ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 255 guests, and 16 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
Another thread(about feeders) mademe realize that I have never given power theft any specific consideration in my designs. What about you?

When the other halfof my duplex was the local dope house, I was wide open to someone tapping into the lines as they passed through the attic. Considering the 'cleverness' often shown by meth-heads, it's almost a miracle that no attempts were made- especially when their power was cutoff.

I have certainly seen examples of power theft -be they tapping into the building's outside lighting, or even the service drop with some 'zip'cord- but I've never really given the topic much thought.

How would you design in some resistance to power theft?

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
I think the best answer of you were really worried would be feeders in RMC if they were exposed or better, put the feeder under concrete. Out of sight, out of mind.
Even EMT could be compromised fairly easily. Just crack off an end to end connector and separate the pipe far enough to get a Kupltap in there. A wrench tight RMC connector is a lot harder to displace.
The only place I really saw them interested in power diversion was the prisons and they really tried to have everything in the dorm areas behind the block wall.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,273
T
Member
The most commonly available routes to power theft is shunting tenant loads on to house circuits in a commercial setting.

However easy such a thing might be done -- it isn't because of many factors starting with landlord provisioned circuits being so often on a dependent switch-leg of a timed circuit.



Tesla
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 947
T
twh Offline
Member
We plug in our cars in the winter. In lots open to the public, the power must be off at night.

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
twh, that's a good point! With the advent of 'electric cars' and such, I bet we start seeing a lot more hanky-panky in light pole bases!

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,381
Likes: 7
Member
We had an instance last year of an individual with a camper (slip-in type) parked in a muni lot for a period of time. That lot has power receptacles in pedastals & pole bases for civic events. The guy in the camper was very comfortable & cozy until someone noticed. He left very peacefully.

I only recall two resi theft of service from the POCO. One being a SFD that fell on hard times; he ripped up the meter pan to gain access to the line side & installed jumpers. Burned up one line/load jaws in the pan, then relocated all his cbs to the remaining phase. Snip at the pole cured that.

The other was squatters in a vacant 2 family. That was cured by a snip at the pole, after they wrecked the two meter pans.





John
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
Most of the power thefts here are pot grow houses.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 943
Likes: 2
N
Member
There was a thread here many moons ago showing pictures of power theft 1 in particular,showed a rigid riser into a semi-flush panel where it had been cut open to access the PoCo conductors to tap off for their veggie growing operation......

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
I heard about one where they put a plumbing tee in the riser where it went through the roof to Soffit area and had a loop in the line on a service change. I think it was the cops who eventually found it when they raided the house.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
Well, Greg .... that's not quite what I meant by designing for power theft. laugh One must give them credit for planning ahead, though.

There's only so far you can go with materials and planning. Sure, it helps to use pipe and ru n it in inaccessible places - but I recall one Holmes episode where the thieves core drilled the foundation with surgical precision.

I expect that the final solution would be to have multiple meters, at each end of the line in question. One in the electric room and another at the panel.

As already mentioned, the thief does not always tap his own line. The two power thefts I've encountered involved a tenant tapping into the 'house' power. One of those involved a tap on a branch circuit - so the only means of detection would have been to measure the actual use of that circuit over time.

Circuit layout and identifaction also matters. When a circuit hops all over the place - a common result when the circuit is modified over time - it's just too easy for a circuit to wind up serving multiple tenants as walls get moved about in various remodels. While this may not be deliberate theft, one party pays for the other's use.

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5