Update (Page 4): Just to be safe. Check behind the shed in the event that the microwave may gone there with its cigs. Nothing worse than a MW doing up smokes behind the shed. :sm02:...

Stephan G

Horseart wrote:

... Before, the microwave smoked after 30 seconds. I finally tried it again this morning and it didn't smoke.
...

Just to be safe. Check behind the shed in the event that the microwave may gone there with its cigs. Nothing worse than a MW doing up smokes behind the shed.

______
Serious for the moment. See if you can get someone knowledgeable to check all outlets for possible breaks. This may show up potential problem areas. We had a lightning bolt strike years ago in which the breakers worked like a charm, but did have to replace a lot of electronics that did not survive the jolt.

Artcameraman Loc: Springfield NH

Stephan G wrote:

Just to be safe. Check behind the shed in the eve... (show quote)

Any time you have a lightning strike on a home or business expect some problems. I have seen brakers fused and other times nothing at all. Be safe and not sorry, I learned by my own mistakes and paid a heavy price in equipment.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

SteveR wrote:

Just as a precaution, I hope you have fire alarms throughout your house, esp. considering its age. We just had a new house built 2 1/2 years ago and I think we've got about 11 that were required by code, and they are LOUD!!!! No sleeping through those!!! Take care and stay safe!!!

Thanks Steve. I do. My son and daughter-in-law keep me in smoke alarms, computers, cell phones, printers, printer ink, make-up, perfume, outdoor cameras connected to theirs so they can see when I am up and about every morning from their house 8 blocks away, door and window alarms and doorbells that play whacky songs and they take me out to eat 2 or 3 times a week. I'm pretty well fixed.

Edit: My front door bell plays the traditional the Avon Calling sound. My back door bell plays "The William Tell Overture" (Lone Ranger theme song).

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

Horseart wrote:

Squirrels are so cute but they can really cause some serious damage. I hope you have no more of that.

You might want to check your squirrel. Reduction of size in a single electrical wire can cause lowering of the voltage. It cannot cause raising of the voltage.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

Stephan G wrote:

Just to be safe. Check behind the shed in the eve... (show quote)

Thank you for the advice. Much appreciated.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

Artcameraman wrote:

Take the metal handles off the take-home boxes.

Thanks for the advice. I never put take home boxes in the Mikey.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

Stephan G wrote:

Just to be safe. Check behind the shed in the eve... (show quote)

Thanks for the advice. My neighbor checked all of them before the Power company guys came.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

Horseart wrote:

I am just very hopeful that is stays fixed. It's always good to see so many of the "hogger" family winning to help.
Thank you!

I must have been very tired when I typed this. Typo Queen typed winning instead of willing.

BebuLamar

cahale wrote:

You might want to check your squirrel. Reduction of size in a single electrical wire can cause lowering of the voltage. It cannot cause raising of the voltage.

A broken neutral wire can caus a raising and or lowering the voltage. The voltage is the same when the load on the 2 legs are the same without the neutral wire. But if the load are not the same the lighter load side would have higher voltage and the heavier load side would have lower voltage.

sjb3

Completely agree with everyone re/ the dangers of electricity, especially when working DIY; it can kill you. At least with DIY plumbing, if you mess up, the only danger is possibly getting drenched.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

BebuLamar wrote:

A broken neutral wire can caus a raising and or lowering the voltage. The voltage is the same when the load on the 2 legs are the same without the neutral wire. But if the load are not the same the lighter load side would have higher voltage and the heavier load side would have lower voltage.

Please diagram what you are talking about. Unless there is some connection between the neutral (distinguished from earth) and a hot leg, you can not produce more voltage than the hot leg is carrying. And in a normal house wiring, that voltage is 110-120. And any time a direct connection between any of the two hot legs and neutral (or earth for that matter) occurs, breakers break.

BebuLamar

cahale wrote:

Please diagram what you are talking about. Unless there is some connection between the neutral (distinguished from earth) and a hot leg, you can not produce more voltage than the hot leg is carrying. And in a normal house wiring, that voltage is 110-120. And any time a direct connection between any of the two hot legs and neutral (or earth for that matter) occurs, breakers break.

I will draw you a diagram tonight. I don't have anything to draw a diagram that I can post now. For now watch this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WQW9-adFas

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

BebuLamar wrote:

I will draw you a diagram tonight. I don't have anything to draw a diagram that I can post now. For now watch this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WQW9-adFas

One last time, then I give up. The microwave does not have a 3 leg circuit coming to it. It has one hot leg and a neutral. No matter how much manipulation you do, you can not get 240 volts from that circuit. UNLESS there is a crossover from the other system hot leg to the neutral. In which case you could get 240, except you would only get it for a very short time, since the main breaker would break instantly.

BebuLamar

cahale wrote:

One last time, then I give up. The microwave does not have a 3 leg circuit coming to it. It has one hot leg and a neutral. No matter how much manipulation you do, you can not get 240 volts from that circuit. UNLESS there is a crossover from the other system hot leg to the neutral. In which case you could get 240, except you would only get it for a very short time, since the main breaker would break instantly.

If the neutral is missing from the outside power coming in. And the only thing that is powered up is the microwave oven then nothing happens no current flow. If something that is connected to the other hot leg is turned on then you start to have current flow. If the other device is exactly the same as the microwave oven you have 120V across each device. If the device is of lower wattage than the microwave say a 100W light bulb oven then there will be higher than 120V across it and less than 120V across the microwave. If the microwave isn't on full power and when it's cycling off the voltage across it will be higher than 120V and the voltage across the 100W bulb is less than 120V. The neutral is missing from the outside coming in but from the breaker panel it's OK and thus all things has 1 side connected to the neutral.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

BebuLamar wrote:

I will draw you a diagram tonight. I don't have anything to draw a diagram that I can post now. For now watch this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WQW9-adFas

Never mind the diagram. I lay awake far too long last night thinking about the wiring problem, and where I could possibly be wrong. I don’t like being wrong. After a while, enlightenment glimmered. Suppose some dingleberry had failed to enclose the service from the meter to the breaker box in conduit. And further suppose said dingleberry had also not established a connection via 10 solid between the casing of the breaker box and the metal (hopefully copper) rod driven at least 3 feet into the ground below the breaker box. Should this duo obtain, then I withdraw my objection. Given that scenario, numerous problems both dangerous and annoying could occur, among them being the inability to quickly warm the left-over apple, the possible electrocution of both the deserving and un-deserving, and frantic calls to 911, given that one is not unconscious from smoke inhalation. If nothing else, install a new (not repair the old) service between the meter and breaker box. I feel much better now. Good luck.