Changing a service hot

[rtbain]

changing a service hot

changing a service hot

I work for a PoCo as a relay and control electrician. I have developed the habit of having someone check my work before energizing over my +30 years in the trade.

Nearing retirement I have obtained my contractor?s license to keep semi-busy and out of boss lady?s hair. As I move into residential work I was initially surprised at how often I found poor quality workmanship. Poor quality speaks of lack of respect for the safety of the customer.

In the area in which I perform work the PoCo performs the cutout and reconnect. I suppose it?s because of my previous work history that I like having a second set of eyes check my work before energizing.

In my view the premise of inspectors is to have an independent person evaluate the installation before energizing.

Yes it is always a pain, yes it costs time and money and yes I run into the odd inspector or lineman who seems to be having a bad hair day. Flawed though it may be the process is basically sound.

Regarding the lineman verses electrician wars; I have seen incompetence on both sides of that coin.

 

[hudsonvalleyelectrician]

We do our own dissconnect/reconnects HOT in NY

We do our own dissconnect/reconnects HOT in NY

Our local upstate utility Central Hudson, after many years of not letting us do them has recently allowed a select few contractors to do them themselves.
I have to carry extra general liability and extra lilability on the work truck and have to have taken a class to be on what they call the tap on list. Then and only then may I do my own taps. I do the entire service, get a 10 day waiver for the inspection and basically all the utility does after the inspector oks the work is come lock my new meter. My taps are the permanent taps. It is much differant than it used to be for me in Westchester County or even here in Dutchess County with temp meters hanging off walls and waiting for crews...no more waiting now for anyone....I do my entire upgrade without a hitch.

 

[arnettda]

How do you strip the hot conductors? How about splicing the split bolts? I have always needed two hands to do it.

 

[dreamsville]

Contractor required to make final tap hot with approved POCO connectors. I use insulated Burndy's myself. :smile:

POCO says they don't have time to come out just for you and turn the power off...:roll:...your responsibility.

 

[riggenbw]

Making hot connections is not unsafe if you know what you are doing. Also, the power company has the final say whether or not you are allowed to do this, at least in So Fla and Ga.

 

[zog]

Making hot connections is not unsafe if you know what you are doing.

No, thinking that it is safe because you "know what you are doing" is what makes it so unsafe. That and the high utility fault currents and long clearing times. (P.S. That equals high Ei's. or "big booms")

 

[daleuger]

How do you strip the hot conductors? How about splicing the split bolts? I have always needed two hands to do it.

Very very carefully

 

[kid_stevens]

Contractor required to make final tap hot with approved POCO connectors. I use insulated Burndy's myself. :smile:

POCO says they don't have time to come out just for you and turn the power off...:roll:...your responsibility.

I use insulated tools (allen wrenches, skinning knife) My assistant holds the wire then I strip and place insulated splices using the insulated Allen tools. Then we do the other wire and feed it into the splices. We do this with the meter removed so the power has no place to go. All cables are ohmed out to ground at infinity.

Then the process starts and as we work I repeatedly tell the helper all of the electrical accidents that have happened by not following the safety rules i have enforced since my Navy days.

 

[SPARKS40]

In my neck of the woods, the AHJ doesn't want temp hook-ups unless you are adequately insured (no problem there). I cut the drop myself at the house (fiberglass ladder, insulated tools, safety glasses, and class "0" gloves. POCO here (ComEd) can take up to 3 weekes to re-connect.

 

[Greg Swartz]

We do them Hot... all the time... every day...

Never had the POCO turn one off... except when they are changing the transformer to accomodate our bigger load!!!

Regional building department does not have ANY heartburn with it either.

They look at it hot!
Meter, riser or overhead, panel... everything HOT!

I'm not saying it's right... that's just the practice.
We also, pull the meter, wear gloves and safety glasses, and put 1 hand behind our back...

Then we close the meter base back up and keep the meter with us until the job is complete...

 

[Teaspoon]

We don't do the connections here. Run up the mast and 2 feet out of the Weather then PNM gets the job the rest of the way.

We don't do connections here either. I don't want to do the connections,
This is the linemans cup of tea not mine.
They are equipped for making these hot connections.
We are fortunate here most of the time on a change-out or up-grade
I notify the poco the day before and they are real good to clip loose and reconnect. as long as i have my permit bought,This way the Inspector has no problem.

 

[Ohmy]

We do them Hot... all the time... every day...

They look at it hot!
Meter, riser or overhead, panel... everything HOT!

Then we close the meter base back up and keep the meter with us until the job is complete...

In one of the suburban jurisdictions here, the inspectors won't inspect hot. We did one hot and the inspector called screaming and yelling that he could have killed himself.... So we had the POCO drop the line...then he goes out there and finals it with no power!?!? We did one in the same jurisdiction last month and same thing. He finalled the service with no power.

 

[growler]

In one of the suburban jurisdictions here, the inspectors won't inspect hot. We did one hot and the inspector called screaming and yelling that he could have killed himself....

If he does kill himself he gets the Darwin award so what's the big deal.

One can only wonder, what's he doing on an inspection that other inspectors don't do that's so dangerous. :-?:-?

 

[220/221]

In one of the suburban jurisdictions here, the inspectors won't inspect hot.

Same thing here in Tempe.

There was talk of Phoenix starting that for liability reasons but it seems pretty dumb.

 

[kid_stevens]

In one of the suburban jurisdictions here, the inspectors won't inspect hot. We did one hot and the inspector called screaming and yelling that he could have killed himself.... So we had the POCO drop the line...then he goes out there and finals it with no power!?!? We did one in the same jurisdiction last month and same thing. He finalled the service with no power.

Same here the final is with Meter out and they look at it from a distance. No meter until green tag.

House I am replacing load center on has a variance permit. I can't use AFI breakers as almost all neutrals are tied together. Inspector shook his head and went searching for the original permit for house. I get to do that meter hot as POCO will not touch meter until orange then green tag is given. So no tags get given but it does get logged in as a variance inspection.

 

[DavisIMI]

Here in East Tn you would get less for 1st degree murder than you would for messing with the poco side of the service. On a lesser note,"quogueelectric", I just noticed your signature and that is amazing. I could read that as fluent as anything else. Crazy what the mind can comprehend. I can read that but can't spell worth a lick. Wait maybe that makes sense now.

 

[Ohmy]

If he does kill himself he gets the Darwin award so what's the big deal.

One can only wonder, what's he doing on an inspection that other inspectors don't do that's so dangerous. :-?:-?

Seriously, if you can't take a cover off a hot meter/main without putting yourself in danger there is an issue.....

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Seriously, if you can't take a cover off a hot meter/main without putting yourself in danger there is an issue.....

Actually you can't. You have no idea what type of "trap" may have been left under the cover by the previous worker. Many of the arc flash incidents involve things left loose or tools left inside the enclosure that fall into the live parts as you remove the cover.

 

[Ohmy]

Actually you can't. You have no idea what type of "trap" may have been left under the cover by the previous worker. Many of the arc flash incidents involve things left loose or tools left inside the enclosure that fall into the live parts as you remove the cover.

Sure there is some danger, but I think the inspector probably was in more danger on the ride over than opening the cover.

 

[growler]

Actually you can't. You have no idea what type of "trap" may have been left under the cover by the previous worker. Many of the arc flash incidents involve things left loose or tools left inside the enclosure that fall into the live parts as you remove the cover.

I guess you are right I did get stung by a lot of wasp last year removing a meter cover. I did really wish that I had let the power company guys open that one. :grin:

No kidding folks they got me about five times before I could get away from it and get the bug spray. Be careful out there. :grin: