Electrical problem

[WTucker]

Things keep changing on their own. I checked the two 120 volt legs coming in to the well breaker box on Sunday and I got 150V on one and 90V on the other. Maybe I should have lead off with that, but I didn't think about it until Splitbeam said something. I have not looked at the main breaker box yet. That is a job for tonight. I want to verify the power coming in from the city and verify the voltage going out on each leg to the well breaker box.

I agree that it is a neutral problem. If you turn off the breakers in you well house panel and check the voltage, you will probably have close to 120 on each phase without any load.

Adding a ground rod at the well house will not fix the problem you are having with your neutral wire or connection being bad though. If all connections are tight, then you are looking at repulling that underground feeder.

[125Dad]

This would be best option if the existing wire will pull out. The 2 grd rod comment above would be 2nd option even though I'm not a fan of it. Ground really needs to go back to main ground rod at service.
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x2 I would not do the ground rod option.

[Mike D]

Electrical problem

Can I just add a grounding bus to my current panel? How is the grounding rod installed?

No do not create a second ground path.

EDIT: Unless I misread and you don’t have a ground wire pulled from your main panel. But even then you would need to isolate your ground buss at the well house panel from the neutral buss.


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[stinkbelly]

I agree that it is a neutral problem. If you turn off the breakers in you well house panel and check the voltage, you will probably have close to 120 on each phase without any load.

Adding a ground rod at the well house will not fix the problem you are having with your neutral wire or connection being bad though. If all connections are tight, then you are looking at repulling that underground feeder.

When I turn off the breakers I have zero volts.

[MadHatter]

No do not create a second ground path.

EDIT: Unless I misread and you don’t have a ground wire pulled from your main panel. But even then you would need to isolate your ground buss at the well house panel from the neutral buss.


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This is what I was referring to. Neutral and Ground bus must be isolated at the well. He has no ground wire pulled.

[MadHatter]

x2 I would not do the ground rod option.

Since the panel is in a seperate structure, pretty sure code calls for a ground rod, even if you have a ground from the main panel. So, even if he pulls a new wire for ground, a ground rod still might be required.

[WTucker]

When I turn off the breakers I have zero volts.

If you turn off the breakers to the well, and the two single pole breakers, you have zero volts on the main lugs??

[Mike D]

Since the panel is in a seperate structure, pretty sure code calls for a ground rod, even if you have a ground from the main panel. So, even if he pulls a new wire for ground, a ground rod still might be required.

This is not correct. You cannot have 2 grounds of different potential tied onto a common buss or conductor. If he pulled all new conductors including a ground and his neutral was properly bonded at the main panel you do not install a second ground rod.


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[stinkbelly]

If you turn off the breakers to the well, and the two single pole breakers, you have zero volts on the main lugs??

No the lugs still have power will all breakers in the box off. Maybe I misunderstood what you were talking about.

[WTucker]

No the lugs still have power will all breakers in the box off. Maybe I misunderstood what you were talking about.

My point was just that with your breakers off, your feed to the building will probably have the correct voltage since there is no load. This would be because your neutral is bad, and not balancing the load properly. You really just need to check your connections, and if everything is good then you more than likely need to pull new wire.

[Rubi513]

This is not correct. You cannot have 2 grounds of different potential tied onto a common buss or conductor. If he pulled all new conductors including a ground and his neutral was properly bonded at the main panel you do not install a second ground rod.


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You would not bond the neutral and the grounding conductor at the sub panel, but yes you would have to have a grounding electrode at the structure. Reference 250.32.

It's funny this came up. A coworker and I were talking about this about 15 minutes ago.

[Matt_C]

Call an electrician. It will be worth the money.

[Slewfoot]

Sounds like the neutral is not tied in and the ground is carrying the neutral load which is the path for current to return to the transformer. Be careful, with this situation all wires can be HOT. Call an electrician.

[MadHatter]

You would not bond the neutral and the grounding conductor at the sub panel, but yes you would have to have a grounding electrode at the structure. Reference 250.32.

It's funny this came up. A coworker and I were talking about this about 15 minutes ago.

Appreciate the exact reference .

[Paycheck]

Had the same thing at my lease. it was the neutral on the pole. Electric company fix it.