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#116249 03/11/04 07:16 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
You can tell where this engineer has been, because everything he "works" on has similarities.


[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]


It might be catching up with him, though


[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]


He needs to be stopped. His stupidity is unforgiveable. This whole mess was connected to a 100A 208V 3Ø Pin and Sleeve receptacle.
He wanted to know why "our" C/B didn't trip.

Fire Inspectors showed up the next day, and the Building Dept. is notified whenever FD responds to a fire.
...S




[This message has been edited by electure (edited 03-11-2004).]

Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Scott, can you gives us more details?


Peter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,438
Member
Scott... Can you elaborate on the equiptment? The jist of what I've gotten is some ratty cords running what looks like some computers & other misc stuff on a 100A circuit??? [Linked Image]
-Randy

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Sure.
The larger piece of equipment is a chiller.
The smaller piece was test equipment that was made "in house". The test equipment was connected directly to the 100A cord, and caught fire in the night.
The company makes pneumatic accessories.
This engineer has a habit of taking all the covers off of a piece of equipment, panel, etc and haywiring up some cord, without regard to overcurrent or the open wiring shock hazards. The facilities manager has shut his department down in the past, until he removed some of his "wiring".
(See an earlier topic- "More Bad Things" in this pictures forum)
We got a call Wed. morn that the company had a small fire, and all the power (3000A 480/277V) to the building was off. When I got there, about 60,000 sq. ft. of the building was flooded (only 2 fire sprinklers had gone off, but had run all night due to a faulty valve).
Another guy (Roger) and I restored some lighting, connected some GFI protected temp power for the cleanup, and powered up the unflooded office and IT areas.
Here, they've got some of it mopped up.
[Linked Image]
They also had to move the entire contents of their warehouse outdoors.
[Linked Image]




[This message has been edited by electure (edited 03-12-2004).]

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,438
Member
Scott, this wouldn't be the same pneumatics factory that's kinda right off the 5 fwy would it... I think I know who you're talking about!!! [Linked Image] Did they can him finally???

-Randy

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Randy, let's go e-mail please
Randy and I know a lot of the same people,(hence [Roger]) and have worked in lots of the same places.
As this is a worldwide forum, I don't want it to get too "local".
THX.
And BTW, The Cord Guy, as of now, hasn't been fired...only time will tell.
This place has been written up for cord violations before.
As soon as they're cleaned up and approved, the Rats go back to work.

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,438
Member
Scott....
If you're actually going to attempt to bring that place to code... Let me know, I'm going to invest my life savings in the KO seal & 4/5S blank markets [Linked Image] [Linked Image] [Linked Image]

-Randy

Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,691
S
Member
I'm just amazed that a supposed "engineer" doesn't even know how to wire a simple plug properly!!!

Seriously....how hard can it be to do so?

Just out of curiosity...what are the configurations of the plugs and were these all extension cords? I notice some of them were connected directly to machinery? [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 03-13-2004).]

Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 794
Likes: 3
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Member
I'm an engineer (but not the one who built this) and I've seen lots of prototype and R&D setups. Usually not too well wired. He probably didn't think much about it when he connected the low amperage loads directly to the 100A source. May have thought that he was avoiding extra extension cords running to outlets elsewhere in the room. I probably would have used one of those outlet strips that come with its own mini-circuit breaker (15A) and cut the plug off and connect it to the 100A source (but keep the 14 gauge wire short so it can take out the 100A breaker if it shorts). This would likely still not be satisfactory, but would have avoided this fire. Do they make circuit breaker panels suitable for portable use? Something you can feed with a heavy 100A portable cord with the proper connector/clamp on the panel? Then you could have your own protected branch circuits.

Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 1
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wa2ise

Yes, portable panels do exist. A big pin and sleeve connector goes in and smaller pin and sleeve connectors and ordinary outlets come out. It also contains a few breakers and often a GFCI. I don't know if these are sold in the US, but they are common in some countries on construction sites and in other places were you need something temporary that is bigger and better than ordinary 'household' extension cords. Like this small one here

I'm confident that some people can make a disaster out of them too [Linked Image]

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