Power Line to my house was broken

[ultrarunner]

:-(. Hoping for the best but probably at least 36 hours of Brown Out...

I've been working double shifts so late to the party myself.

Long Microwave cook time is something all affected shared and all chalked it up to needing a new microwave.

The furnace, refrigeration and washing machine also issues.

Most neighbors are elderly... one told me she called her son saying the washing machine quit with a full load and filled with water...

My home has a massive line conditioner but I don't know much about it as home built by retired Telecom Engineer... it had indicator light for voltage conditions and is suppose to prevent spikes and condition power... said they used these in telecom centers... it's about the size a very big suitcase but no batteries.

 

[ultrarunner]

Wow, I never seen a shared transformer either. My property has two and this is a "small" place. Both are 25kW. Places are too spread out around here to share a transformer.

Mom is residential subdivision circa 1957 on 5,000 to 12,000 foot lots.

 

[ponytug]

The old transformer could have failed with a drain to ground, lowering the local circuit voltage. Not every failure is a total failure. We went 11 months with a failed neutral ground at the transformer, and yes, I kept thinking that the microwave was dying since it was taking fifty percent longer to hear things.

We have two transformers as well- to generate 3 phase, but both neighbors also have their own transformers, 3-500' away from our transformers.

@ultrarunner that sounds like an old ferroresonant transformer. They absorb line transients, and within limits bring the output to 120V. I used one once to compensate for a local grid that had spikes that were driving our control electronics nuts. It also helped with some 6am switchover that the utility routinely did that caused a one second dropout. Does it hum much?

All the best,

Peter

 

[ultrarunner]

Speaking from personal experience, I can attest that these brown outs / failed neutrals don't jump to top of mind or at least top of me for me.

Just replaced the furnace blower motor; I noticed it was "grunting" longer and longer at each start up, but it took a while to register that something had changed. The HVAC service technician came December 8th, new motor ordered December 9th, second day air. (versus six weeks ground) Trane then proceeded to ship an empty box, a box with random part, a box with a motor with a bent axle, and finally this week the right motor. Only took four weeks for "2nd day air"... When the old motor was pulled, the original motor had 3/8" in/out play in the axle, so the bearings were totally shot. The house now gets warmer faster, which I think is due to better air circulation.

All the best,

Peter

This has been the year for furnace repairs... In the last 6 months at various Oakland locations I have replaced two blower motors, a couple of high efficiency furnace combustion fan motors, one control board and one capacitor all at different locations

The old floor furnaces that operate with a key I am happy to report continue to be trouble free!

 

[ponytug]

Judging by the dust on my motor bearings, mine had been leaking oil for years. I noticed that the power supply on the electrostatic precipitator had died two years ago, but no idea of when it failed, so I figure that the motor seals gave out at least three years ago, perhaps much earlier. The furnace is only 45+ years old. Sheesh! They just don't make motors like they used to.

Given how well the air moves now, it might have been struggling for many years.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ultrarunner]

The old transformer could have failed with a drain to ground, lowering the local circuit voltage. Not every failure is a total failure. We went 11 months with a failed neutral ground at the transformer, and yes, I kept thinking that the microwave was dying since it was taking fifty percent longer to hear things.

We have two transformers as well- to generate 3 phase, but both neighbors also have their own transformers, 3-500' away from our transformers.

@ultrarunner that sounds like an old ferroresonant transformer. They absorb line transients, and within limits bring the output to 120V. I used one once to compensate for a local grid that had spikes that were driving our control electronics nuts. It also helped with some 6am switchover that the utility routinely did that caused a one second dropout. Does it hum much?

All the best,

Peter

Every night for years at 11pm UPS would beep at switchover but hasn't for some time.

Didn't notice hum but did not go to transformer that was replaced.

The more I learn the less I really know.

Happy to say Mom's furnace is back to near silent operation and so far appliances working!

 

[ultrarunner]

There have been several stories of transformer replacements tied to grow operations but doubt that was the case here but never know.

 

[PILOON]

I once won a debate with the hydro at a house that I was renovating.
I had a digital meter with me and could prove to them that one side was a mere 90 vs the other was at 120.
They allow +/- 5 vac deviation.
The client home owner made a claim for having been short changed on her invoiced consumption and did win.
Hydro were never able to find the actual cause so they are now on their own transformer.

In my area the usual norm is 5 clients per transformer.

Our downfall however is that the power lines are often in the forest with poor access and they merely trim but a 25 foot path in areas where trees are much taller than the power lines consequently we have frequent 'blips' as branches burn off.*
OK, they use automatic restart breakers but they shut down after 2-3 attempts and we then need to wait 3-4 hours for a crew to come reset. Making things worst is we are in a dead cell phone area so they have to sent 2 crews for 'safety reasons'.

* Now that's scary as our Hydro provider might just decide to adopt the California approach and shut power on very dry summer windy days in order to avoid igniting a forest fire.

One concern I have is the major push towards electric cars.
How will the existing power grids handle that?

 

[ultrarunner]

My old neighborhood built in 1922 is still very much 1922 with ancient utility poles and some single family homes with 30 amp 120 volt service as my home... a single 30 amp Edison Fuse main with one 15 lamp and 20 amp outlet circuits.

Electric Car home charging is providing lots of work for electricians.

We are often well over 30 cents a kW and part is to push solar.

I'm certain utility would have eventually been notified but not sure who would have called with all I spoke with blaming appliances.

 

[grsthegreat]

We run up to 7 residential houses on a single transformer, but it depends on the distance between houses. Most rural houses are spread too far apart to share the transformers.