ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum Fire in Panelboard

In Steve T's original situation above, shouldn't the fuses on the transformer went before the service drop conductors became orange hot? If not, then what the heck are they protecting??

Doug and Randy, I have seen the Fire Department cut service drop conductors at the pole. They used a fiberglass pole with a cutter head on it like you would use to trim a tree. It looked like the rope was nylon.

To answer your question mean gene. The fuselinks at the pole are rated significantly above the service requirements of one indivdual home because in like so many cases the utilty company has other houses being shared off that same transformer,plus have any of you heard anything in the code stating that utility companies have to adhere to the NEC? It might surprise you.

Steve or Joe? Has the exact reasoning behind this fire ever been factually figured out yet?

Steve is that a GE series THQL loadcenter w/100 amp main?

As for our local Fire dept., they also cut the drip loops. They use a "Hot Stick" with a cutter on it that looks like a tree pruner. It is a fairly common Lineman tool.
http://www.whitesafetyline.com/products/cutters.html

They'll also open underground boxes, and cut of the whole neiborhood.

Most utilities don't use fuses on tranformers. They'll use the Transformer itself, at 65KVA @ 10 - 22,000 AIC! It's failure point! 44,000 or more for Commercial. It's not a very good idea, but a common pratice.

Back to the featured fire though. I think the newer looking conduit, the one with no connector on it, dropped through and hit the mains. If so, there wasn't anything to trip, just burn!

this panel looks to be either a ge or possibly a ch br type.but what puzzles me is the fact that all circuits are in condiut in a residents.i service one area where metal shealding is required by the city in residential homes,but always thought it was one of very few.

Wellgrounded:

In the Chicago Metro area most of the Cities (and larger municipalities) require conduit as a matter of course for all occupancies. Flex is allowed (subject to certain restrictions on length and grounding conductors) where you have to fish, or for flexibility, but that's about it.

In unincorporated Lake county (my home turf), they allow NM, but not in most of the towns I work in.