High leg smoked all 3 vacuum motors

[sparkey]

I got to the wash this morning and found a vacuum was not working. I checked it out fan found that the fuses for all 3 vacuum motors were blown. I couldn't get the fuses out of the fuse holders, so I bypassed all 3 fuses since none of my other vacuums have fuses at the motors. As soon as I put coins in the vacuum all 3 motors started to smoke. I checked my incoming voltage and discovered I had 130 volts of incoming power. I checked my 3 phase in the box and has 2 legs of 120v and one leg of 130v. This is not a new install and I have not changed anything in over a year. I don't think I used to have a high leg at least not this noticeable. I checked the neutral wiring and all seems good. Has anyone ever experienced one leg suddenly go high? I am going to contact the power company in the morning but I suspect I will just get the run around.

I am also surprised that the motors would smoke so fast at 130 volts. I am using these vac motors
https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-33...5-7-in-vacuum-motor-120-volt.aspx#description

 

[MEP001]

130V shouldn't have hurt the motors, but you might have gotten a voltage surge on that third leg. The motors were most likely smoked before you removed the fuses.

 

[mjwalsh]

I am going to contact the power company in the morning but I suspect I will just get the run around.

I am also surprised that the motors would smoke so fast at 130 volts. I am using these vac motors
https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-33...5-7-in-vacuum-motor-120-volt.aspx#description

Based on experience, the local power company will typically put a monitoring device on with your meter. I agree that 130VAC alone should not have smoked the motors. The monitoring should tell the power company exactly what their transformers were & maybe still are doing. I do have smoked component memories of improperly hooking up a "a jumping around like crazy wild leg" ... that was my ignorance ... but the electrician who changed over to the wild leg 3 phase could have "communicated better" about the danger. I wonder how many of us "lower priority businesses" have the IMHO "not quite as nice" wild leg 3 phase.

Let us know how you come out. I wonder if there is ever a case where a power company reimburses anyone for damaged motors or solenoids or whatever from the malfunction of their power distribution???

 

[sparkey]

I called the power company today and they agreed that the voltage was to high on one leg and replaced a transformer on the pole. I am not sure its worth my time to try to get reimbursed for $100 worth of motors considering I will probably be on the phone for 30 minutes or longer and most likely it will get denied anyway.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

Count your blessings if that's the only damage you walked out with is some vac motors. I would check every motor everything at the wash in detail your Lucky my freind