Anyone else see odd electrical behavior when temps drop?

[Data_Riku]

I was on a pre Christmas remodel job today and ran into some neutral readings that did not look right. Nothing unsafe but definitely not what I expected for that circuit. Load was light. Connections were solid. Still getting small fluctuations that do not match what I usually see.

The only real change lately has been the temperature dropping. I know winter can expose loose connections or hidden problems in older homes, but this was a newer place and everything looked clean.

Do any of you notice more electrical oddities when the weather shifts in December? I am curious if this is just the season showing weak points in the system or if I should plan on digging a little deeper before we wrap up the job.

 

[Alan]

Cold weather can absolutely change how circuits behave, especially with neutrals reacting to slight load shifts. Even solid connections can show small swings when temps drop fast. Before digging deeper, it helps to see if the behavior repeats consistently or only during cold starts. Did you notice the readings settle after everything had been powered for a while?

 

[PGB1]

By coincidence I got one today- a 14-F high temperature day. The plant electricians had odd neutral readings & were stumped. A couple of days ago, it was 30-F and raining, so lots of condensation was now frozen.

Inside the secondary side of a pad mount transformer, I found that water had condensed and turned to ice. The ice pushed apart the isolated neutral connection on the bus, breaking the lug. The only connection was the resultant arc.