ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum Dairy shed earthing

Here is a couple of pictures I took in an elderly dairy shed here some months back.

The yellow wire you see, is actually a length of 3 core extension cord.

Some idiot has stripped back the Main earthing lead (with a blunt knife by the looks of it) and hooked up this abomination, using a split-bolt:



Here is the other end of this great idea, it "connects" to the metal framing of what is known as a milk cooler, these don't need earthing at all and I have no idea why this was necessary in the first place!:



Mike.

The use of a split bolt makes me think someone who knew how to do it correctly didn't. The expanding foam spewing out of the ducting is interesting. I also think an elbow would have been more appropriate instead of a straight joiner for the poly pipe.

Farm workers seem to pick up all sorts of "skills" from Line workers, electricians, plumbers and God knows who else when they do work on farms, just by watching us.

However, the result is often just like the above.
At least with a bad pipe joint, you'll only get wet.
I just hope that the other end of the Earthing Lead (electrode end) never gets cut, this place is continuously wet inside, due to many, many plumbing leaks/repairs.

Split bolts are used on the electric fences here where the energiser connects to the fence, adjacent to any farm building that has power connected to it.

The reasoning behind the foam in the ducting is to keep the mice and rats out, dairy sheds here have grain feeders that feed the cows during milking (as well as a bit of molasses, as a "treat"), these things aren't 100% accurate in their aim so you end up with mice and rats for miles.
A few cats around the place could put that fire out.

If anyone else has worries about how many cables are packed into that ducting, as in Space Factor, I looked up at it and thought "Crikey!".
The same thing could have been done with 80-100mm PVC conduit and all be sealed, especially around that Steel joist, what is there at the moment is 50 x 50mm ducting.
Sad.