# Main Breaker "Fire"



## electricista (Jan 11, 2009)

Certainly a loose neutral could do damages as you described but usually it would show it's face more often then you stated. I wonder if the poco is having some big surge issues or perhaps lightning is causing these problems.


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## seo (Oct 28, 2008)

I agree with electricista. Are there any muli-wire circuits where they may have a loose or (bad) neutral connection?


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

Were the things that burnt up on the same leg as the leg on the main that burnt up?

I just wonder if seeing an abnormally high voltage on that leg (as in a loose/open neutral scenario) would cause the breaker to burn up like that.


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## BryanMD (Dec 31, 2007)

Do any of the neighbors have similar problems/complaints?


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## chenley (Feb 20, 2007)

electricista said:


> Certainly a loose neutral could do damages as you described but usually it would show it's face more often then you stated. I wonder if the poco is having some big surge issues or perhaps lightning is causing these problems.


This occurred when the power was restored after the ice storm here, so the electric heat was probably going overtime heating the mobile home back up. She had stated that she was smelling something burning for 2-3 days but could not find it until the breaker started smoking. 



seo said:


> I agree with electricista. Are there any muli-wire circuits where they may have a loose or (bad) neutral connection?


It is a mobile home that was built around 1985, so there could be a loose neutrals all over the place. I would not be able to tell until the power is restored. I did check all the connections within the panel and they seem good and tight. 



BryanMD said:


> Do any of the neighbors have similar problems/complaints?


So far other neighbors have not complained about anything. The owners of the trailer parks contract with me to do all of their services and recommend myself to HO's when they call. It is up to them to call me though. There are four other trailers connected to the same transformer as this one. I will take reading on those four other services Monday, since there is access to the main disconnects to the service poles. 

Seems like I'll be trying to find that 'ol needle in the haystack Monday.


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## chenley (Feb 20, 2007)

Well, got the electric turned back on, checked all the loads. Ran the HVAC for about an hour and took temp reading throughout the panel. Did not find a thing, so I just wrote it up as a loose connection at the main breaker.


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## caseysbuilding (Mar 19, 2009)

Electric can be very dangerous if not installed or connected properly. Scary http://www.caseysbuilding.com


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Actually electricity is much more forgiving than we give it credit for. If it wasn't with the amount of hack work being completed out there 70% of the places wired would be burnt down.


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

caseysbuilding said:


> Electric can be very dangerous if not installed or connected properly. Scary http://www.caseysbuilding.com


Nice plug for your site :thumbup:

:whistling2:


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## luby104 (Mar 28, 2009)

Just curious.

If there *was *a lose neutral connection... lets say at one of the receptacles,

and voltage was measured at that receptacle, would there be a voltage

drop?


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

luby104 said:


> Just curious.
> 
> If there *was *a lose neutral connection... lets say at one of the receptacles,
> 
> ...


Well go around and check voltage at different points if its 154 volts or 80 or 40 volts 0r 167 volts it maybe high and low voltage due to the loads passing voltage between them to find a neutral point or ground to give voltage because it the neutral !!has been lost than you got a bad neutral some where in circuit .

Turn on a lite in one room lites go out in another room bad neutral . Start at you power source the main meter than disconnect tight up everything . take care


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

A bad neutral connection would not affect the available voltage at the mains. They are rated for 240 Volts, and would still have 240 Volts with or without the neutral. The neutral is not connected to the mains.

Any 240 Volt equipment would not see any change in its operation with a bad neutral condition.


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## chenley (Feb 20, 2007)

Had a loose neutral in a mobile home a couple of weeks ago. Just two receptacles were affected the second to last outlet on the line would read about 120V from H-N, then when a load was plugged in it would read about 120 H-G and the load would not work. Found the wing nut tying to neutral wires in a switchbox had come loose.


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## luby104 (Mar 28, 2009)

Sounds Good.

Many thanks!


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## B'phase (Mar 28, 2009)

:whistling2:


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## electrictim510 (Sep 9, 2008)

I wonder if maybe the burn on the phase may of caused the motors to give out because of the possible alteration in the copper or aluminum's chemical make-up due to the burn. I don't know, but I think voltage carries very different on damaged conductors, and for sure does not flow well on the burnt surface of such metals.


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