Bill,

As I got into it, the next door neighbor's service unbalance current became very interesting! Especially when Kimberly's old and new houses get individual services. I draw below one of many hypothetical arrangements. I assume the PoCo transformer is at the back lot line of Kimberly's old house (#1) and that the water service is out in the street in front.

[Linked Image from usfamily.net]

If the electrician that works for Kimberly does a good job of balancing the services in both of her houses so they have low neutral currents, and if the neighbor's service is running unbalanced, I suggest that the current path to the transformer neutral terminal through the street water main and paralleled service and lateral neutrals at Kimberly's will have a resistance equal to or even lower than the resistance in House #3's (the neighbor) single neutral to transformer connection.

This is by NEC and PoCo. I find it troubling, to say the least.

Al

(Didn't get the UBB right)

[This message has been edited by ElectricAL (edited 06-01-2002).]

Al Hildenbrand