Power Line to my house was broken

EddieWalker · Mar 28, 2021

Next door to me is a natural gas line with a tap that the gas company is currently working on. They are in the process of running a new gas line down the road and in the evening, they park the excavator inside the fenced area around the tap.

Yesterday I went out front to mow the weeds along the road and at the entrance to my place. While mowing, I noticed a cable hanging on my fence. It was so out of place that I just mowed around it while processing what it was. It took me a good ten seconds to comprehend that it was the bottom power line to my house. It was broke pretty clean, and just guessing, it happened exactly over the gate into the fenced area of the gas line tap.

I called 911 and the fire department was there in ten minutes. The Chief said it was the neutral line and that it wasn't hot. I could keep mowing and the power company would be out later to fix it.

Since I still have power at my house, I guess it's not that big of a deal. But what I don't understand is how do I still have power at my house? Top wire is hot, bottom wire in neutral. But if you don't need the bottom wire, why have it?

4570Man · Mar 28, 2021

On older houses the neutral and the ground were bonded anyway. I assume it must be running into the ground for it to continue working.

EddieWalker · Mar 28, 2021

I built the house in 2005, which is when the power lines where installed. There is a ground line coming down the pole where the transformer is. Is that's all that's needed?

4570Man · Mar 28, 2021

How are the lines installed where they were able to break just one. Aren’t they in conduit?

4570Man · Mar 28, 2021

Usually there’s a ground wire on the electric pole. Is it possible that’s what they broke vs the house neutral wire?

Diggin It · Mar 28, 2021

EddieWalker said:
that it was the bottom power line to my house.

4570Man said:
How are the lines installed where they were able to break just one. Aren’t they in conduit?

Overheads between poles are not in conduit and are separated by several feet. Usually the two primaries tie in to a transformer at some point and pick up the neutral in a triplex cable, so I guess it depends on what got snagged and where. In some cases there may be three singles coming to the last pole nearest the house with the lowest/bottom being the neutral.

4570Man · Mar 28, 2021

Diggin It said:
Overheads between poles are not in conduit and are separated by several feet. The two primaries tie in to a transformer at some point and pick up the neutral in a triplex cable, so I guess it depends on what got snagged and where.

I missed that part I was assuming it was an under ground wire that was broken.

EddieWalker · Mar 28, 2021

Not sure if I understand what you guys are saying. There are two power line cables running down the road to my place, and then into my land, where they end at the transformer. In this picture, you can see the Gas Line Tap Station with a truck in there delivering something. I asked those guys if they knew anything about the broken cable, and they said no. The excavator is a Cat 315 with rubber tracks. They block the highway with company trucks when it crosses the road to where they are working. Then they bring it back every evening. In the air, you can see just one power line cable. To the right, you can see a power pole that is coming to my house. My place is to the left of this.

When mowing along my fence, this is the power line that I saw, but didn't comprehend what it was at first. If you look close, you can see where the break is. Just guessing, there appears to be enough cable laying there that it lines up perfectly with the middle of that gate opening. I never went down the road to look at the other end of the power line.

I always thought they carried somewhere around 14,000 volts through them, and then the transformer dropped it down to 240. I also thought that both power lines where hot. The Chief of the Fire Department told me that the top line was hot and the bottom was neutral. I guess he's correct because I still have power to my house with just the one power line. I just don't understand how this works and was hoping somebody could explain it to me in simple terms that I will understand.

coobie · Mar 28, 2021

Your service neutral wire might be tapped on the other side/line of the pole.You should also have a copper down ground wire running down the transformer pole to some ground rods next to the pole.You should also have a ground rod driven in by your meter socket ..

coobie · Mar 28, 2021

Please STAY CLEAR of that primary Neutral wire as it can still have a potential of back feed from another upstream or down stream source..Power banks and such ..The power company should get that fixed ASAP..

ponytug · Mar 28, 2021

You do want to be careful if your neutral is missing. It is possible for the 120 in your house to be 240 as a result. Basically, the electricity from each phase has nowhere to go but against the other phase. Friends have had lots of electronics go up in smoke over missing neutrals.

I would double check your voltages on both phases, and consider disconnecting everything until that neutral is fixed if it is yours.

You can google "missing neutral" for lots of examples.

All the best, Peter

coobie · Mar 28, 2021

Has anyone checked your voltage at your meter socket?You should have 120 volts between each hot leg and neutral and 240 volts between each hot leg.If not you will could have serious issues.The power company offers this service for free.

Diggin It · Mar 28, 2021

I'd say the power company needs to get there super quick. It's hard to tell from pictures, but the two lines between poles are usually hot. They get tapped off at the transformer to provide 240 between them and 120 between each and the neutral or ground.

Is everything in the house working? I've seen cases where one leg goes out and only some outlets work (those connected to the good leg) while others don't.

Stan B · Mar 28, 2021

coobie said:
Has anyone checked your voltage at your meter socket?You should have 120 volts between each hot leg and neutral and 240 volts between each hot leg.If not you will could have serious issues.The power company offers this service for free.

I had a power company guy tell me that the new smart meters actually monitor that regularly. I guess it tells them if they need to adjust certain parts of the grid.

coobie · Mar 28, 2021

I also have a smart meter but I don't know if the meters check 120/240 voltage but they do know when there has been a power outage..

coobie · Mar 28, 2021

Diggin It said:
I'd say the power company needs to get there super quick. It's hard to tell from pictures, but the two lines between poles are usually hot. They get tapped off at the transformer to provide 240 between them and 120 between each and the neutral or ground.

Is everything in the house working? I've seen cases where one leg goes out and only some outlets work (those connected to the good leg) while others don't

Diggin It said:
I'd say the power company needs to get there super quick. It's hard to tell from pictures, but the two lines between poles are usually hot. They get tapped off at the transformer to provide 240 between them and 120 between each and the neutral or ground.

Is everything in the house working? I've seen cases where one leg goes out and only some outlets work (those connected to the good leg) while others don't.

Only 1 line between the (single phase)poles are HOT 1 is the primary(Top) hot line and the (bottom) line is the neutral which is dead but can get back fed.You can also have 3 top wires which is 3 phase power or open wye which is 2 phase power to put in laymen terms.Both have neutrals ..You can also have Delta primary which has all (3 top/cross arm) wires hot but no hanging neutral between poles.Bottom line be careful ..

ponytug · Mar 28, 2021

Bottom line: that is a downed line and an emergency. "Do not pass GO, do not collect $200"

If it were me and the power company isn't fixing it now, I would be calling 911 or the sheriff.

I didn't appreciate from your first post that it was a 14kV line.

All the best, Peter

STx · Mar 28, 2021

Neutral and ground are bonded either in the meter can or at the first load center (depends on what the PoCo wants). 240V loads don't need the neutral since the 2 120v legs are 180 degrees our of phase, when one is +, the other is -.

You know you have a good ground now, so that's good.

i7win7 · Mar 28, 2021

Neutral wire carries the unbalanced load. If both hot wires have 50A loads, everything appears ok. Frige turns on needs 10A, without neutral voltage on one leg goes up other goes down. Over voltage, light bulbs vary light output or burn out, surge protected equipment blows fuses or trips breakers. All this activity changes electrical demands between legs.

They're baaaack, feels like the house has a poltergeist in it.

Better UPS power supplies kick on and display line voltage. If wild voltage swings are present, best to trip main breaker and contact power co. Usually very responsive as it could casuse a house fire.