Why does a number of 125-volt outlets measure only 26-28 volts this morning?

Question

A number of duplex outlets on one side of the house were not allowing lamps to come on and the night light was extremely dim. I measured the voltage at between 26-28 volts AC. I'm not sure what could cause this

Answer 1

there are many problems it could be. from an open hot ,an open neutral, lost a phase at or beyond the service, even a tripped or bad breaker. call an electrician! will be faster and safer. oh and amps DO NOT drop when there are more things on. amps are your current and the more you have turned on the more current you pull. think of electricity as water, it has to go somewhere to work just like your water hose

Answer 2

Sounds to me like a severed neutral wire! Check voltage from hot to ground. If it is 120v (or close) then you have a bad neutral connection some where. If it were your hot wire with the problem then you wouldn't get a reading at all from hot to ground. If the rest of the house is working fine then it isn't the service since several appliances work off the same phase leg. Oh and Alternating Current devices use up amps not volts. When more things are on the amps drop not the voltage! I would bet a little money on a bad neutral! And since you mentioned the prob started in the morning i am assuming that it all worked fine at on time. An open wire is a common occurrence and not difficult to fix. If you have a tester and a respect for electricity but without fear then i can help you trace the prob. I did electrical repair for 8 years before i decided to build the systems.

Answer 3

What country are you in? The answer is almost certainly no due to fundamental electrical reasons that apply to all countries, but a more specific explanation will require you tell us where you are. Also, please explain what you want to plug into the outlet; perhaps someone will know how you can accomplish what you want to do. CONSIDERING YOUR ADDITIONAL DETAILS: 1. You really do seem to be lacking in some fundamental electrical knowledge, so you really should hire a qualified person. Two examples of the limited knowledge are a. The arrangement of the pins and holes on electrical receptacles and plugs are a promise to everyone who uses them that they work at a certain level of voltage and current. If you put a 120 V receptacle in a 240 (not 250) V circuit, and someone plugs a 120 V appliance into it and starts a fire, it's your fault. Remember those people in Rhode Island who were prosecuted for using fireworks in a nightclub, starting a fire, and killing a bunch of people? Don't be like those guys. b. If a circuit is intended for 15 A, it can't be used at 20 A, even if the voltage is reduced from 240 to 120 V. In simple terms, the current is limited by the diameter of the wire, and reducing the voltage does not change the wire diameter.

Answer 4

This is a almost surely a circuit problem, with the outlets on one circuit being affected. Try the breakers on double breakers first, then proceed blow.

Proceed only if you are comfortable with and knowledgeable about testing the load center (circuit-breaker box). You need to test the correct circuit breaker to see if it is failing. NOTE: if you do not have prior skill in electrical testing of the load center, DO NOT attempt this yourself. Even with the master breaker thrown to the off position, some parts inside the load center are live.

I suggest calling an electrician as it should take no more than a 1 hour service call to test and locate what is going on and repair it. Electrical problems can be very dangerous and it pays to be safe.

Answer 5

The most likely culprit is a loose connection at an outlet. Every outlet on the load side ("downstream") of that outlet would be effected. I see this alot on houses where the electrician used the push in connectors on the back of the outlets as opposed to the screw terminals on the side. Figuring out which outlet is bad can be tricky, and to further complicate matters, often the problem is at the outlet "upstream" of the offending outlets. Please note that this condition could be caused by a variety problems in a variety of locations. This advice is only in my experience the most common reason for your symptoms.
ELECTRICITY CAN AND DOES CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND KILLS. An Electricians service call to help you figure this out is cheap compared to the loss of your home or life.

Answer 6

Could be a tripped breaker or a problem in the wiring. Check the breaker box. Try resetting the breakers (truning them off, then back on). If nothing is tripped and the reset doesn't do it, call the local electrician.

Answer 7

Sounds like you got one leg down lol. what you are reading is feed through either electric hot water heater or some other duel voltage appliance.
Check your breakers or your fuses. One will be tripped or blowed lol one side only.