# Ridiculous voltage



## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

I think your buddy might be stealing electricity. You should call the poco. Might even get a citation.


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

stuiec said:


> I think your buddy might be stealing electricity. You should call the poco. Might even get a citation.


Hahahah well they receive an electric bill every month so I don't think that's it. I've seen the bills. Any other ideas?


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

I'd sell the extra volts on craigslist.


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## JMV (Aug 10, 2013)

Man...whoever did the installation dumped too many buckets of volts into those fixtures. 

You may have to get an air compressor and blast some out until you get down to 120.


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

kinster45 said:


> OK I'm a starting out electrician it's more of a hobby than anything but I am on the path to becoming one because I've always been fascinated with the hands on work. I recently helped a friend change out all their BR-30 lights from incandescent over to LEDs. However all the bulbs kept going out so I finally decide to check out some of the electricity's characteristics. It's measuring at 280 volts when we all know it should be around 120. My question is how do you think something like this happened?


What kind of establishment is this?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

ridiculous. and fascinating. fascinating and ridiculous.


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## Calebxx12 (Oct 11, 2010)

wildleg said:


> ridiculous. and fascinating. fascinating and ridiculous.


Or ridicliously fascinating, which this is. What kind of establishment is capable of producing 280 colts 

Maybe your meter needs to be recalibrated.


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

calebxx12 said:


> or ridicliously fascinating, which this is. What kind of establishment is capable of producing 280 volts.
> 
> Maybe your meter needs to be recalibrated.


fify !


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## SamoanThor (Oct 18, 2013)

There's an electron dial on the back side of the panel, turn that down a few notches. 

Or, the neutral got lost and there's no afci. Ish.


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

i don't belive you can get 280 out of a 240 system.it may be 240 is the norm. you may wanna get a licensed electrican to help out.:thumbup:


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

circuitman1 said:


> i don't belive you can get 280 out of a 240 system.it may be 240 is the norm. you may wanna get a licensed electrican to help out.:thumbup:


It's a farm. I did have a master electrician who is a friend and that I am studying under also take measurements. He also got up to 280 volts on his meter. I don't think it's my meter because I used a Fluke CNX V3000 right out of the box and he used a Fluke 114. Thanks for the jokes they are pretty funny. :thumbup:


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## bkmichael65 (Mar 25, 2013)

Probably a couple of things happening here. Line to line load instead of line to neutral and a problem with the utility supply


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## SamoanThor (Oct 18, 2013)

At least you're taking them well. Some people lost their sense of humor on their first pull of 12-2


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

bkmichael65 said:


> Probably a couple of things happening here. Line to line load instead of line to neutral and a problem with the utility supply


Yeah that's my thought but there's something more on top of that for that kind of voltage. Either way someone is going to have to go through and rewire the entire installation.



SamoanThor said:


> At least you're taking them well. Some people lost their sense of humor on their first pull of 12-2


Well they are funny. I can't blame people for losing their sense of humor; that's still a pain.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Your meter must have new batteries in it. 
After you use it awhile the voltage will read normal. 
It's the "Additive" permeability of the transformer that does it. 

Don't let these other guys fool you.


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

it's a 3 phase 240 delta and they wired the lighting circuit on the high leg


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

Wirenuting said:


> Your meter must have new batteries in it.
> After you use it awhile the voltage will read normal.
> It's the "Additive" permeability of the transformer that does it.
> 
> Don't let these other guys fool you.


Of course! Why didn't I think of that! :laughing:


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

ampman said:


> it's a 3 phase 240 delta and they wired the lighting circuit on the high leg


Yup that's my thought. I guess it's time to go and get some electricians and get them to rewire that house.


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## That_Dude (Feb 13, 2012)

Cletis... :laughing:


Ibtl.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

JMV said:


> Man...whoever did the installation dumped too many buckets of volts into those fixtures.
> 
> You may have to get an air compressor and blast some out until you get down to 120.


Put some plastic down first, sweeping up those extra volts suck. They stick to everything.


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

BBQ said:


> Put some plastic down first, sweeping up those extra volts suck. They stick to everything.


OK and I want to just make sure that I can dispose of the extra volts in the normal trash or do they have to go into the recycling? :laughing:


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

kinster45 said:


> OK I'm a starting out electrician it's more of a hobby than anything but I am on the path to becoming one because I've always been fascinated with the hands on work. I recently helped a friend change out all their BR-30 lights from incandescent over to LEDs. However all the bulbs kept going out so I finally decide to check out some of the electricity's characteristics. It's measuring at 280 volts when we all know it should be around 120. My question is how do you think something like this happened?


280v between legs or ground?!


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

Aegis said:


> 280v between legs or ground?!


Legs. I was in a rush and did not have time to check legs to ground. I will next week.


