Electrical help

Steamboat

Member
I have a 100 amp service run from my house to the barn. Both legs are live at breaker in house, but one leg is dead at barn. I now run all 15 & 20 amp breakers off the live leg. My first question is what could possibly be happening to the dead leg? I have done no digging or alterations that could have caused the one leg to go dead. Second.. am I wasting electricity somewhere between house and barn? Your advise will be greatly appreciated.
 
The symptoms are common for a corroded point in the underground line, it will need to be located, spliced and resealed. Most electricians should be able to locate the bad spot and will have the correct waterproof splice equipment. I had this happen to my shop, and electrician knew exactly what it was. There is a pinhole in the insulation where the corrosion is, that creates aluminum oxide. The oxide gets wet, conducts through the earth drawing current, heats up, drys out, stops conducting to earth, then cools gets wet and repeats the process.
 
This is assuming you actually checked the incoming wires to make sure the terminals were conducting good in the boxes.
 
Check and make sure the dead line in the breaker box is still good and tight they heat up some times and over time that causes the connection where it is hook to corrode and in turn causes a poor connection so no power. Or if the line is not run in a pipe of some sort a simple rock can cut the wire and in turn you loose power and yes you can also have a power draw to ground
 
If it's in conduit, tie a fish tape or rope to it, pull it out from the other end. The problem will be obvious. You can use a waterproof splice or replace the bad wire.

If direct burial probably be easier to just replace it.

Conduit is cheap, sure beats digging it up again, and proivides a level of protection.
 
I do not necessarily agree with bulk replace.

The conductor should have a 25-30 year life, it is usually damaged during installation or from a rock, if only a few years in, probably easier to splice.
 
Is there a way to find the break?

I've never tried it but Youtube says you can connect the suspect wire to a lawn mower spark plug wire, follow the static with an AM radio. They were doing that for irrigation system wire, which is not usually buried too deep, don't know how deep it will work. But supposedly the signal will stop at the break.
 
Actually Steve you take a small non insulated copper wire wrap about 4 turns around the spark plug of any small gas engine. Make sure all breakers and power supply to wire are off and no power to either end of suspect wire. Then fasten the end of the wire from the plug to either end of the suspect wire. Crank the engine and take a small hand held am radio, helps if it is the kind you took to the beach with and external antenna. Just go to walking the path of the wire, you will here the sparks till you get to the break. Mark where you quit hearing the spark and if you can get to the other end go there and do the same. Most likely the spark will stop at the same place and that is where you did. Have had very good luck using this method.
 
Yes, most electricians will have a locater, clamp on one end, lose signal at break, mine also can tell how deep the cable is.
 
If you are on an Electric Coop they may be willing to locate the problem for you. Most have a service man with equipment to locate the problem.
 
I have heard where gophers will chew on the insulation and eventually it will arc and burn through
 
A small nick in the wire from installation makes tiny bubbles in the water that eventually eats a larger hole through the insulation and finally eats away the conductor over time .Every buried pipe has water in it. Some good tips to find it here.
 

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