Home electrical help please.

[ben2go]

My house lost partial power.Everything slowed down(fans),and the lights dimmed.At first I though it was a brown out, which I have never encountered before.I got up to go check the electrical panel and noticed,everything else in the house was working properly.So out comes the trust ole multimeter.Everything tests fine at 122v to 125v steady, except on two circuits.Circuit A has a string of eight lights and two outlets.With everything off/unplugged,I get 105v to 108v unsteady volts.Circuit B is a string of twelve outlets.I get 94v to 98v, unsteady,with everything disconnected.I checked all outlets in the house and some of the light fixtures.I got the same results.I manually operated the breakers to see if that would bring the voltage back up,it did not make a difference.These two breakers are on opposite sides in the electrical panel.One is on the bottom.The other is second from the bottom,and the circuit under it tests fine.The power comes into my panel from the bottom, but the electrical connections are at the top.What could the problem be?I am thinking bad breakers.I haven't tested the panel yet.I want to wait until I have better light tomorrow,so I don't fry myself.Oh,and I pulled out a few of the outlets, and tested them at the connections,same results,low voltage.

 

[Fawken]

I'm thinking transformer at the pole. Is it hot where you are? I'd call the power company- unless you have Fed Pac breakers, but it sounds like the transformer to me.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Do you have anything that can short in the circuit like copper to aluminum?

I remember fondly how my brother excitedly showed me that he discovered why he was getting his bare feet shocked on his porch steps as he stuck his multimeter leeds into what I assumed was cat pee and measured 107 v.

<cue you might be a redneck if your brother….>

 

[boggen]

most main breakers boxes now a days every other circuit, comes off one of the 2 hots in the panel.
other words 1 side is 110v, and other side is the other 110v. but rather it alternates back and forth down the panel. which hot the breaker connects with ((more setup for 220amp breakers))
==from description you gave, 2 breakers, 1 on each hot in the panel is giving low voltage.

i am wondering if you have any metal electrical boxes, that these 2 wires might go through. say going through a box between switches and lights.

i have found mice and bugs inside fully inclosed electrical boxes (switches to outlets, to other) i have also found were a wire nut has came loose or a wire on a light switch or outlet has came loose.
--stuff were wires have came loose / nuts came loose = areas were family members "stoomp" there feet (heavy walkers) or kids bouncing around or the like.

===========
might suggest pulling breaker undoing the hot wire going to it. and then put breaker back in panel and test between breaker and neutral and see what you get. ((primarily testing breaker itself)) i would repeat with other breaker as well. if both check out. then you have an issue some place. and means pulling outlets switches, etc... and back tracing till you find the culprit. or wiring.

 

[boggen]

errr

These two breakers are on opposite sides in the electrical panel.One is on the bottom.The other is second from the bottom

just caught above. after posting. and confusion on my part of what you mean.


TOP..............TOP
left row....right row
9................9
8................8
7................7
6................6
5................5
4................4
3................3
2................2
1................1
BOTTOM...BOTOM

from your description you are stating ((left row 1, and right row 2?))

 

[Ed of all trades]

Where is your breaker box. is it in a dry place or is there a lot of humidity there? If so it might just be corrosion in the box.

 

[BLUE ME]

i had a similar event like that
turned out to be loose breaker.

 

[Egon]

Check the circuits for line leakage and then on to the breakers or do it vice/versa. Or, install new ground fault breaker. If it keeps tripping off there may be a circuit problem.

Note: not an electrician

 

[Mendonsy]

Does turning one of the two breakers off have any effect on the other one?? It could be that a shared ground wire has a bad connection.

 

[EddieWalker]

When you test you voltage, are you using the same common or ground for every test? If so, then I would remove the breaker and test the bar that the breaker attaches to just to make sure it's the proper voltage. If that tests properly, then disconnect the wire and put the breaker back on. Test the breaker at the attachment point of the wire. If that is low, it's the breaker, if it's correct, attach the wire and see if it changes. If it does, you have to keep working your way down the line to find the problem. My guess is that its either the breaker or the wire is loose that's attached to it. You might also check the common wire for that line and make sure it's tight.

Since all the other breakers test out fine, I think they are probably fine.

Do you have copper or aluminum wire as your main feed into the house? Sometimes aluminum needs to be re-tightened. It will also oxidize and cause problems if it's not treated. There is some stuff that you put on your aluminum ends to stop this, if it's not treated, it might give you issues.