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[bitman]

Well that sucked. And could keep on sucking.

My wife and I were having our morning coffee reading the internet as usual.
I decided to go down to the basement studio and try something that I needed to know before getting in the shower. I clicked on the master switch that turns everything on and in some cases dims the light momentarily
only to have it shut half the 110 off (one phase) in my house.

None of the breakers were popped and resetting them all plus the big master breaker would not bring it back.
So I called an electrician who found that the juice was not getting to the meter from the street. Apparently the 240 is brought in under ground as two 110 legs and a common. Whatever..

Anyhow I wrote that man a 110.00 check (I guess it's a dollar for every volt he has to find) and on his way he went. After gratuitously tightening up the screw terminals in my breaker box. We called the power company and he ran an above ground cable from the box to the meter to provide 240 until they can dig up my lawn and replace the (Chewed through?) bad cable.

This should be fun.

 

[Brian H]

That happened to my Brother with his underground cable.
Power company used big transformer to generate the missing phase until they could fix the wires.
They removed the Meter. Plugged this device into the meters jack and then the meter into the adapter.
With the transformer on a skid like mount on the ground.
So basically the one phase was doing the whole home.

Now if you had lost the Neutral. Then thing would have been worse. As loads tried to balance through each other.

[dave w]

Now if you had lost the Neutral. Then thing would have been worse. As loads tried to balance through each other.

Yeah, losing a neutral is like spending the day at Haunted Mansion at Disney. Turn on the diningroom light switch and the bathroom lights come on dim. Very wierd and can be dangerous.

[Brian H]

Happened to a friend. His imbalance put a high voltage on his TV and the picture got real BIG. Lucky for him the TV seemed to survive. Lots of light bulbs where no so lucky.

[bitman]

The previous Sunday night I had a dream that our power company was sending around reps to homes and businesses with a clamp on meter to see if you were within their new green policies.

I kid you not.

[HA Dave]

....  I had a dream that our power company was sending around reps to homes and businesses with a clamp on meter to see if you were within their new green policies.

Check your meter for clamp marks!

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

....  I had a dream that our power company was sending around reps to homes and businesses with a clamp on meter to see if you were within their new green policies.

Check your meter for clamp marks!

Yeah, you SURE it was a dream?   

 

[Brian H]

I would say some may have them already. Does anyone know if the new Smart Meters; I see being talked about. Snitch back to the power company?

[dave w]

Since this thread is a little off track anyway.

Have you heard that Congress is toying with the idea that you would not be allowed to sell a house unless it is completely updated with new generation energy saving appliances? This would include HVAC! You would have to take out a second mortgage just to sell the house....I can't wait for November. 

[nybuck]

In the immortal words of Ross Perot, "We need to clean out the barn"!   

Of course, the last few elections didn't seem to fix the problem!!   

[dave w]

In the immortal words of Ross Perot, "We need to clean out the barn"!   

Of course, the last few elections didn't seem to fix the problem!!   

I know, that's why I am looking for an island, or some land in Kentucky/Tennessee with a cave under it.

[bitman]

Do not get me started. 

By the way, Last night my wife complained the lights in the master were not x10ing.
After testing with a IBM wired remote on the phase in the bedroom and having it work, I moved the household
tm751 into that room and her lights worked again. While most of the x10 elsewhere still operates a few lights in the basement area do not.

So the phases are mucked up somewhat with the "extension cord" put in by the power company.
We got a foot 1/2 of snow after this incident so it may be a few days before they dig.

 

[dave w]

So the phases are mucked up somewhat with the "extension cord" put in by the power company.
We got a foot 1/2 of snow after this incident so it may be a few days before they dig.

 

I thunked you had a XTBIIR(?).

When living in Michigan, one year we got 10 inches of snow on Mother's Day . Powerlines down all over the place.  Obviously LONG before the inventor of the internet discovered man made global warming.

[bitman]

Well that turned out to be nothin.

My wife and I came home from work at the same time and saw the spray paint locating marks on (gasp) my sidewalk and a corner of the paved driveway. Our first thought was "Crap, they're going to dig up the sidewalk!?"
Then my wife said "Hey the wire (above ground cable patch) is gone!" Then in the next breath said "Here is where they dug" looking at her feet on the lawn. Sure enough the sod had been peeled back in about a 3' square section then neatly put back. Just like modern surgery.

I thought I'd come home to a 20' long 2' deep trench.

Furthermore the phase is all back like it was (important to an x10 wingnut).

We so happy!   

#$%^k'n Voles though. I just know they chewed though it. 

[Mellowmark]

Yeah well the vole probably is not doing so good right now.