The main causes of the malfunction

What to do in each of the above cases. So, the main causes of voltage drops in a private house or apartment are:

1. Insufficient cross-section of the input cable, branching from the main power line to your home.
2. Poor connection in place wires branches of the power line.
3. Selected cross-section of conductors, busbars for connecting protective devices and branching of wire lines, unreliable connection of connectors in the input distribution board.
4. Transformer overload in a serving substation.
5. Insufficient cross section of the main power line.
6. Phase imbalance – the load on each phase of the transformer is not equal (for example, one phase is overloaded, the rest are under load).
7. Insecure connection or zero break on latitude. In the event of a violation of the integrity of the contact connection of the neutral conductor of the main power line or with its complete breakage, a significant voltage imbalance will be observed in the network: some consumers will experience excessively high voltages, while others will be below acceptable values.

These are the most common causes of too low voltage in the network of private houses and apartments. As you understand, the first three reasons apply only to you, and you will have to solve the problem yourself. As for the latter cases, they must be addressed collectively with neighbors, by writing complaints to the relevant authorities. Next, we will tell you what to do with your own voltage surge and where to connect, so that the cause of the malfunction can be eliminated by higher authorities.

Ways to solve the problem

In order to enumerate the causes of weak voltage in the network, we will also consider troubleshooting methods.

The first thing you should check is whether there is poor voltage at the neighbors or there is only low voltage in your area. If it turns out that there are no problems in neighboring houses (or apartments), then we begin to look for a problem in the household wiring.

You must first turn off the input circuit breaker and measure the input voltage: at the circuit breaker terminals where the input power cable is connected.

If it is already below the norm at this point (according to GOST 29322-2014 (IEC 60038: 2009) ± 10% of the nominal value – 230 V, i.e. 207-253 V), it is necessary to connect to the power supply, as the problem may be in Supply network (reasons – pp. 4-7).

According to the above, there may be 3 reasons if the voltage is low only for you. Start troubleshooting by checking the circuit breaker connection. If the upper clamp has poor contact with the wire, this may be the cause of weak voltage. Visually inspect the condition of the device, if it is fused (as in the photo below), then it is necessary to replace it. Next, do not forget to connect the new circuit breaker correctly – tighten the wires in the clamps well.

Also pay attention to the cross-section of conductors and bus bars used in the switchboard to connect protective devices and branches of wire lines – they must correspond to the load flowing through a particular section of the electrical circuit.

Is the device connected correctly and there is no visible damage? Make sure that the cross-section of the lead wire is sufficient for consumers to work in your house or apartment. About, how to calculate the cross-section of the wire by force we told in the corresponding article. The fact is that with insufficient cross-section of conductors, the voltage drops when connecting an increased load.

If the cross-section of the household wiring cable is sufficient, check how the line branch runs from the trunk to your doorway. If this is twisted, then it can be said with great confidence that the low voltage in the house is due to poor-quality branch wires.

With poor contact, the resistance in the problem area increases, resulting in a voltage drop. Even if the branch is made of special clamps, check them as well (the condition of the housing). You can also check the clamps by connecting the load – if a spark starts in this place, or if the clamp case starts to heat up – you need to replace the product.

Things are worse if the low voltage in the electrical network is not your fault, but the electricity provider. In fact, fixing the problem in this case is very difficult. Next, we will tell you where to call and complain to solve the problem, and now we will present a meter that will help increase the voltage in the home electrical network.

Maybe you know what is better to connect a stabilizer, which can increase the value from 140-160 volts to the required 220. From personal experience I can say that this is the best option for troubleshooting Most of the time the voltage is low in the fall-winter season due to the use of electric heaters. The stabilizer is not expensive and can protect your home appliances even when overvoltage which is also important.

If you have money, we also recommend purchasing an uninterruptible power supply, which can eliminate the problem during voltage drops, because you will save electricity offline. Emergency systems operate from 140 volts, which is great in our case. The only drawback is the high cost. For a model with a power of 5 kilowatts will have to pay at least 35 thousand (price for 2019).

Considering the cost of the stabilizer and the fact that at very low voltage (below the operating range of the voltage stabilizer) it can quickly fail, so before purchasing it, it is better to contact the supplying organization to solve this problem. Moreover, the reason may be an emergency situation – violation of the connection of the neutral wire on the trunk line, and this is fraught with an even greater voltage imbalance in the event of a complete zero break.

Some experts also recommend combating low voltage in the mains using transformers or additional grounding , however we advise you to avoid such measures.

The fact is that the consequences of such manipulations can be disappointing – overvoltage up to 300 volts or a short circuit in the network!

Where to call and complain

When the cause of the small voltage is insufficient cross-section of the main transmission line or weak power of the transformer in the substation, things are even worse. Millions are needed to upgrade substations and power lines, so complaints have no effect, even if they have been written for years. However, you are nevertheless obliged to declare that you are not satisfied with the quality of electricity in order to move the reconstruction issue from its place.

If you do not know where to contact and write a complaint with low effort, we recommend reading the following list:

1. Write a written complaint to the energy supply company.
2. If no action is taken within 30 days after registering the petition you wrote, the Prosecutor’s Office will help attract energy sales, which we also recommend contacting.
3. Rosprotrebnadzor.
4. City (district or village) administration.
5. Energy supervision.
6. Public room.
7. court.

We draw your attention to the fact that all these bodies have their own official websites, which are not difficult to find on the Internet. It is not at all necessary to hang around the walls and stand in queues, it is enough just to write to the appropriate authority by mail that you have a low voltage in the network and that you have already tried to solve the problem with the power supply. It would be better if you provide all the evidence in an email.

We hope that now you know what to do with low voltage in the network, where and to whom you need to complain so that the malfunction is eliminated! Once again, we draw attention to the fact that the process of resolving the conflict with the power supply can take a long time, so you immediately need to purchase a stabilizer so that all household appliances in the house do not burn out.