What is voltage drop in your home?

What is the voltage drop in your home?  This could happen if your house wasn’t wired properly or if you had any added additions to your home and didn’t follow the NEC code.

So what is the voltage drop in your home? It is the voltage loss due to the current flow through a resistance.

carrying current conductors will always have impedance with the flow of current. Having too much voltage drop in your home would cause your lights to flicker or burn out.

Also, all your appliances would run hotter. Motors will make strange noises indicating a problem. And you will have a rise in your electric bill. This is because you have less voltage trying to push through the current.

How to calculate voltage drop?

You would use Volts for voltage drop, then use Length for total length, Current for Current through the wire, and Area for the cross-sectional area.  so the formula will read volts = Length x current x 0.017 over the area.

how to fix voltage drop?

You can start by decreasing the length of any home run by running more branch circuits.  stay within 100 feet of any branch circuit you decide to run.

Don’t bundle all your cables together. This will add more heat and resistance.  Don’t install any wiring over hot pipes. Use fewer devices on a circuit.  Do not overload a junction box with wires.

Don’t overload the circuit breaker panel. Make sure all your neutrals are screwed down tight. Don’t use Extension cords.

How to monitor your equipment during a voltage drop?

you can install a voltage monitor. This device prevents, for example, a compressor from firing up during a voltage drop. This will only be for a limited time until the proper voltage is restored.

This will protect your equipment and minimize your downtime. These monitors are cost-effective and could save you money in the long run.

Joseph@ Upgrade Electric

Licensed Electrical Contractor

Independent Energy Consultant