Electric 240V question?

[etrain16]

I know most "modern" homes have the neutral bus tied to ground directly. Ah, that makes sense how some dryers are 3 prong. And how they can get 120 for the electronics (one leg and ground). Thanks man, it's been a while since I took an electrical class (GRCC in 1999).

Yeah, in electrical panels, the neutral bus will always be bonded (connected) to the ground bus. So ultimately, the neutral and the ground are common at the panel.

Happy to help, at least within the bounds of my knowledge. I did more commercial/industrial work where we worked with 3-phase electrical systems with single hot lines as high as 277vac to ground, and phase to phase at 480vac. Residential is a little bit different as it's not 3-phase, but the basic principles are the same.

 

[clearconscience]

This is why this community is amazing.

Thank you all for helping each other.

 

[Kruel J]

To the OP, from all the amazing members here I would say you have lost a 120V leg from the outlet. Check your connections and let us know!! Sorry for thread-jacking, let me know if you'd like any of my posts and responses cleaned up!

 

[jbett98]

For the last fifteen years or so, all new power load centers have the neutral isolated from the ground wires.
All the white neutral wires have their own separate terminal block and the ground is bonded to the metal load centers cabinet unless you physically bond the isolated neutral strip to the cabinet.

 

[jbett98]

You need to call this electrician to fix your loss of power.

 

[Kruel J]

You need to call this electrician to fix your loss of power.

View attachment 321574

Yes Sir!

 

[Silver Hand]

I did not read the entire thread!
Is it a ZINSCO panel from the 1970s or mid 1980s'
They lost there Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rating for a reason. Peoples homes were burning down.
Just wondering?
Silver Hand

 

[Slobray]

I am not an electrician...

Was an electrician (retired).

Electrician here

Also a retired commercial/industrial electrician here:

NOT an electrician here either, just educated.

You need to call this electrician to fix your loss of power.

View attachment 321574

Just some knucklehead here;

If you can't get the electrician that @jbett98 recommended, then maybe you could lure one of the folks above, (with beer, ammo, range time, etc) to come over and help you with the problem.


Ray

 

[jbett98]

I'd help for free. I'm retired and have the knowledge and experience with household wiring.

 

[Lilhigbee]

One minor note; the neutral wires and ground wires are bonded together at the panel but NOT interchangeable at the device. The neutral wires are sized to carry the full amperage of the circuit, while the ground wires are much smaller and are strictly an anti-shock safety measure.

 

[Stomper]

OK Sparky's... lets school the children on a 3-ph Delta transformer with that AWESOME wild-leg and watch their eyes roll back in the sockets grasping THAT one!

 

[Crohnos01]

Wow, wish I had seen this thread earlier, I would have jumped in... I'm not an electrician, just a lowly electrical engineer. You guys nailed everything I would have suggested... with the caveat that if you have ANY doubt about what you're doing, stop and get someone who knows their stuff to help out. From the sounds of our participants in thread, there are a number here who do.

Electricity is actually fairly simple, at least on the residential level... 3 phase is another animal entirely.

 

[Gunwheeler]

OK Sparky's... lets school the children on a 3-ph Delta transformer with that AWESOME wild-leg and watch their eyes roll back in the sockets grasping THAT one!

Or corner grounded Delta!
Or a 2 sided Delta!

 

[BillGabby1]

One big safety omission, Be sure you know where the MAIN breaker is so you can turn everything OFF and SAFELY work in that circuit panel without getting knocked on your butt or worse.
I worked with my dad who WAS an electrical contractor licensed in the whole state of AZ.
Also when in doubt don't, or you could really become a "Sparky", mistakes can be deadly with electricity just as with firearms.
Cowards live for another day fools may not.
Real electricians needn't reply to this question.
What is more dangerous, 120 volts or 240 volts?
Gabby

 

[etrain16]

One big safety omission, Be sure you know where the MAIN breaker is so you can turn everything OFF and SAFELY work in that circuit panel without getting knocked on your butt or worse.
I worked with my dad who WAS an electrical contractor licensed in the whole state of AZ.
Also when in doubt don't, or you could really become a "Sparky", mistakes can be deadly with electricity just as with firearms.
Cowards live for another day fools may not.
Real electricians needn't reply to this question.
What is more dangerous, 120 volts or 240 volts?
Gabby

True, IF you have a main breaker. My home, for example, built in 1974, does not have a main breaker, the feed comes directly from the meter base right to the main bus with no means of killing that feed without pulling the meter itself, which requires the utility to get involved (I wouldn't recommend anyone pulling the meter themselves - plus the utility could get pretty ticked if you did). Newer homes likely would have a main to kill the power - definitely a good and safe thing to do if you have the option.

 

[etrain16]

OK Sparky's... lets school the children on a 3-ph Delta transformer with that AWESOME wild-leg and watch their eyes roll back in the sockets grasping THAT one!

Now wye did you have to go and bring that up?

 

[Crohnos01]

Now wye did you have to go and bring that up?

Groan.... Really? Non electrical types... be glad you don't get this pun...... And being an "electrical type" I am not going to answer the Gabby question... I will give a hint though.... the answer is not intuitively obvious.

 

[etrain16]

Groan.... Really? Non electrical types... be glad you don't get this pun...... And being an "electrical type" I am not going to answer the Gabby question... I will give a hint though.... the answer is not intuitively obvious.

Hey, how often does one get to use such electrical puns? Gotta get it where you can

 

[jbett98]

I've seen what happens when a 480v 3 phase breaker was used as a light switch in a huge warehouse for many years. One night it decided it had had enough and exploded.
It blew the 4' steel cover clean off the box and it was held in place by eight 3/8" bolts.

The electrician that was hired to replace the whole load center used his wiggy (live current tester)
to check out the three buss bars and didn't find any live current, so he proceeded to start unbolting the blackened and melted breakers in the pitch dark with only a flashlight
He had sent his apprentice to check out any damage to the buildings main breakers.

The warehouse was divided by a sheet rock fire wall and the electrician asked me find a way to plug an extension cord on the other side as the power was still on over there.
I had one of those volt sticks that light up when near live power and was using it to see if one the outlets on our side was still live.
I just happened to get near the burnt up box when the tester lit up.

The electrician jumped back, grabbed his wiggy and scratched deeper into the blackened buss bar and you could hear in the dark the tester clank as it hit the live current.
He was just moments away from putting a hand on it.
He turned a little white and said that he was only three months from retiring and didn't need to make any stupid mistakes so late in his career.

 

[1911coltguy]

Back in the early 1900's before standardization of electrical installation brought about by unionization of electrical workers, 1 out of every 2 electrical workers died on the job.

In my 40 years of working in the electrical construction field from simple home remodels to helping put up multiple high rise skyscrapers, I've worked with hundreds of different licensed electricians. In the past 25 years in Seattle, I believe there were 3 fatalities while "on the job." But I've also witnessed brand new equipment fail and dozens of mechanic error which resulted in severe injuries we don't need to go into here.

Bottom line....don't be afraid to ask for help with anything you're not completely comfortable with. Knowledge is bliss.