Is my 240v line working?

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Newbie2012

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Below is a picture of my main breaker box on the side of my house. The double breaker there goes to my pool breaker box. My multimeter reads 240v when I check the red and black wires in the picture (called main breaker box).

In main breaker box:
Black to red is240v
Black to ground is 120v
Red to ground is 120v



However when I check the red and black wires into the pool breaker box, I am only getting a reading of 120v. Shouldn't I get a reading of 240v just like the main breaker box? Reason I am asking is that my 240v pool pump and polaris pump are not working any more after an electrical storm last night . . . I have already replaced the pool pump motor with a new one . .

In pool breaker box:
Black to Red is 120v
Black to white is 0v
Red to White is 120v
Black to ground is 0v
Red to ground is 120v
White to ground is 0v

Thanks for any help you can give me!
 

Jimbo

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There is some kind of problem. Black to red should be 240.. You are good at the box and not out at the load.

There are too many questions here....you need an electrician. We don't know why there is a white lead out there. Pure 240 loads are 2 hots and the ground, so you have some 120 going on. Don't get hurt...get help!
 

Newbie2012

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Thanks for the quick response. (And I don't know why my pictures did not post. Probably file size is too large.)

I will take your advice and call an electrician. I am clearly out of my comfort zone here.
 

Newbie2012

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Mystery solved. Electrician diagnosed the problem: The black lead has apparently been cut between the main breaker box and the pool breaker box. Have rewired with new 10/3 UF wire and all is working . Now just need to bury the wire.
 

Ballvalve

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Yellow caution tape for your 8 year old with a hammer and stake, or shovel? Or you with a shovel? Not to mention the same gopher that got the first cable will love the second. Or maybe LA doesnt have gophers OR pumps. Conduit is about 12 cents a foot.
 
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Yellow caution tape for your 8 year old with a hammer and stake, or shovel? Or you with a shovel? Not to mention the same gopher that got the first cable will love the second. Or maybe LA doesnt have gophers OR pumps. Conduit is about 12 cents a foot.

Don't get me wrong. I would insist on conduit.

The burial stuff needs to go down what? 2'? I can't even remember, because I won't use it.

If you trench to 2' and fill to 1' and then lay in the caution tape, you have a MARGINALLY safer installation. Nothing compared to conduit.

Not sure that the OP said a gopher got it, but that is as likely as anything, I suppose.

And no, not lots of gophers. I got bloody fruit rats which the cat insists on killing and then eating about 3/4 of the way and leaving me to eat the rest, if I want. She is so generous.

And squirrels. Of course. The bastards just rat-copulated my apricots this year.

Possums. Again, the possum kits get eaten.

Raccoons. Take a pretty mean cat to go after a raccoon. Had one die in the back corner of the yard and rot for a few days. Thank the lord that the city will collect those.

And last summer a skunk walked in the house. How do you frighten a skunk out of your house? YOU DO NOT!

Been getting whiffs of skunk many nights of late. The cat needs to learn that no means no.
 
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