ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area volt difference at panel

Home where the h/o was messing w/ his dryer and (likely) shorted power to frame; then got bright/dim condition usually blamed on bad noodle; they all looked ok though it's a 50 y/o system w/ lots of stuff bundled, etc.
In the meter base at 1 hot lug was nasty rusted screw head.Line side had no votage difference, but with meter in it avg.150/90, at panel.
At any rate the whole affair is a mess (no
main breaker, split buss (?) Zinsco.Am doing 100/200a upgrade, now praying it's balanced.
Thoughts?

I'm thinking that the problem was a loose neutral, it could be anywhere between the panel & the transformer.

I ran across a Zinsco panel a couple of weeks ago on an inspection. i thought after I moved back East, I'd be lucky & never see one again, but I was mistaken. They are the FPE of the West.

Tom

Zinsco is Los Angeles'contribution to the electrical world.

It is a neutral problem...Something I have done is to eliminate the Customers equipment, by taking a piece of #4 thhn & split bolt it onto the POCO's service neutral, & connect it to the panel's neutral bar.
If the inbalance is still there, it will be a problem with the POCO's neutral connections.
If the inbalance straightens itself out, the hunt begins !!! but You will know that it is inside the Customers equipment.
The last time I did this trick, I found the problem went away, & voltage was good.
Called the POCO & told them THEY had a open neutral.....found out that a Squirrel had chewed the neutral down to the steel core out on the pole.