mobil home help with elect problem

[jorton]

At the pole "A" leg is pulling 23 amps, "B" leg 17. "A" terminal on the main breaker and "A" points on a/c contactor were burned.

There is a module where power is connected to the other side of the home. What is that?

Can I fix unbalanced load at the breaker panel in the wall? I have a Fluke multimeter, but no amp clamp.

Thanks! Joe

 

[Gary Allan]

Outside of the burned contact thing ..there's no reason to have a balanced load at the panel. Are you talking about a dedicated load center for the AC? Otherwise there's no reason to have a matched draw across the single phase (two pole) service. That is, even if I balance my bus in terms of circuit feeds, there's no reason why demand will be balanced. Any of the circuits on one leg can be at capacity and the other idle

How are you getting your amp figures without a clamp?

 

[tom slick]

check voltage on the two legs with a load applied, like a/c running, water heater, oven, etc. it is very possible that you have a bad neutral. that will cause the voltage to go up on one leg and down on the other.

 

[duaneb9729]

what caused you to notice this problem? the a/c quit working? a passing storm?

 

[jorton]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
How are you getting your amp figures without a clamp?


Electrician who replaced main breaker on the pole checked it.

 

[simple_gifts]

Wow, second time for this. It is mobile, not mobil.

 

[jorton]

I replace the a/c contactor every 2 or 3 years. "A" points are burned now and I have a new one in the closet. I might put it in before the a/c quits working if I time it right.

What about the "module" in the line to the other side of the home? Should I look for a new one?

 

[jorton]

More about the module. At one end of the home there is a length of romax that crosses under the floor marriage line. The module is in that piece of romax, and that's all I know about it.

 

[tom slick]

do you have pictures?
where is the module in relation to the a/c unit and to the service entrance/meter?

 

[jorton]

I don't have pics.
That module is not near the a/c unit. It's on the end of the home near the pole. a/c unit and a/c breaker are near the inside circut breaker panel in the wall.

 

[jorton]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
check voltage on the two legs with a load applied, like a/c running, water heater, oven, etc. it is very possible that you have a bad neutral. that will cause the voltage to go up on one leg and down on the other.


With a/c off both legs check 118vac to nuetral, and 117vac when a/c is running.

Neutral to ground checks zero.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: jorton
I don't have pics.
That module is not near the a/c unit. It's on the end of the home near the pole. a/c unit and a/c breaker are near the inside circut breaker panel in the wall.


Are you saying that it goes like this:

Pole - meter pan - "module" .....under structure .....main breaker panel (or dedicated A/C load center) - A/C unit.

If that's the case, it would most likely be a fuse/breaker (whichever) since most codes only allow so much unfused cable inside (and probably under) any structure.

 

[PCT1981]

If you are replacing the contactor for the compressor every few years you may have an oversized a/c system for your home and the unit is short cycling. Was this module installed by the power company for forced cycling (turning the a/c off during peak demand)?

 

[jorton]

Originally Posted By: PCT1981
If you are replacing the contactor for the compressor every few years you may have an oversized a/c system for your home and the unit is short cycling. Was this module installed by the power company for forced cycling (turning the a/c off during peak demand)?


My mobile home is 2000 square feet and the a/c is a 4 ton unit. Is that oversize? In this 95f heat it normally runs around 5 - 30 minutes and is off for 10 - 15 minutes before it turns back on. Is that short cycling? It runs like that for around 18 hours a day.

 

[jorton]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: jorton
I don't have pics.
That module is not near the a/c unit. It's on the end of the home near the pole. a/c unit and a/c breaker are near the inside circut breaker panel in the wall.


Are you saying that it goes like this:

Pole - meter pan - "module" .....under structure .....main breaker panel (or dedicated A/C load center) - A/C unit.

If that's the case, it would most likely be a fuse/breaker (whichever) since most codes only allow so much unfused cable inside (and probably under) any structure.


yea. You've got the layout.

Well, the dedicated a/c load center was replaced 4 years ago when the a/c quit. The old one was under the house, new one is on the side. Then I replaced the start capacitor 3 years ago when one terminal burned off.

Do you think the new main breaker on the pole may solve my electrical problems? That was replaced 4 months ago.

 

[jorton]

Can't wait for summer! One good thing about it is when the thing isn't broke down the house is always 77 - 78f.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Do you think the new main breaker on the pole may solve my electrical problems? That was replaced 4 months ago.


Got me swinging here.

With all the sub components that have been swapped in the time span that you describe, I'd be looking to the transformer on the pole as the source of your failures. You've got too many separate issues for one place on one circuit (if I followed this right).

I'd be grabbing some numbers off of that module to figure out what it is. It should be a fusable link of some kind being in the proximity to the meter. The last spec I saw was 10' inside of unfused cable. Since it's not something you consider a breaker box and doesn't appear to be a fuse box, Ayes!gotz2nose!

Line powered contact with a heater on it??