Why does my power go out when my neighbor's power comes back on?

This unusual situation typically indicates a shared electrical issue or problem with the utility transformer serving both properties. When your neighbor's power restoration causes your outage, it suggests an electrical fault that's creating an imbalance or overload condition.

The most common cause is a damaged neutral wire or transformer connection. In Ottawa's electrical distribution system, multiple homes often share a transformer, and if there's a fault in the neutral conductor or a loose connection, restoring power to one home can create voltage imbalances that trip protective devices serving your home. This is essentially the electrical system protecting itself from dangerous conditions.

Shared transformer issues are another possibility. If you and your neighbor share a transformer and there's internal damage or a winding problem, the additional load from your neighbor's restored power might exceed the transformer's capacity or trigger protective mechanisms. Weather-related damage, aging equipment, or previous electrical faults can create these conditions.

Underground or overhead service problems can also cause this issue. Damaged cables, corroded connections, or water infiltration in junction boxes can create intermittent faults. When Hydro Ottawa restores your neighbor's service, it might change the electrical path or load distribution in a way that exposes the fault affecting your connection.

This is definitely not a problem you can fix yourself - it's a utility distribution issue that requires immediate attention from Hydro Ottawa. The situation indicates a potentially dangerous electrical fault that could cause equipment damage, fire risk, or electrocution hazards.

Immediate steps to take:

Hydro Ottawa will need to investigate the transformer, service connections, and distribution equipment serving your area. They have specialized equipment to detect neutral faults, voltage imbalances, and transformer problems that cause these interconnected outages.

If you suspect any issues with your home's electrical system once utility power is properly restored, Electrical Ottawa can inspect your panel and wiring to ensure everything is safe and code-compliant.

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