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

kinster45 said:


> Legs. I was in a rush and did not have time to check legs to ground. I will next week.


Check if you have a neutral at these lights, check to ground etc


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## CopperSlave (Feb 9, 2012)

kinster45 said:


> Legs. I was in a rush and did not have time to check legs to ground. I will next week.


You were in such a hurry, you didn't have time to move one of your meter leads from a phase conductor over to a neutral or ground? Was there a runaway train or tornado bearing down on you?


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

kinster45 said:


> OK and I want to just make sure that I can dispose of the extra volts in the normal trash or do they have to go into the recycling? :laughing:


 You may have lost some Hertz as well ! Look around, you should have 60 unless you spilled some of those as well. :thumbup:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

dronai said:


> You may have lost some Hertz as well ! Look around, you should have 60 unless you spilled some of those as well. :thumbup:


 And that, boys and girls, is where 50 hertz power comes from.


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

bkmichael65 said:


> Probably a couple of things happening here. Line to line load instead of line to neutral and a problem with the utility supply


yeah the utility defintenly has a problem. if it's this hi here , wonder if other people are having the same problem. if so someone's in big trouble!:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


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## oliquir (Jan 13, 2011)

maybe he have 277V (480v to ground)


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

big john said:


> and that, boys and girls, is where 50 hertz power comes from.


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## unionelectrician445 (Nov 8, 2013)

kinster45 said:


> OK I'm a starting out electrician it's more of a hobby than anything but I am on the path to becoming one because I've always been fascinated with the hands on work. I recently helped a friend change out all their BR-30 lights from incandescent over to LEDs. However all the bulbs kept going out so I finally decide to check out some of the electricity's characteristics. It's measuring at 280 volts when we all know it should be around 120. My question is how do you think something like this happened?



What color are the wires? sounds like a 277v lighting circuit.


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## Calebxx12 (Oct 11, 2010)

If they have 277/480 in the farm then I will be utterly surprised.....


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## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

Are you located in a small pocket of land near the head waters of the Chattahoochee river?


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## buddhakii (Jan 13, 2011)

kinster45 said:


> It's a farm. I did have a master electrician who is a friend and that I am studying under also take measurements. He also got up to 280 volts on his meter. I don't think it's my meter because I used a Fluke CNX V3000 right out of the box and he used a Fluke 114. Thanks for the jokes they are pretty funny. :thumbup:


You have a fluke cnx and you are a hobby sparky? I think maybe you are someone with too much time and money.


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## unionelectrician445 (Nov 8, 2013)

Calebxx12 said:


> If they have 277/480 in the farm then I will be utterly surprised.....


I agree, but it's the only thing I could think of. Unless there's something wrong with the transformer.


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

Calebxx12 said:


> If they have 277/480 in the farm then I will be utterly surprised.....


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

CopperSlave said:


> You were in such a hurry, you didn't have time to move one of your meter leads from a phase conductor over to a neutral or ground? Was there a runaway train or tornado bearing down on you?


Checking the voltage was the last thing I did before I had to go to work. So yes I didn't really have much time. Although if I was late for work my boss would be a tornado bearing down on me.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Any chance the transformer might be an Electron Redundancy Transformer? It's on a farm, anything is possible. See if the farmer has installed any quack equipment for stray voltage abatement.


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

just thought of a stupid question, is this single phase or three phase supply?


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

BBQ said:


> Put some plastic down first, sweeping up those extra volts suck. They stick to everything.


What a crock of lies........I have NEVER had a problem cleaning up any spilled volts.:no:


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

circuitman1 said:


> just thought of a stupid question, is this single phase or three phase supply?


My assumption is it is three phase or there is a hidden transformer in the home.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

oldtimer said:


> View attachment 31039


many times!


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

Rollie73 said:


> What a crock of lies........I have NEVER had a problem cleaning up any spilled volts.:no:


me neither, they seem to jump out your way!


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

JMV said:


> Man...whoever did the installation dumped too many buckets of volts into those fixtures.
> 
> You may have to get an air compressor and blast some out until you get down to 120.


If a person is stealing more than fifty extra volts, I think it is a felony.


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

kinster45 said:


> My assumption is it is three phase or there is a hidden transformer in the home.


the best way to tell is go out to the pole in the yard & see how many transformers are out there if there are two are more then it's three phase.that voltage is not good for a lot of things!:whistling2:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Go here for help without baloney

http://www.diychatroom.com/f18/


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

brian john said:


> Go here for help without baloney
> 
> http://www.diychatroom.com/f18/


 Fried baloney is good ! :laughing:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Rollie73 said:


> What a crock of lies........I have NEVER had a problem cleaning up any spilled volts.:no:


That is because you are dealing with wussy Canadian volts.

