Household voltage too high or misreading multimeter?

Thread Starter

bbeltran

Joined Feb 16, 2009
3
My little multimeter (DVM810), and my neighbors more professional one, each read my breaker panel voltage very high: 150 and 142 & climbing, respectively.

I call Xcel energy and the tech reads the lines @ 124... within acceptable variance.

What's going on here?

B

PS: ---more (but likely irrelevant) background---
I have a fancy power strip for my little audio recording setup. It's always been pegged at 128 -- the last of 20 LED steps that it displays for line voltage. I want to learn how to fix things like sound digital effects processors / recorders and am starting at the front door, so to speak.
 

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
It sounds as though the DVM810 is measuring peak AC voltage while the Xcel Energy tech is using a TRUE RMS meter.

hgmjr
 

ifixit

Joined Nov 20, 2008
652
Hi B,

Did the Xcel energy guy come into your house to make the measurement? If not then your reading may still be correctly indicating high if there is a problem with the neutral connection in your panel or service entrance. A symptom of this is that the voltage varies depending what 120V devices are turned on in the house. 240V devices don't effect it. Have an electrician check it out if this is the case.

Regards,

Wayne
 
Top