Dumping 1.5 Amps to ground

[SimonLW]

I put a clamp on meter on the main cable from the meter into the panel and
noticed an imbalance (should read 0). Next, I checked the ground cable going
to a water pipe and found the same current flowing. I checked the pipe from
the ground clamp side to the house and the clamp to the water main and all
the current was heading to ground.

The houses on the street are delivered power from a low voltage bus on the
poles. What I mean is each house does not have its own transformer. There is
a transformer on every other pole that is connected to the LV bus line. I'm
thinking, imbalance current on the neutral line is getting carried back to
the transformer through the water line (city water system), back up
someone's ground to the transformer since the other houses are connected on
a different part of the bus. Does this make sense? Is that excessive
current? Should the utility check it?
Thanks

 

[SQLit]

I put a clamp on meter on the main cable from the meter into the panel and
noticed an imbalance (should read 0). Next, I checked the ground cable going
to a water pipe and found the same current flowing. I checked the pipe from
the ground clamp side to the house and the clamp to the water main and all
the current was heading to ground.

The houses on the street are delivered power from a low voltage bus on the
poles. What I mean is each house does not have its own transformer. There is
a transformer on every other pole that is connected to the LV bus line. I'm
thinking, imbalance current on the neutral line is getting carried back to
the transformer through the water line (city water system), back up
someone's ground to the transformer since the other houses are connected on
a different part of the bus. Does this make sense? Is that excessive
current? Should the utility check it?
Thanks

Power going to ground indicates to me that your electrical service may be
improperly grounded, or loose connections, or improperly wired.
If someone used the ground you describe as a neutral, ( grounded conductor )
you would have the same result.

I hesitate to even comment on the concept of the imbalance traveling back
through the city water pipes to the utility. Usually there is no neutral
feeding the distribution transformers. If there is a connection to the city
water piping I would think it would be a mistake/accident.
Neutral the grounded conductor is established at the electrical service.
There may or may not be a ground at the transformer.

Does your electrical service have a ground rod, ufer, or some means of
grounding besides the water pipe?

Anything happening on the customer side of the meter is yours. At least it
is here. My suggestion is to hire a competent contractor to inspect/test
the installation. I am betting that the issue is on your side of the meter
and has nothing to do with the distribution.
Let us know what you find.

 

[Charles Perry]

I put a clamp on meter on the main cable from the meter into the panel and
noticed an imbalance (should read 0). Next, I checked the ground cable
going
to a water pipe and found the same current flowing. I checked the pipe
from
the ground clamp side to the house and the clamp to the water main and all
the current was heading to ground.

The houses on the street are delivered power from a low voltage bus on the
poles. What I mean is each house does not have its own transformer. There
is
a transformer on every other pole that is connected to the LV bus line.
I'm
thinking, imbalance current on the neutral line is getting carried back to
the transformer through the water line (city water system), back up
someone's ground to the transformer since the other houses are connected
on
a different part of the bus. Does this make sense? Is that excessive
current? Should the utility check it?
Thanks

Where are you located? That will help answer your question.

Charles Perry P.E.

 

[Charles Perry]

Power going to ground indicates to me that your electrical service may be
improperly grounded, or loose connections, or improperly wired.
If someone used the ground you describe as a neutral, ( grounded
conductor )
you would have the same result.

I hesitate to even comment on the concept of the imbalance traveling back
through the city water pipes to the utility. Usually there is no neutral
feeding the distribution transformers.

???? Most distribution transformers in the US are fed from line to neutral,
not line to line.

Charles Perry P.E.

 

[SimonLW]

I put a clamp on meter on the main cable from the meter into the panel and
noticed an imbalance (should read 0). Next, I checked the ground cable going
to a water pipe and found the same current flowing. I checked the pipe from
the ground clamp side to the house and the clamp to the water main and all
the current was heading to ground.

The houses on the street are delivered power from a low voltage bus on the
poles. What I mean is each house does not have its own transformer. There is
a transformer on every other pole that is connected to the LV bus line. I'm
thinking, imbalance current on the neutral line is getting carried back to
the transformer through the water line (city water system), back up
someone's ground to the transformer since the other houses are connected on
a different part of the bus. Does this make sense? Is that excessive
current? Should the utility check it?
Thanks

I shut off the main breaker and checked current through the ground lead.
The current dropped a little, but is still considerable, 1 amp. There is
another ground line that runs out to a ground rod. It looks properly
connected, but shows no current flow.

Since any conductor has resistance, there is a voltage drop across the
neutral line. This means the voltage on the neutral can be slightly
different between me an my neighbor's house if the neutral bus is carrying a
significant load. Since the neutral is bonded to the water line in each of
our houses, any potential difference on the neutrals between our houses will
be conducted through the metallic water supply line. There could be other
reasons, but considering the system has no faults, this is the best theory I
have.
-S

 

[SimonLW]

I put a clamp on meter on the main cable from the meter into the panel and
noticed an imbalance (should read 0). Next, I checked the ground cable going
to a water pipe and found the same current flowing. I checked the pipe from
the ground clamp side to the house and the clamp to the water main and all
the current was heading to ground.

The houses on the street are delivered power from a low voltage bus on the
poles. What I mean is each house does not have its own transformer. There is
a transformer on every other pole that is connected to the LV bus line. I'm
thinking, imbalance current on the neutral line is getting carried back to
the transformer through the water line (city water system), back up
someone's ground to the transformer since the other houses are connected on
a different part of the bus. Does this make sense? Is that excessive
current? Should the utility check it?
Thanks

I shut off the main breaker and checked current through the ground lead.
The current dropped a little, but is still considerable, 1 amp. There is
another ground line that runs out to a ground rod. It looks properly
connected, but shows no current flow.

Since any conductor has resistance, there is a voltage drop across the
neutral line. This means the voltage on the neutral can be slightly
different between me an my neighbor's house if the neutral bus is carrying a
significant load. Since the neutral is bonded to the water line in each of
our houses, any potential difference on the neutrals between our houses will
be conducted through the metallic water supply line. There could be other
reasons, but considering the system has no faults, this is the best theory I
have.
-S