Fried

Glasshousebltr

Preparing to chomp down about 5:30 yesterday morning. Coffee brewing, the little lady whipping up some eggs and the toaster goes down .......lights blink .....I unplugged both laptops quick ......I hear a bang from the bedroom as the TV explodes.......smoke rolls out of a multiple .....I race downstairs to open the service panel and become the short man on the green mile ......I race outside .....with a limp I might add .......and pull the meter.....yippie ....problem solved ....but the eggs weren't done so I rocky'd them.

Here's the deal. New aluminum service line to where the weather head should be. both hots tied off on the old 60 amp cable with electrical tape and bent resembling a goose neck. The ground cable completely fried and burnt back about 6 inches. I retied the ground, shut down all 220, but lost a TV, a desktop PC and I think the HVAC handler has had it.

Also. The old line running threw the meter on the ground crumbles in your hand at touch.

Here's the big question. Before I contact the insurance company, should I cut down a conveniently located tree?

Any input would be helpful fellas.

__________________
Bob

JohnJ0906

Bob, the "new service line" you refer to, is this from the pole to the house?
Is the wire that "Crumbles to the touch", is this the cable jacket or the insulation?

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC

Glasshousebltr

Pole to house looks good. Service line down from power company connect threw the meter base looks real bad. The ground wire crumbles to the touch. Insulation looks.....pretty crappy... on the two lead lines.

__________________
Bob

jbelectric777

was that a lightning hit ? if so dont cut anything just call em and get pictures.......

CE1

And call Mr. Sparky and leave the poor tree alone.

When you get the pictures POST THEM!

RobertWilber

dunno ...
sounds like it could be the classic open neutral ...
60 amp gooseneck service entrance ... 50 years old?
Loose neutral connection finally burned away and left 240 across series loads. Happens alla time.
Dig out my website and go to my FAQ and blog.

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Philadelphia electrician

jrclen

GEC should have prevented the damage. Is it missing? Cut off with the lawn mower?

Magnettica

^^
But only if a grounding electrode system was in place. Not all houses have them. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true.

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JohnJ0906

I doubt it. The GE system isn't meant to be a substitute for the neutral.

If a city water system with metallic pipe is there, then the neutral current will use it to return to the transformer via the neighbors service.(Not exactly what it's there for) If it is rods or a CCE (ufer) then the earth resistance would be too great to be an effective path.

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC

RobertWilber

Find it even with grounding electrode conductors intact. They don't usually serve as good alternate neutrals, at least not good enough to stabilize a centertap neutral that was lost. Don't know why - relatively high resistance?

__________________
Philadelphia electrician

JohnJ0906

Earth is not an effective neutral path at the voltages we are talking about.

__________________
John from Baltimore
"One Day at a Time"
All replies based on the 2008 NEC