Power outage question

[James3shin]

Earlier today I noticed terrible flickering noises from the bathroom and basement, so I went to the bathroom and the light was flickering so I immediately turned it off, and then I went to the basement and found the furnace flickering. I ran back upstairs to the thermostat and turned it off as well. Went around the house to check other appliances and they were either very dim or not turning on. Checked my breaker box and everything was ok. So I called the Baltimore Gas and Electric and notified them about my problems - a technician will be over sometime today they said.

About 15 minutes after the phone call my lights started to work again. So I cancelled the repair ticket thinking it was a random power outage from the winds. I then noticed that my furnace, stove and dryer are not working. WTF?! All of the other appliances such as the TV, refrigerator, lamps, and washing machine work. Just my dryer, furnace, and stove are out.

What's really odd is that when I do try to turn on the dryer, the lights inside the room go out. What's going on?

 

[BassBomb]

paranormal activity

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Poltergeist.

 

[JohnCU]

plug a voltmeter into the wall and see what the voltage is

 

[Schadenfroh]

You better start calling your basement "the boiler room."

 

[Red Squirrel]

Sounds like a floating or very loose neutral. Those can be nasty. Some appliances might get too low of voltge while others get too high. Basically the two 120v legs are in series with each other at 240v. A good way to find out is plug something into a split plug, if it does not light up plug something else in the other plug and they should both work (preferably an incad bulb).

Since it's affecting your whole house this rules out a DP breaker being at fault and it's probably your main neutral. I'd check to make sure it's nice and snug at your panel if it is call the hydro company as it might be a problem outside.

A voltmeter will help you troubleshoot this too, to see if it really is an open neutral.

 

[Rubycon]

Sounds like a missing phase. All your 240V appliances needing both L1 and L2 are only affected. You may also find some of your 120V appliances/circuits are dark too.

In any case whether you have a floating neutral or missing phase you MUST have the utility company fix this. Problems south of the meter box are your responsibility and this sounds like something on their side.

 

[skyking]

Sounds like a major loose connection. I've also seen direct bury lines corrode and that got ugly. ~70 volts on one leg and the rest going to ground, quite literally.
If you are comfortable with the cover off your breaker box and checking live circuits, do so and measure voltages from leg to leg and leg to common, right at the main disconnect. Then go do the dryer trick and repeat. If the voltages are ~240 and ~120 there and do not change, then the problem is in your panel.
If they do change then it is in the lines from the utility to your home.

 

[Rubycon]

OP: Is your power feed overhead? If it's windy that could be your problem.

 

[James3shin]

Power is underground but we've been going through a lot of freezing and thawing here in MD. Unfortunately, I don't have a voltemeter handy at the moment

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Next time don't cancel the appointment.

 

[Rubycon]

Power is underground but we've been going through a lot of freezing and thawing here in MD. Unfortunately, I don't have a voltemeter handy at the moment

What about neighbors? Is this urban or rural?

 

[James3shin]

I just went over to my neighbor and everything on their end was fine - this is in the suburbs.

 

[Rubycon]

Sounds like it's time to pull the panel cover and take some readings between L1, L2, N, G. L1 to L2 should read 220-240V L1 to N OR L2 to N should read 120V. Same as L1 OR L2 to G. Your utility company electrician will do this for you. If it's their problem they will fix free of charge. If they determine the problem is NOT their responsibility they will ask you to retain an electrician which you must pay for. (assuming you are the property owner)

 

[josh0099]

I would call back and still get them to check things out on their side. Like others have said it sounds like you have a loose neutral.

 

[AlienCraft]

I'm voting there's a loose neutral as well.
Any water infiltration on the service side would get worse with the freezing cycling lately, same for the wind aspect.
It could even be in the panel, but better to let the Utility come out and suss it out for you.
nevermind.