We got our power back on Sunday pm but the voltage is so low that the central a/c, the televisions and the washer/dryer will not turn on. The lights are dim. Thank heavens the portable fans work.
How much damage is being done to appliances and a/c systems by running on this low voltage?
Sounds to me like your power isn't fully restored. Do you have a voltmeter?
No. It is strangely quiet through the neighborhood so I'm guessing everyone else is also low power. I suppose I should call PSO along with 70,000 others?
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
No. It is strangely quiet through the neighborhood so I'm guessing everyone else is also low power. I suppose I should call PSO along with 70,000 others?
Probably so. The customer number is lower than that currently so I doubt it will be that bad. I would go ahead and flip off the breaker for or unplug anything you aren't using just in case. I'm thinking you are short a phase right now so that is why everything 220v isn't working and some of your 110v stuff (the TV).
Thanks. I am just ecstatic that I may not have to replace my a/c unit. Lightning struck a tree up the street which crashed into the power pole which threw live wires into their swimming pool and started their kitchen appliances smoking. The the humm of transformers began to fill the air. Apparently they were lucky as I hear stories filtering in about the rest of the city. With no TV or dependable radio its hard to tell. That was a serious wind.
it happened to me when power was restored in december.
i had lights, but no major appliances (hot water, oven, microwave, heater etc) would work.
power was restored to my area sat night. they didnt fix the voltage problem, that my building was having until monday night. when every other building my complex had heat, you talk about a slap in the face.
so good luck with that.
I hate to be a squeaky wheel, but keep on the butts of PSO-AEP. I have never heard of such horrible customer service as these folks. I feel like I live in a third world country when it comes to our electric company. But we just roll over and say, yes, go ahead and increase our rates even though service stinks!!!
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Originally posted by spincycle
I hate to be a squeaky wheel, but keep on the butts of PSO-AEP. I have never heard of such horrible customer service as these folks. I feel like I live in a third world country when it comes to our electric company. But we just roll over and say, yes, go ahead and increase our rates even though service stinks!!!
i am absolutely livid over this.
its been 26 hours now. i'm sure it will be another sweaty night on the couch tonight. i can't wait.
I'm thinking its time to invest in AEP and get .41 a share out of these a**holes to help offset the cost of two refrigerators worth of spoiled food, alone.
there is absolutely no incentive for this company to perform. none. something has to give.
I'm in the dark at my place. Its a strange smattering that seems to have power in the neighborhood. I've looked around trying to find lines down, but the only thing that looks to be out of place is the duct tape, tin foil and chewing gum. Is that normal?
Carnac says "Power will be almost fully restored by midnight."
(http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/uploaded_images/carnac-756908.jpg)
(Just a guess, I don't know for sure)
I called their 1-888 number and followed the computer prompts to leave a pre-selected message for them. An hour later my neighbor managed to snag a human somewhere in Ohio. Probably a newbie. Anyway, she seemed quite surprised and noted no one had called to register problems with service in this area. She didn't even know their had been a storm in this area.
I don't fault the local field workers. Its dangerous, physical work. However, the office workers and digital phone system don't give off an aura of "service with a smile".
They have still not completed trimming the right of way they they started several months ago.
They came down the Gary Pl. side of the ROW but have never done the Harvard side trees. My neighbor has some limbs laying precariously on my power feed to the house and on top of my garage.
I got some flickers Saturday and realize I'm darn lucky to have not lost power. At least I finally got my generator back from my buddy during the Dec. outage in case I lose power again. Not enough amps for my A/C but at least I can have light and keep food from spoiling.
Sorry to hear about everyone elses's trouble.
Yes low voltage can hurt stuff like motors, but it won't harm light bulbs. I don't know about things like todays TV sets and computers. I use "surge protectors" on all my gear but I don't thenk they help with voltage too low.
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Originally posted by sauerkraut
Yes low voltage can hurt stuff like motors, but it won't harm light bulbs. I don't know about things like todays TV sets and computers. I use "surge protectors" on all my gear but I don't thenk they help with voltage too low.
Undervoltage can result in an appliance drawing more current to sustain the work load (see Ohms Law) and should blow fuses or pop breakers before damage is done, but it's not a guarantee.
