Power Quality Problem

Hello,

This question is more to do with electricity than electronics per se - I hope that's okay!

The quality of the electricity supply to my house is terrible (North Carolina, standard single phase). For *ages*, light bulbs have been popping very prematurely. Last week, I bought a used 'scope from eBay and, looking for a quick signal to test it with, stuck a x10 probe into an power outlet. I did not see a nice sine wave but a very distorted one - like you'd get if you over drive a vacuum tube. This also explained why an old NAD amplifier I was testing was consistently yielding DC rail voltages approx. 20% higher than specified.

Although the peak line voltage is about right (153V which would be approx.

108V rms), the true rms value is about 130V). I've reported this to the local utility company. The person in the Power Quality section didn't understand the concept of peak vs. rms and also stated that an engineer would come out to run some tests on the neutral bonding but that they don't have the means to look at the shape of the incoming waveform (surely not!).

Anyway, I grew up in the UK and so I don't know the regulations in the US specifying the quality of power supply (given the never ending brown-outs etc, I suspect they are not as strict).

So - the question: what's the right way to get this seen to and does anyone have a link to the corresponding NFPB/NEC regulations?

Thanks,

John.

Reply to
John Miller
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As far as the process, I would first ask if any of my neighbors were experiencing similar problems (if yes, that will give you more clout) then call the Public Utility Commission (should be in the phone book) to complain and follow it up with a letter. Be sure to get a name. They will probably pass you back to the power company, but they will probably give you more attention. When you write to them in the future you can cc the person in the PUC.

I should think they should be able to understand that the voltage is too high - 130 - however.

Bill

Reply to
Bill

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Also, while you're waiting for the process to work (good luck!) you
might want to take matters into your own hands and check out constant
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Reply to
John Fields

Thanks for the suggestion.

John.

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Reply to
John Miller

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