TIL about a weird voltage reading from a neighbor's old service

I was helping my neighbor in Akron check his garage outlet and my Fluke 117 read 123 volts on one leg and 119 on the other to neutral at the main panel. He said his lights have been dimming for years and just lived with it. Is a 4-volt imbalance like that on a residential split-phase something you'd chase down immediately, or is it often just a sign of a loose neutral connection somewhere that's been stable?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_anderson655d ago

My buddy found a loose neutral causing that exact voltage drop last month.

kelly_hill5d ago

Loose neutrals are no joke, my neighbor had one last year. It caused weird flickering lights and fried his gaming PC power supply. That voltage drop is a classic sign, your buddy nailed it. It's one of those things you don't think about until it costs you real money. Always worth checking the panel connections first.