Undervoltage and "stalls" kill compressor motors like crazy. Surge suppressors are only meant to dampen spikes in the power that are often *caused* by things like motors stalling (when the motors magnetic field collapses, that energy "backwashes" through the house wiring in the form of a spike) but that's not the only source (utility company switching is another, as is lightning).
Surge supressors dont protect from near- or direct lightning strikes, so a habit of unplugging your valuables should be your routine when you hear thunder. Dont forget to unplug the phone line from your sensitive electronics, too.
Just some thoughts here...
My neighborhood, Lortondale, was built in the early 1950s as the first U.S. subdivision with all centrally air-conditioned homes. Our houses were originally wired with standard current for 110 volt supply, and "3-phase" supply for the air conditioning. I have a standard circuit breaker box for normal supply, and an additional 3-fuse box which powers my central A/C compressor. My house is still wired this way. There have been 2-3 times in the past 22 years when the "3-phase" portion of my power supply has gone out; I still have lights, but no A/C, and in every case it has been a tripped fuse on the power pole that supplies my house. A problem for PSO to fix and no fault of my house wiring or appliances. Luckily, I have never had a TV/computer/appliance damaged by surges or power failures.
Some houses built during certain years were wired with aluminum wiring and that is dangerous. I believe some of the homes of the early 1970's had the aluminum wiring.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
Just some thoughts here...
My neighborhood, Lortondale, was built in the early 1950s as the first U.S. subdivision with all centrally air-conditioned homes. Our houses were originally wired with standard current for 110 volt supply, and "3-phase" supply for the air conditioning. I have a standard circuit breaker box for normal supply, and an additional 3-fuse box which powers my central A/C compressor. My house is still wired this way. There have been 2-3 times in the past 22 years when the "3-phase" portion of my power supply has gone out; I still have lights, but no A/C, and in every case it has been a tripped fuse on the power pole that supplies my house.
3-phase power in a residential area is really rare, yet there were a number of subdivisions in Tulsa built that way. Sort of nostalgic to hear Lortondale is one, but im not surprised.
Our original air conditioner was built inside a shed, with buried pipes going to a corner of the yard where there was a cooling tower the size of a refrigerator. The motor was 3-phase, and the wire coming from the PSO pole to our gigantic meter box was 4 conductors.
Whe a pole fuse would blow, it would sound like artillery and shower the yard with sparks (its what people today mistakenly refer to as a "transformer blowing"). We would still have power on one of the other "legs" but no compressor or other 240-volt appliances.
After the ice storm repairs there's no trace of the old 3-phase system anymore, except for the extra unused wire going to each home.
Nowadays if you have a leg out (some 120-volt appliances work but no 240-volt), it's an issue with either the transformer or the secondary wiring leading to your home -- still PSO's responsibility. You may have 4-5 neighbors with the same problem, too.
We were among the last to get full power back last night. They had to replace a pole and strung some new wire while they were there. No damage apparent to any appliances.
I don't see what the big deal is. I have been running on low voltage for years.
Oh, you were talking about my house...
Never mind.
3 Phase power to residential areas? Sounds like areas ripe for light industrial mixed use to me. Tear down your neighbors' houses and put up a small factory of some sort. [:)]
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Originally posted by Red Arrow
3 Phase power to residential areas? Sounds like areas ripe for light industrial mixed use to me. Tear down your neighbors' houses and put up a small factory of some sort. [:)]
Believe it or not, there was a time when you had to have 3-phase power to have central air.
It's also an indication of how old some overhead power systems are around here.
quote:
Originally posted by patric
quote:
Originally posted by Red Arrow
3 Phase power to residential areas? Sounds like areas ripe for light industrial mixed use to me. Tear down your neighbors' houses and put up a small factory of some sort. [:)]
Believe it or not, there was a time when you had to have 3-phase power to have central air.
It's also an indication of how old some overhead power systems are around here.
I believe it. An friend told me there was 3 phase in his neighborhood, at least at one time. Made it convenient for some types of power tools.
quote:
Originally posted by patric
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
Just some thoughts here...
