Sounds like a bad main breaker and your friend is not competent enough to
install a replacement. He probably should get a pro to do it right.



" wrote in message
oups.com...
Greetings,

An individual, we will call him Gus, called me complaining that he has
no power in his house. I said I would try to help him over the phone
if I could but I am at a loss as to what to tell this guy and was
wondering if anyone had any ideas.

HISTORY
=====================================
Gus has had heavy rain for days.
Gus lost power to part of the house.
He went into the basement and turned off the breakers -- including the
main breaker.
When he turned the breakers back on there was no power at all.
Gus called me.

WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY TRIED
=====================================
I had Gus check the neighbor's house to make sure power was not out (it
wasn't).
I had Gus buy a multi-meter.
He checked the voltage coming into the main breaker and found it to be
248 VAC.
The voltage between Pole A and Pole B on the bus bars is 0 with the
main breaker on or off.
I asked Gus to turn off all the other breakers, he did.
Then I asked Gus to turn the main breaker off and on again but still
found 0 volts between the bus bars.
I had Gus pull the meter.
I asked him to remove the main breaker and move it down two slots to
make sure it was making good connection.
He replaced the meter and the results were the same.
I had him check the resistance between the two bus bars and found it to
be infinite.
The resistance between the bus bars and ground is also infinte.
I had him replace the main breaker (with meter out, then the meter was
put back in) and he claimed that the new main breaker would not stay in
the ON position.
I asked him to be sure it was fully off before turning it back on and
he said it still would not stay in the on position.
I asked him to pull the meter.
I asked him to keep the main breaker wired in but to pull it off the
bus bars which he did.
He put the meter back in.
The new main breaker would not stay in the "ON" position even when not
touching the bus bars -- can it tell it's not in?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
====================================
Namebrand: Cutler Hammer (low end stuff)
Sto Lowes
Cost: $58 for 100 amp box installed and functioning for about 9 months
before this problem
$24 for a new 100A main breaker

Any help (other than "call an electrician") would be appreciated. The
only thing I can figure is he either has two bad 100A main breakers or
he didn't do everything I asked.

Thank you for your time and energy,
William Deans