Residential voltage
Residential voltage
(OP)
Measuring 120 on one side and 122 on the other..When most appliances are turned on the 122 increases to 124 and there seems to be some current transfer through the neutral/ground.
Does this sound like a transformer issue or a incorrect wiring issue in the home?
Does this sound like a transformer issue or a incorrect wiring issue in the home?






RE: Residential voltage
Without reading currents, it's hard to tell. In simple terms, expect a voltage range of ~110-126 volts.
RE: Residential voltage
You mention you're reading L1/L2 voltages of 120/122 volts unloaded (I assume unloaded - verify).
When loaded, you are getting voltages of ???/124. I suspect the ??? side is seeing a voltage dip, please verify.
If ??? is seeing a voltage dip, it's possible you have a bad neutral-ground bond.
If the ??? side is instead rising in voltage, something very strange is going on -- it would sound almost like a leading power factor situation, which would be unusual in a residential installation.
Either way, please be more specific regarding voltage and current readings on each line, and provide some additional detail regarding the appliances you're turning on. Also please verify this is a 120/240v, 3ph. 4w+gnd system.
RE: Residential voltage
RE: Residential voltage
RE: Residential voltage
A solid neutral-ground bond will help "center" the neutral voltage at zero volts. Even then, though, if the neutral wires are not sized large enough and there is a large imbalance from L1 to L2, the resulting high neutral current will lead to a voltage drop as seen from the heavily loaded side and a voltage increase from the lightly loaded size. Balancing the loads from L1 to L2 will minimize the neutral current and help fix the problem. Increasing the size of the neutral conductor will also help -- this is essentially what fixed Lewish's problem.
RE: Residential voltage
with screw fuses in the mains)
RE: Residential voltage
If the highly loaded leg current is within the rating of all of the equipment and conductors, and if the voltage is within the acceptable range (114-126 volts), you should be OK. Balancing the loads will result in better voltage regulation and lower losses, however.