# Possible loose neutral some where?



## DinoSparky (Jul 22, 2014)

I'm having an issue with my landlords barn. Only 1 breaker is being used on the panel. He has 120v on one circuit but if he turns on a light or plugs something in an outlet and turns it on, the voltage drops to 0 on my T5-1000 and on my 787. I suspect a loose neutral somewhere but can't find it. 

The barn is unfinished so its easy to follow the romex and follow the circuits by hand. I followed the romex to a jbox, then disconnected all the branching circuits. I then procceed to test each individual circuit to see if they would work by themselves on that circuit. Same result on all individual load tests. When something was turned on the voltage would drop to 0. 

The problem I'm having is finding a possible loose neutral somewhere. I checked all the connections that I have come across and haven't found anything loose or shorted. 

I'm thinking that there is a possibility of the neutral connection being loose where the incoming feed from the triplex feeds into the weather head. It splits, as it drops down into the weather head, then the other half heads over to another area. 

Also the owner said the power to the barn has been working for the past 30 years and it doesn't look like they properly grounded anything. The breaker panel doesn't have grounding bar either. 

I wanted to know if any of you have had a problem like this? I wanted to know if it was possible for a loose connection before the weather head could cause this problem? Its going to take some extra equipment to get to the weather head so I wanted some input before I proceeded to make the effort to get up there. 

I know I'm missing something some where and its driving me nuts. Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm confused right away. Only one circuit is being used but you're testing each and every circuit? If it's only one circuit and all romex, what's the issue?

Anyways, I'm fairly certain I am mis reading something. Is there anyway you can just run a new line and breaker to the items he needs run on it?


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## DinoSparky (Jul 22, 2014)

Sorry I worded that wrong. I meant one breaker is being used. The romex from that breaker goes to a jbox and in that jbox splits. The jbox feeds 3 receptacles and 3 60watt light fixtures. Each receptacle has its own individual romex cable (2/12). So the Junction box has 6 hots and 6 neutrals.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I pmd you.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

*Start at the panel!*

Make/buy you a "pigtail" light socket and use it and your meter to see if you have 120V on that breaker. If you show 120V *AND* the light bulb works, then go to the next/first outlet, jb, or whatever and check the same way. If it's good there proceed to all the other points until you find where you are losing voltage.

Note: It doesn't have to be a light socket, you could use anything that operates on 120V. It's just easy to use/see when a bulb lights and easy to carry around.


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## PlugsAndLights (Jan 19, 2016)

What do you measure on the bus bars within the panel? 
Hot to hot?
Hot1 to neutral?
Hot2 to neutral?
Neutral to gnd?
Measure the above with everything on the cct turned off, then again with 
the light turned on. 
P&L


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