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Question

Half the house losing Electricity

Nov 25, 2013 1:30AM PST

since last weeks high winds in Illinois. I think I have one bad leg coming off of the pole. 2 - 110 lines coming off of the pole to the house, Does this make sense before I call out the electric company ?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Remember there are lethal and more issues here.
Nov 25, 2013 2:00AM PST

A faulty connection can cause fire. So if you are sure it's on the electric company's side, call them.
If it's on your gear (your meter box!) then calling them can cause a charge you may not be happy with.
Bob

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well It's too coincidental
Nov 25, 2013 2:14AM PST

no breakers tripping or anything just half the house going on and off like a strobe light. I'm laying my money on it being Com Ed's problem,if not at least we eliminated that possibility .....Digger

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Answer
Believe it or not, I've had a similar problem
Nov 25, 2013 2:06AM PST

Really, digger, I'm getting sick of having everything you own or want and having the same problems as well. Happy Anyway, what I had happening is certain lights flickering while others remained steady. Mostly this happened when windy. I noted a wrapping of some kind of electrical tape on what appeared to be a splice on the wire leading from my house to the pole. That tape appeared to have some kind of heat distortion. I also noted that any flickering was from lights on one side of the service box. This meant, as you seem to see, one leg gone flaky. I called the electric company knowing they'd give me a talk about how much it would cost me should the problem be other than at their end. They came out and, low and behold, found the problem just where I suspected. They told me that the wire from the pole to my house was aluminum but was copper on my side. Copper and Aluminum are known to not mix perfectly. They can actually have a diode effect which causes the connection to heat and corrode faster. I guess they just put some sort of new clamp and cleaned it up. No more flickering.

Now if you really want to be brave, you can go outside and beat on your incoming service wire with a big stick while someone watches your lights. Just don't use a length of EMT. Happy

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HAHA , Well Steve
Nov 25, 2013 3:22AM PST

What can I say, Great Minds Think Alike? Grin All of you guys are Doomed to me being a PITA Devil ...Digger

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P.S. That's called
Nov 25, 2013 3:29AM PST

Galvanic corrosion Shocked

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Answer
Call the elect. co.
Nov 25, 2013 2:29AM PST

If 1/2 of the house is going off, then the bkr. box MUST be showing that as popping ckts. or something along those lines. At least hit the ckts. that reflect where the wiring goes to, to see what is anything could be a bkr. box problem. Otherwise, the safe bet is to call the elect. co. because they can at least show its not their problem, and that shouldn't be a heavy cost considering you have the value of your house at stake here. Also, the safety issue is readily addressed should it appear its their problem besides your safety as well. I can only fathom it will get worse until looked at. If you can do the obvious and check the wiring anywhere you can.

tada -----Willy Happy

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They just left
Nov 25, 2013 3:00AM PST

just as I thought, a loose leg coming off of the pole. I now realize what one of the old timers in the neighborhood was teaching us when we were kids. He would say "Open the light" and "Close the light" we never knew he was teaching us basic circuitry. Kinna like all you guy's here at Cnet do to me Laugh .....Digger

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When I lived in North Carolina
Nov 25, 2013 3:35AM PST

folks said "cut off the lights". I remember looking at the chandelier and the gardening lopper wondering...