No power at meter box

[Roz]

You may be onto something. I need to check the entire cable as the installers really tightened down in the zip ties along the wall. The way I initially fixed the issue was to disconnect the wire at the Air Logic LP wall unit. Perhaps a ties has cut the wad of cables at some point as all the gremlins are at that one box.

 

[HeyVern]

Our box is a Kleen-Rite pump stand, started all of a sudden after working fine for 4-5 years. The small glass fuses used by our stepdown transformer are getting hard to find - had to go to three Home Depots to stock up on them. I can post a pic of our box on Monday.

Intermountain Fuse Supply in Salt lake City stacks almost any fuse you can think of. They ship same day.

 

[MEP001]

You may have a solenoid coil bad. I'd start there and work back toward the box.

 

[Roz]

So yesterday I was able to track down my gremlins. I followed the wires from the LP wall units to the pump stand. The wires on to LP systems had slipped behind a metal pipe and were pinched between the wall and the pipe. They were not easily visible without tracing them with my fingers. The slight rub finally exposed the wire after five years creating a short. All fixed and wires secure away from the pipe.

 

[MEP001]

So yesterday I was able to track down my gremlins. I followed the wires from the LP wall units to the pump stand. The wires on to LP systems had slipped behind a metal pipe and were pinched between the wall and the pipe. They were not easily visible without tracing them with my fingers. The slight rub finally exposed the wire after five years creating a short. All fixed and wires secure away from the pipe.

I've diagnosed a similar problem. Equipment installer left low-voltage cable from box to stand long and managed to set the new pump stand on the cable. Also took a few years but it finally shorted through the cable. I just cut out the excess and rewired it back into the motor starter box.

 

[Fatboy769]

Roz, thanks for replying back with what the issue was with the problem you were having. So many times on these types of forums, people post of issues they are having and ask for help diagnosing what the problem may be. They get several good replies of possible solutions, then they never comment back with what actually fixed their issue.

 

[Greg_T]

Thanks for all the information from various contributors. I know the issue is now solved, but FWIW I had a very similar issue with intermittent fuse & circuit breaker trips. Eventually found a pipe manifold sitting on top of a multi core cable. Over time the brass fittings hard worn through the cable sheath and allowed a short. I've since gone hunting for any similar potential issues and eliminating them.

 

[Knight01]

So, I found my issue. It appears the fuse box may have overheated or even flamed. (see pic) The fuse, from what I can tell is still good, just the plastic melted and the fuse lost connection to the contact. I need to get a couple of these boxes to replace the current bad ones, originally from national pride. Does anyone know a model or name for it that I can search to find.

But now that I know what there is no power, I need to figure out what caused this short to burn the fuse holder so it doesn't happen again. Having read through the issues others are having it sounds like I need to trace the wires to see if any are frayed or causing some other issue.

Thank you for any help on finding this part and any guidance on how to track down the bad wire if I can't see it in a conduit/pipe.

 

[HeyVern]

it looks like the holder wasn't holding the fuse tight and was arcing between the fuse and the holder. Could have been wrong size fuse or just wore out and not making good contact or could have been some corrosion causing poor contact.

 

[MEP001]

Check with mouser.com, digikey.com or automationdirect.com if you want to stick with that same style fuseholder, but I'd replace them with something else, maybe a breaker.

https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/circuit_protection_-z-_fuses_-z-_disconnects/circuit_breakers_-a-_circuit_protectors/miniature_circuit_breakers_(mcb)/faz-b1-1-na-l-sp

 

[edredtop]

So, I found my issue. It appears the fuse box may have overheated or even flamed. (see pic) The fuse, from what I can tell is still good, just the plastic melted and the fuse lost connection to the contact. I need to get a couple of these boxes to replace the current bad ones, originally from national pride. Does anyone know a model or name for it that I can search to find.

But now that I know what there is no power, I need to figure out what caused this short to burn the fuse holder so it doesn't happen again. Having read through the issues others are having it sounds like I need to trace the wires to see if any are frayed or causing some other issue.

Thank you for any help on finding this part and any guidance on how to track down the bad wire if I can't see it in a conduit/pipe.

It looks like the fuse in the background has been running warm as well in the same area as your trouble fuse.
Both look toasty brown at the base of the fuse..