ECN Electrical Forum
Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

Submitted by: Harold Endean

I especially like the way that they hop the fence.
I sure hope that they told the lawn service not to mow that day.

Harold:
Thanks for the pics!

If you want to add any comments....please do.

Which POCO? "FE" on the cone don't say much to me. I've never seen a 'temp' like that anywhere.

that's just horrible, id like to see the plows come through with the snow...

Even though the insulation is pretty tough, it looks like a liability nightmare. What did the temp feed, that was so important to get power in right away? Big $$$ customer, or life & safety?

That's pretty ridiculous.

Even when out transmission utility has open lines like that inside fenced substations they still mark and guard the heck out of them. What would've been wrong with stringing the length of that with "danger" signs of some sort? Warning ribbon isn't that expensive.

I especially like the totally unprotected lines in the road between the cones and the cover plate. That stuff is tough, but trucks are awfully heavy....

-John

I do recall seeing that type of cable and I did used on 14 KV system without issue however laying top of the ground now that is tempting for trouble especaly if this cable is non conrated netural cable { most will have copper or steel wire warp around the cable }

But once hevey truck hit it it don't take much to get it have heckva a big flashover .,,,

Merci,Marc

I have seen this once when the telco lost the u/g to the exchange that served my part of the city due to a water main break.

The temp feed was covered for two days with planking and barricades / warning tape for the couple hundred feet from the drop pole to the transformer.

This was over a city sidewalk and lawn so truck damage was not an issue.

Man,
That is just slack IMO.
I can't help but feel, that some sort of temporary poles could have been sunk for this circuit, to get it up out of the way.
I mean, that is what electricity utilities do as their bread and butter isn't it?
I just shook my head when I saw them wires laid over the top of that fence, it would have taken a few seconds to run them singles UNDER the fence.
It's like someone just doesn't care.

That is a rough job.
I'm amazed that the POCO get's away with that.
Partially uncovered cables at a road crossing, hardly any warning signs and across that fence.
How long did they keep that going for ?

Hope nobody tries to steal those cables, what with the price of copper these days...

I'm assuming they are probably aluminum? Would be a pretty good steal if they were copper, assuming you got past the HV "security" system.

At 60Hz, the voltage in each cable goes to zero 120 times per second.

You can steal the wires while energized, but you need to have perfect timing and be really, really, really quick.

John,

The PoCo is the one in northern NJ. This all came about ( I found out) due to overtime. The factory didn't want to be without power during the day and the PoCo didn't want to pay the OT to their guys to work at night. SO, they just left the wire on the ground. The administrator in my town got on the phone with the PoCo and gave them holy hell. However it still took 2 weeks to resolve the issue. In that 2 weeks, kids and dogs played in the area and the town trucks plowed the snow.

Did anyone see the e-mail going around called Dallas copper thieves? That shows you what happens when you try to steal HV wires while they were on.

A man was badly burned here about 6 months ago trying to steal copper cable. think the report said 11kv.

Holy Crap

Yep I got that email..it was extremely graphic but proved the point of how dangerous the theft practice is.

As for what the OP posted..heads would roll if our local POCO tried that stunt. Our county code enforcement officials are ruthless here.

There was absolutely no excuse for the half-butt work shown in those pics.

MX,

Luckily that mess was only on the ground for a week, which is 6 days and 23 hours too long! However nobody got hurt. This also happened in the last winter and the town was still plowing roads. Imagine if there was a snow fall and the road dept. didn't see that wire laying on the road! Ouch!

some how "wow!" does not cover it.

Should this fit the category, "What is the hookiest thing I ever saw hooked up" NAW! It is the scariest!

harold

in the realm of 'scariest', 'just plain wrong', or maybe 'raise those little neck hairs' you win , hands down

~S~

~s~:

Harold and I are in the same state, he's up in the northwest area, and that may have been the same POCO, but I have to say, I have never seen anything even close to that.

John,

The POCO here that did this fiasco starts with the first letter of your first name!

Harold:
OK, I have them home, but not in my work township.