My neighborhood, Lortondale, was built in the early 1950s as the first U.S. subdivision with all centrally air-conditioned homes. Our houses were originally wired with standard current for 110 volt supply, and "3-phase" supply for the air conditioning. I have a standard circuit breaker box for normal supply, and an additional 3-fuse box which powers my central A/C compressor. My house is still wired this way. There have been 2-3 times in the past 22 years when the "3-phase" portion of my power supply has gone out; I still have lights, but no A/C, and in every case it has been a tripped fuse on the power pole that supplies my house.
3-phase power in a residential area is really rare, yet there were a number of subdivisions in Tulsa built that way. Sort of nostalgic to hear Lortondale is one, but im not surprised.
Lortondale was the first truly modern post-war development in Tulsa, and the first spec tract home development in the U.S. with central waterless A/C as a standard feature, featuring Chrysler AirTemp Waterless Air Conditioning. When I bought my house back in 1986, it still had the original Chrysler AirTemp furnace and indoor coil and thermostat. I have since replaced these, but they were still working properly, if not noisly and inefficient, when I replaced them. I still have 3-phase at my home in Lortondale at 26th & S. Yale. Being no electrician, I really don't understand what it means, but I have a normal circuit breaker box for house wiring, and a seperate 3-fuse circuit box that powers only the outside A/C compressor.
A few years ago, a man that bought the house next door to me was having problems with the A/C. I was talking to him and just happened to mention "3-phase" and a light went off in his head! Once he realized his house was wired this way, he soon fixed his A/C problems.
An electrician once told me many years ago that the 3-phase aspect of my wiring would actually save me a few $ on my electric bill. Don't know how true that is, but as of today, my AMP PSO bill is only $56. Expected to go up this month by about $20 due to the recent rate hikes.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
I have a normal circuit breaker box for house wiring, and a seperate 3-fuse circuit box that powers only the outside A/C compressor.
The 3-phase wiring and the 3-fuse box would have only gone to your compressor house (the shed that housed your compressor) and the rest of your house would have been normal 240-Volt 2-leg wiring. 3-phase motors are more efficient compared to 240-volt motors (as 240-volt motors are more efficient than 120-volt motors) so if you needed that big a motor it would have saved electricity having it 3-phase.
That's one reason if you install a window unit, pick a 240-volt model instead of a 120-volt.
I remember when ours would come on it was really loud, and reminded me of the compressors they use in refrigerated trucks (reffers).
I can imagine what the electric bill would be now if we still had it.
quote:
Originally posted by patric
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
I have a normal circuit breaker box for house wiring, and a seperate 3-fuse circuit box that powers only the outside A/C compressor.
The 3-phase wiring and the 3-fuse box would have only gone to your compressor house (the shed that housed your compressor) and the rest of your house would have been normal 240-Volt 2-leg wiring.
All this electric discussion is way over my head, but I do know this. My house built in 1954 has a standard circuit breaker box that serves all electric circuits in the house. I spent nearly 2 days awhile back checking all circuts, turning on and off all breakers, to identify all switches and outlets and how they were crontrolled from the breaker box, and wrote it all down for reference.
My outside A/C compressor is controlled from a separate fuse box right next to the circuit breaker panel. It has 3 cartridge fuses, and is controlled with an "arm" engager switch. I assume this is the "3-phase" component of my house wiring. I have replaced the 3 cartridge fuses in this box only once over the past 22 years. All is working just great this year, god willing.
On a similar note, I bought my midtown Tulsa home in 1986, and still have the same outside A/C Freidrich compressor unit that was with my home in 1986. I have a concrete slab house with ducts and A/C in the slab. The unit was at least 5 years old when I bought my home, so it is at least 28 years old now. Still works flawlessly, and I have never had to have my A/C system recharged in 25 years.
Preventative maintenance is the key. I snake out my A/C condensation line at least twice a season, and always make sure the outside compressor unit cooling fins are free and clear of debris. It helps too that my outside A/C unit is under a wide overhang on the east side of my house, never exposed to direct hot summer sun. I guess I have been lucky, but an ounce of prevention....
Forget about these HVAC companies and their seasonal "tune up" hype. They do the same things you can do for free, and charge you $100 or more in the process.