to the neutral bar...and it still read 124. I then switched the prongs on the main, and neutral...and i was getting nothing. So that is what lead me to the conclusion that one of the mains is broken.
The electrician (a family friend who doesn't know the deal...) told me to call the electric company...but i'm a bit skeptical about doing that. Any suggestions.
Also, MadP...do i still need to go about pulling all the breakers as you described earlier? Also, if i have to call the electric company out...or if i even have to hire an electrician, is this/would this be a good time to upgrade my service? I'm maxed out @ 125amps i believe...and the panel is full as of now...only allowing 60 dedicated amps to the hobby...
thanks in advance,
solarz
solarz
Member
