If all, or half, of your power is out you may have a problem with the utility company (PSEG, ROCKLAND, and JCPL) side of the electrical service. Half power would be if some of the lights do not work and none of your 240 volt appliances work, specifically your air conditioning, heat, range, oven and dryer.
If all of these appliances are out at the same time, you have lost a phase, and this may be a utility company problem. Did you know it is a free check for any of the utility companies to check power to your home? If the utility company comes out and everything checks out to be okay, then it is an internal electrical problem and that will be the time for us to see what the problem is.
If you have all of your appliances working, but some lights are bright and others are dim, you may have a lost neutral. You may even experience blown light bulbs in some areas with this condition. This lost neutral is one of the worst electrical conditions to experience. As with the loss of one leg, or phase, there just will not be any power to operate lights, equipment, etc; and the loss of power condition usually does not do damage.
With a lost neutral though, the 120 volts on both phases that are supposed to be present can turn into 160 volts on one phase and 80 volts on the other phase. Both of these, the high and the low, voltages on your system can do extreme damage to electronic equipment especially computers and TV’s.
At this point, disconnect all sensitive electronic equipment until this condition is repaired. Light bulbs are cheap compared to equipment, so don’t worry about the lights.
Lost neutrals are sometimes a difficult condition to diagnose and locate. This condition should be checked out and repaired by a qualified electrician. Call Richard Marton Electrical Contractor LLC anytime to do this for you and play it safe.
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Richard Marton Electrical Contractor LLC is a full service electrical contractor serving homeowners and businesses in Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Morris County New Jersey with electrical installations and repairs. We are also a Generac Generator installer.
Richard Marton Electrical Contractor LLC works with general contractors, residential architects, interior decorators, interior designers, painters, property management and property maintenance professionals, and professional organizers. We work with these professionals to give clients top of the line electrical installations within such projects as residential remodeling, residential renovations, plus build outs of new kitchens, bathrooms, home offices, add-a-level residential project and more.