Electrician wanted/needed for questioning

I am having an issue with the power in my barn. Had the problem for years, but Is getting worse. I don't want to post the problem here and get a bunch of maybe it is this answers. If you can help please PM me.

Thanks, RacinRob

Hey ButtSlapper, maybe if you kept the barn door closed more often you would have fewer problems with mice in the wires

Sorry but how can you not get maybe answers. I have done some electrical and a good friend is an electrical contractor. High voltage plus household. With out actually seeing something there will alway be a maybe.  Or there will be did you do this and did you do that. I think you would be better off and post the problem and it is easy to weed thru them, if you have an Idea of what your doing. I'm sure many here could help. But the best electricians can not give pointers with out a maybe or did you try this or that. Just my opinion on internet help. Good Luck with your problem.

No chewed wires Jim. I rewired and cleaned up the panels and the problem never changed. I think it has to be between the barn and house.

Problem in a nutshell. 220 coming into barn, two legs 110, one neutral. Separate ground.  No accessories on all looks normal. Turn on anything and one leg goes high, 140v or so and the other drops to 90. Even if I plug in a 1 watt appliance or light. No matter what the power draw of the appliance it does the same. Not necessarily 140-90, but similar. Caries that voltage through the system depending on what outlet or light is off of which leg.
  I don't want to run 200' of new wire and find out that is not the issue. That is why I need to figure this out.

Ok, I'm a 57 year old union electrician...been around. Is the run 200' long? What size wire did you use? How did you terminate it at the source? Put a load on it (turn a couple of lites on and check the voltage at the source (where it begins).
   Can you borrow a megger? Maybe the wire is too small or damaged in the conduit. Maybe you have a voltage drop because of too small of wire.
   These are all just a guess. What town do you live in? Ok...$95.00 an hour, two hour minimum,...check better be in the mail!  You can pay me in beer...Racer 5! Good luck, Ron

I did not install it originally. It came with the house 20 yrs ago. The wire is aluminum   . Looks to be 4ga as a guess. 150-175' as a guess. Even too small would it cause the the spike in one and drop in the other? I will check voltage at house when I turn on/off stuff in the barn. I'm sure I did before, but don't remember the results.
Thanks, Rob

Can you kill the power at the source (main) that runs power to the sub main in the barn, connect the neutral to each leg, one at a time and check conductivity with a volt/ohm meter?   Might be a quick and dirty way to see if one leg is junk.   


Eric Morgan
Trident Ultra 4.7
Not the guy selling the Outback
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When your done smackin ass, check your pm's! 

 
  I'm going to toss out one of those "Guesses"  Higher resistance on the higher voltage leg?

Sounds like resistance on the nuet. Aluminum wire can suffer from oxidized connections. I suggest pulling the termination points and wire brush the wires 'til they're shiny again. Then clean the lugs also. Rub noalox on the wires and some on the lugs. Re-land the wires and torque the lugs. Perform this on both sides - the serving panel & the sub. Before energizing again meter each leg, L1, L2, & nuet to ground with an ohmeter. Each leg needs roughly the same value, else the problem is in the wire. Aluminum sometimes breaks midwire, maybe not enough to break the circuit but enough to create resistance. Is the barn a Zinsco panel?

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Just my 2 cents I know you don't want to do this but I'd pull the Aluminum and put copper wire in. You will have peace of mind. even if this wasn't the problem this time. Aluminum will loosen by it's self causing fires in houses years ago. I know it was out lawed back in the late 70's or early 80's for household use. I would think the electricians here would agree. Unless Cash is a problem then leave it till you have the cash. This is just an opinion, from what I have been told about Aluminum wire. 

Funny right after I posted this my friend called. He asked me how reliable your power company is. And to check the power coming to the main and follow it to see where the power changes. He did confirm what I mentioned about changing to copper. I'll state it the way he did.
" Aluminum wire is shit wire". But he said to follow your input for the drop and see where it occurs. Any way I hope this helps some what. Makes since if your input some where is no good that could be a problem.

Sounds like resistance on the nuet. Aluminum wire can suffer from oxidized connections. I suggest pulling the termination points and wire brush the wires 'til they're shiny again. Then clean the lugs also. Rub noalox on the wires and some on the lugs. Re-land the wires and torque the lugs. Perform this on both sides - the serving panel & the sub. Before energizing again meter each leg, L1, L2, & nuet to ground with an ohmeter. Each leg needs roughly the same value, else the problem is in the wire. Aluminum sometimes breaks midwire, maybe not enough to break the circuit but enough to create resistance. Is the barn a Zinsco panel?

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X2! This is funny because its exactly what my pm to Rob says, almost word for word!  That's what your problem is, resistance! 
Regarding aluminum wire, for big feeders etc, as long as its installed correctly and terminated right its not that big of a deal, does require a little maintenance though.  It is not outlawed and used all the time.  All of pge wire is aluminum, its not exactly bursting into flames.  Copper IS better, but twice the price!

In many towns it is Illegal to use for new installs. here is a good article on aluminum wire. But I did read for a supply wire it is ok. but in a circuit with switches and sockets not advised.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/realestate/19home.html?_r=0

 

Ahhh Zinsco. I replaced my entire electrical panel and all circuit breakers for about the cost of two Zinsco circuit breakers.
No more arcs and sparks at the panel and lights going off for apparently no reason in the house.