Rain causes circuit breaker to blow
chris45_2006
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (6)
pjb999
17 years agoRelated Discussions
electrical circuit panel
Comments (1)I would suspect the water is getting in at the weatherhead or the top of the meter pan. Most likely both. Another likely source is if the cable is all deteriorated and water is getting in along the cracks in the cable. If this is happening about the only solution is a new service. How old is your existing service. Can you post a pic of the weatherhead at the top and of the meter pan?...See MoreExchanging circuit breakers?
Comments (6)Normel: Thanks for replying--I understand where you're coming from. I guess it still isn't too clear to me what the OP means by "hooked up with a 20a breaker on the left side and a 20a breaker on the right side". I don't know whether that means the breakers are on the same pole, exactly to the left and right of each other on opposite sides of the panel. My preference for MW cc's (and code now, I believe, in those jurisdictions using new NEC version) is to use two-pole breakers or, at least, to use handle ties. That more or less ensures the breakers are not on the same pole and also means the neutral won't be carrying current when one but not both of the breakers are turned off. But it's an issue that's come up before in this forum and there are at least a few sparkies here who argue that sometimes a feller's gotta put the breakers where slots permit, so long as he's sure they're not on the same pole. I think this OP's probably gone now, but I did want to raise the possibility that the overall wiring may be OK, but there's another garden-variety reason a breaker is tripping now and then. It seems to me that's at least as likely as concluding an electrician totally bungled the job. And while I agree that a miswired multiwire circuit can lead to an overloaded neutral, that's not likely to be the cause of the intermittant breaker tripping, given the infor provided in the post. I dunno. YMMV. Thanks again and cheers, Tom...See MoreHouse circuit over/ under voltage problem
Comments (14)You have described the classical unbalanced load problem on a house transformer. The outside transformer has a center tapped 240 V winding. The center tap is grounded. The voltage from either end of the transformer winding to ground is 120V, but the voltage from one end of the winding to the other is 240 v. Inside the house in the distribution box are two "hot' bars and one neutral bar. One end of the transformer bar is connected to one of the hot bars and the other end of the winding is attached to the other bar. The center tap is connected to the neutral bar. Here's a peculiarity of the transformer. The total voltage across the transformer winding tends to be constant. If a heavy current draw in one half of the winding reduces voltage in that portion, the voltage in the second half of the winding will rise and tend to maintain the total voltage. Therefore, if half of the transformer falls by 10 volts, the other half will rise 10 volts. That is why electricians try to "balance" the circuit loads so that on the average, the load on each half of the transformer is approximately equal. If an out-sized load, say a welder, hits, one leg of the transformer, enough to drop the voltage in its leg, the voltage in the other leg will rise. Whats happening is the RV is connected to a single house circuit and at times draws an out-sized current especially if other loads in the house also appears on the same circuit. The solution is to split the load from the RV and connect to two circuits, one that draws from one bar in the distribution box and the other drawing from the other bar....See Moreswitch tripping breaker
Comments (10)It's a code violation to take your feed from a dedicated laundry receptacle, no matter what the load. You can either do it properly now, or when you sell the house and the inspector flags it as a violation. Hint : hiring an electrician when you're in a rush to close on the sale can be expensive. I know this because I've been the buyer and watched the seller squirm. ;-) As I understand it (someone correct me if I'm wrong) it's code-compliant to put everything in the bathroom on one dedicated circuit, as long as it serves ONLY that bathroom. Alternatively, I don't see anthing wrong with feeding the light and fan from, say, the hall light circuit, if it's not too heavily loaded. But you can't take your feed from circuits that the code requires to be dedicated. FWIW, I've read that very few portable hair dryers actually use the power for which they're rated. The Wattage rating is more for chest-thumping in their advertising than anything else. We don't have a recent model hair dryer, but one of these days (geek that I am) I'm going to take my Kill-A-Watt meter to a couple of friends' houses and ask them to let me check their newer hair dryers. (Yes, my friends are used to this sort of thing. ;-)...See Morechris45_2006
17 years agopjb999
17 years agospring1967
10 years agobtharmy
10 years ago
Related Stories
FUN HOUZZ31 True Tales of Remodeling Gone Wild
Drugs, sex, excess — the home design industry is rife with stories that will blow your mind, or at least leave you scratching your head
Full StoryDISASTER PREP & RECOVERYRemodeling After Water Damage: Tips From a Homeowner Who Did It
Learn the crucial steps and coping mechanisms that can help when flooding strikes your home
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDES7 Bad Things Your Home May Be Hiding
What you don't know about your home could cost you during a remodel. Here's what to plan for
Full StoryARCHITECTUREHave Your Flat Roof and Your Snow Too
Laboring under the delusion that flat roofs are leaky, expensive and a pain to maintain? Find out the truth here
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPINGHow to Clean Your Fridge, Inside and Out
Keep your refrigerator clean and fresh, while you gain storage space and lose those ‘UFOs’
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPINGWhat's That Sound? 9 Home Noises and How to Fix Them
Bumps and thumps might be driving you crazy, but they also might mean big trouble. We give you the lowdown and which pro to call for help
Full StoryLIFEHow to Prepare for and Live With a Power Outage
When electricity loss puts food, water and heat in jeopardy, don't be in the dark about how to stay as safe and comfortable as possible
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGN10 Amenities to Make Your Bathroom Extraordinary
Go beyond the basics for a luxury bathroom experience, with extra-special options starting at only $25
Full StoryCONTRACTOR TIPSBuilding Permits: 10 Critical Code Requirements for Every Project
In Part 3 of our series examining the building permit process, we highlight 10 code requirements you should never ignore
Full StoryMOST POPULAR11 Things to Expect With Your Remodel
Prepare yourself. Knowing what lies ahead during renovations can save your nerves and smooth the process
Full Story
samneric