You guys need to make up for the wussy volts with your 600Y/347 systems. :whistling2:


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

Just buy 280 volt light bulbs. Home Depot has 'em.


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

brian john said:


> Go here for help without baloney
> 
> http://www.diychatroom.com/f18/


I'm not sure, but I think that's not a good commentary for this site.


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

hardworkingstiff said:


> I'm not sure, but I think that's not a good commentary for this site.


 
AMEN TO THAT !:notworthy:


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

BBQ said:


> That is because you are dealing with wussy Canadian volts.
> 
> You guys need to make up for the wussy volts with your 600Y/347 systems. :whistling2:


How true. Good thing our awesome beer and our Robertson screws make up for the wuss volts.:jester:


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## Ink&Brass (Nov 6, 2013)

Rollie73 said:


> How true. Good thing our awesome beer and our Robertson screws make up for the wuss volts.:jester:


Fo' real, how does anyone get by mounting boxes or strapping BX without that magical square headed goodness? :notworthy:


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Ink&Brass said:


> Fo' real, how does anyone get by mounting boxes or strapping BX without that magical square headed goodness? :notworthy:


Torx head screws have made them obsolete.......:whistling2:


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## Ink&Brass (Nov 6, 2013)

wendon said:


> Torx head screws have made them obsolete.......:whistling2:


Shhh, ignorance (and inflated confidence in a four-sided archaic geometric shape) is bliss! :laughing:


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## stlchuck (Jan 9, 2009)

check that the sockets are not on the secondary side of an old mercury lamp ballast,(or possibly metal halide or high pressure sodium).
Coated mercury lamps could have been mistaken for incandescants and replaced with them at some time, or there are some rare floodlight shaped mercury lamps that look like incandescants.
Considering what I have heard of farmers ingenuity as applied to wiring, you never know.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

oldtimer said:


> Fried baloney is good ! :laughing:


When I ate meat I found fried baloney to be a PIA it always bubbled up.


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## frankft (Jan 26, 2008)

Were the existing BR bulbs the 280 volt kind? lol


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## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

brian john said:


> When I ate meat I found fried baloney to be a PIA it always bubbled up.


Because you did not cut a slit into it to lay flat!


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

circuitman1 said:


> the best way to tell is go out to the pole in the yard & see how many transformers are out there if there are two are more then it's three phase.that voltage is not good for a lot of things!:whistling2:


I would have done that but that's not possible with it being underground and all hidden in a locked box owned by the power company. I'll have to call them or take a look at one of the distribution panels. I should mention that there are multiple buildings with multiple distribution panels. I will go there after tomorrow continue data collection. So is there anything else I should look at besides measuring leg to ground?


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

kinster45 said:


> I would have done that but that's not possible *with it being underground and all hidden in a locked box* owned by the power company. I'll have to call them or take a look at one of the distribution panels. I should mention that there are multiple buildings with multiple distribution panels. I will go there after tomorrow continue data collection. So is there anything else I should look at besides measuring leg to ground?


Are you sure this isn't a missile site???:laughing:


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

wendon said:


> Are you sure this isn't a missile site???:laughing:


.....I'm sorry that's classified.


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

kinster45 said:


> I would have done that but that's not possible with it being underground and all hidden in a locked box owned by the power company. I'll have to call them or take a look at one of the distribution panels. I should mention that there are multiple buildings with multiple distribution panels. I will go there after tomorrow continue data collection. So is there anything else I should look at besides measuring leg to ground?


if you could find some of the meters that would give a clue, but if it is a commercial site there may be only one meter. if it is a padmount, the meter may be on the side of the tranny.but that doesn't necassarily mean his is 3 phase. but is begining too!:whistling2:


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

kinster45 said:


> I would have done that but that's not possible with it being underground and all hidden in a locked box owned by the power company. I'll have to call them or take a look at one of the distribution panels. I should mention that there are multiple buildings with multiple distribution panels. I will go there after tomorrow continue data collection. So is there anything else I should look at besides measuring leg to ground?


 


So is there anything else I should look at besides measuring leg to ground? 


Yes ! Grab a phone book , and look up ELECTRICIANS ! :jester:


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## kinster45 (Nov 8, 2013)

oldtimer said:


> So is there anything else I should look at besides measuring leg to ground?
> 
> 
> Yes ! Grab a phone book , and look up ELECTRICIANS ! :jester:


I already did that. You do however have an excellent point. I want to complete all my measurements and post them here before any work is done though.



circuitman1 said:


> if you could find some of the meters that would give a clue, but if it is a commercial site there may be only one meter. if it is a padmount, the meter may be on the side of the tranny.but that doesn't necassarily mean his is 3 phase. but is begining too!:whistling2:


Alright I look in those places. Thanks for the reminder.


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