dave h
Member
- Location
- Bergen, New York
AFTER COUNTLESS HOURS / DAYS OF TRYING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, WE THOUGHT WE FINALLY HAD IT FIGURED OUT BECAUSE THE LIGHTING SYSTEM WORKED FLAWLESSLY FOR 5-6 WEEKS.
On a day with a soaking rain there was a soccer playoff game scheduled so the Superintendent of Grounds wanted to test the lighting to be sure there would be no problems. He turned the lights on with no problems then called us to let us know he was running the lights, I asked him to wait for us and let us cycle the lights because the problem only showed its ugly head at shut down. I happened to be away so I sent a well qualified electrician there to do the cycling of the lights. While shutting down the third of six contactors there was a massive explosion. The covers of six contactors blew off the enclosures, the panelboard cover bent outward, a 10x10 3R gutter blew its cover off and bent an inch outward, the nema 1 gutters inside blew open and my employee was hit in the arm with a contactor cover breaking his arm, he will be disabled for the rest of his life.
After a week a forensic electrical inspector was hired to find the problem. Without even being on site the first thing he said was "did you check for gas"!
No one has even suspected gas, but yes that was the problem. A undergroung gas pipe has failed and was seeping into the conduits, through the gutters and into the panels and contactors. When the contactors opened, a spark ignited the gas.
Please to all those out there chasing electrical problems, do overlook the possibility the the problem my not be electrical.
Dave H
On a day with a soaking rain there was a soccer playoff game scheduled so the Superintendent of Grounds wanted to test the lighting to be sure there would be no problems. He turned the lights on with no problems then called us to let us know he was running the lights, I asked him to wait for us and let us cycle the lights because the problem only showed its ugly head at shut down. I happened to be away so I sent a well qualified electrician there to do the cycling of the lights. While shutting down the third of six contactors there was a massive explosion. The covers of six contactors blew off the enclosures, the panelboard cover bent outward, a 10x10 3R gutter blew its cover off and bent an inch outward, the nema 1 gutters inside blew open and my employee was hit in the arm with a contactor cover breaking his arm, he will be disabled for the rest of his life.
After a week a forensic electrical inspector was hired to find the problem. Without even being on site the first thing he said was "did you check for gas"!
No one has even suspected gas, but yes that was the problem. A undergroung gas pipe has failed and was seeping into the conduits, through the gutters and into the panels and contactors. When the contactors opened, a spark ignited the gas.
Please to all those out there chasing electrical problems, do overlook the possibility the the problem my not be electrical.
Dave H