ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Welder Hookup

Electure:
Sorry... didn't mean to offend.

Actually, I have seen a number of temp services here in my area using FPE. They used to make a different dead-front which had space to install 4 or 5 breakers (in the upper part of the box). The lower part of the dead front was punched out for a pair of duplex receptacles, and one single (220v.?) receptacle as well. The receptacles were fastened directly to the dead front, connected to the breakers with short pieces of wire, and then the whole affair was kinda "squished" into place and secured.

I used to have a single pole FPE GFCI breaker in the panel in my house, before I replaced the entire thing with SqD a short time ago. It takes up the space of an NA frame (1") breaker, and has a handle the size of an NC type, along with a yellow "push to test" button. Not sure where the thing is now...probably threw it out with the panel when I upgraded.

Redsy: That's a good'un! Those darn breakers cost too much anyway...

Mike (mamills)

hey electure, belive it or not i've got a FPE gfi breaker. the darn thing works when you push the button. LOL! still say you should toss the junk , but how's there replacements work? anyone know.

ZR600......I'm currently using a 100' #12 wore out extension cord w/ missing ground prong and smallish alligator clips at the rusted out service to provide a modicum of power for our drills, porta-bands, and pony threader. Am I happy with it?... No! Can I realistically provide something better (safer)?.... No! Do I worry about it?...I did for the first five minutes(that was a week ago). Is it against code?.....No (90-2(b)5.
As a traveling crew specializing in building electrical transmission substations, there are four of us. One is an experienced journeyman lineman (foreman), the second is an experienced groundsman/operator, the third is an experienced operator/intermediate lineman ( who was, by the way, the other surviving person in the bucket alongside his lineman buddy and watched as his buddy was killed by adjacent power line static down at the Fairfield power house in the recent past. The fourth person is myself, an experienced licensed journeyman wireman. We are building a small 138kv switch/end station for a pipe-line deep in the middle of north east Texas country, deep in the middle of the rain, cold, lots of mud, no place to warm up, and no grunts to help out. All I'm saying is that the welder probably didn't like it anymore than us but he has a job to do and has to do it with what he has to do it with.......Burns

Sorry 3rd degree, your argument is not convincing.

How can you not provide something safer than that cord you describe? And how can you justify using a cord without a ground???????

Yes, the welder has a job to do. Does that mean he can just slap together some haphazard arrangement to get the job done? I don't think so.

Citing 90-2 b(5) as a defense for using that cord is weak, and it's really stretching the intent of that rule. I would argue that what you're using is temporary wiring, and therefore it must comply with Code.


[This message has been edited by CTwireman (edited 04-29-2002).]

[This message has been edited by CTwireman (edited 04-29-2002).]

can some 'defense' be had in art 527 here? Note 527.3(B), 527.4(C)EX, 527.4(G).....

probably a weak defense.....

Sorry 3rd degree, but as the safety guy here at work I have to say that your defense does not fly. You sound like our maintenance leadman here. I was inspecting for illegal air guns and he said to me "That does not apply to us does it. We need those" I was kind of surprised, how could a safety rule apply to the rest of the plant but not to the maintenance department? (Actually I was not too shocked because I was his supervisor for 5 years) I know I sound like the typical safety guy, but I built up and ran the maintenance department here for 6 years. So I have been on both sides of the fence. I have heard many times, I know I shouldn't have done it that way but... I have done it that way before and nothing happened... You may be able to find an NEC loophole, but OSHA would not like it. How about going to Home Depot to at least get a new extension cord?

This is the thing that I have to fight all the time. If someone gets hurt and they did not know about the dangers that is one thing. But for someone to know about the dangers and disregard them is what infuriates me.

It would be to bad for your fellow worker to see another one of his buddies die on the job. I hope you live through this one.

Actually I know who you remind me of. That picture of the guy stading on a metal ladder using a drill while the ladder was in three feet of water. Joe can you post that picture again?

I am done ranting now. I will get off my soapbox and go back to work.
Scott

3rd degree, I just hope you don't take someones life away with your known crappy temp wiring. I hope you can then sleep at night knowing that 1 hour of work or less and a few dollars worth of equipment could have saved your fellow workers life. I hope you can also talk to his/her family and brag it all to them as you have here. My two cents take it our leave it..........Brian

geeeez! comeon there fellas, nobody, and i mean NOBODY here can claim NEC & OSHA perfection, let's not knock anyone around for fessin' up once in a while....

Well........actually this WAS a first for me, I admit. In hindsight, my posting may have been sideways over a slight amount of repressed resentment over having to use this cheesy mess.(I know..I know...no excuses) Guess I kinda identified with the welder and do any of us actually know his situation which led up to his ...contraption? Could have been lazy...but look at how much duct tape he used (would'a made Red Green proud). Actually, I lied. It's worse than I told you. My FOREMAN'S "service" actually consist of a 10 foot #12 extension cord with only 2 alligator clips...followed by a 100 foot.....followed by a 50 foot, from somewhere deep in a cornfield to our site. Being the only wireman there, this is how far I have to walk into chest high foliage to make the connection to an aging meter/disconnect, which serves 240v. cathodic protection for an oil pipeline. There is NO grounding available and the buried galvanized pipe carrying the 240v. has corroded itself from making contact with the disconnect. Of course, this is crazy. But here's the good news..... I finished the substation's service and AC distribution box today, replete with 4/0 grounding to the cadwelded ring grids. So...tommorrow I can connect my foreman's cheesy mess on the downstream lugs of our newly installed control house disconnect and plug into true grounded outlets........whew...and no...he would NOT accomodate the trouble of making it safer since he had nothing to make it safer with.......exception 12 foot copper electrode stakes and rolls of 4/0 bare copper for the grid.......mmmmmmmmmmmm..sigh

A TRUE DEATH WISH!!