Any electricians in the house?

[GAmes]

Good news is I now have a Fluke. It shows 128 on one side and 124 on the other. I'm packing for a 2 week RV trip so I'll unplug the new coffee maker and microwave, then pursue this when I get back.

 

[Crunch]

After getting the reading from the second multimeter I'm wondering if this hasn't been a false alarm. I'll find out for sure tomorrow.

You still have a burned out microwave and coffee maker, and those at least aren't false alarms. By any chance have you pulled the outlet that powered the microwave and coffee maker to see if any of the connections were loose? I had a kitchen outlet that was getting appliance plugs very hot, and it turned out that the wires had loosened from the outlet over the years. Since it was a 75 year old house I took that opportunity to replace every outlet and switch in the house, and the problem was solved.

 

[GAmes]

You still have a burned out microwave and coffee maker, and those at least aren't false alarms. By any chance have you pulled the outlet that powered the microwave and coffee maker to see if any of the connections were loose? I had a kitchen outlet that was getting appliance plugs very hot, and it turned out that the wires had loosened from the outlet over the years. Since it was a 75 year old house I took that opportunity to replace every outlet and switch in the house, and the problem was solved.

No I haven't pulled the outlets, but there are two. One is a GFCI but both are on the same circuit breaker. Still on the road, went to Oshkosh for the airshow. I rewired the entire house about 24 years ago because it too was an old farmhouse with sketchy wiring.

 

[Crunch]

No I haven't pulled the outlets, but there are two. One is a GFCI but both are on the same circuit breaker. Still on the road, went to Oshkosh for the airshow. I rewired the entire house about 24 years ago because it too was an old farmhouse with sketchy wiring.

24 years is a good chunk of time. Before you start throwing money at it I would turn off the breaker and ease the outlets out of the wall to check them for loose connections. Heck, for the price of an outlet it wouldn't hurt to replace them while you are in there with the power off. Loose outlet connections are notorious for causing problems. For me it was just the plug that went into the outlet that got hot, but it was close to melting the cord kind of hot.

 

[GAmes]

The thing is, I measured the input at the meter. One side is higher than the other coming into the house. I also checked other outlets with the same result. Some outlets are high, some not. When I get home I'll do some more investigating and will probably call the electricity provider.

 

[Timd32]

Every other breaker top to bottom is typically on the opposing phase.

So top breaker is PH1, second one down PH2.

Depending in where in the panel the breaker is located and feeding which outlets the voltages will vary.

Say you have a living room outlet breaker on top of a bedroom outlet breaker, they will be on opposite phases.

 

[GAmes]

Every other breaker top to bottom is typically on the opposing phase.

So top breaker is PH1, second one down PH2.

Depending in where in the panel the breaker is located and feeding which outlets the voltages will vary.

Say you have a living room outlet breaker on top of a bedroom outlet breaker, they will be on opposite phases.

I know that, I wired the panel and the entire house. A licensed electrician inspected my work and connected the meter. It explains why one side of my RV 50 amp outlet reads higher than the other. "50 amp" is a misnomer because there is actually 100 amps available.

 

[fest3er]

The thing is, I measured the input at the meter. One side is higher than the other coming into the house. I also checked other outlets with the same result. Some outlets are high, some not. When I get home I'll do some more investigating and will probably call the electricity provider.

General thoughts to trigger troubleshooting neurons:

• Dumb question: did you measure with the main breaker turned off of meter pulled (to isolate the house from the service)? If there really is a difference between the two legs, that's the first thing to get the power company to fix. IMO, 128 is way too high and 124 is higher than it ought to be.
• Pull the meter to ensure everything is dead, and unplug everything. Use shorting plugs at outlets so you can measure at the panel. Then check resistances hither and yon on—and between—hot, neutral and ground connections, wires, joints, et alia. If you see more than an ohm or so, dig deeper.
• Replace any outlets that are 'too easy' to plug into and unplug. Outlets don't last forever, and cheap outlets don't last long. If you used stabs, pull them and use the screw terminals.

 

[Diesel85]

Lots of good stuff on here.

I just put in a new 5,500 watt 40 gallon hot water heater, and I meggered the 10/2 line and it checked good at 2,500V. I put in a new 30 amp HOM breaker too, just because it's my house.

I immediately replace outlets that start getting lose (high use outlets) only because it's a fire risk if you have a high load appliance plugged in. I get the bulk LeGrand or Leviton commercial outlets and keep'em around the house. Been in so many houses and offices that have sketchy outlets that I'm surprised people don't have more electrical fires.

Nominal voltage ranges from 113V to 122V in North America, with a 59.8-60.2Hz frequency.

Once a year I pop open all of my panels to check for issues, even down to pests like spiders or insects. Looking primarily for anything that got hot is my main concern. In other words discoloration.

As some may know on here, I'm Mr. Fire Extinguisher too... I have fire extinguishers all over my house.