Cutting pvc pipe without removing wires

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480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
There ain't a (small) fuse if you hit those lines. Caution (safety, safety, safety) is called for.


Sure there is! It's called the service entrance conductor......... short it out long enough and it becomes a 'fusible link'! :D


Actually, I like to say, "There's nothing between you and Hoover Dam."
 

e57

Senior Member
Sure there is! It's called the service entrance conductor......... short it out long enough and it becomes a 'fusible link'! :D


Actually, I like to say, "There's nothing between you and Hoover Dam."
And you (if you're the dope cutting the SEC) may be purchasing all of the equipment damaged, and possibly other litigious damages and fines from the POCO or AHJ. I like to say - The "fuse" might be a 30KVA transformer, $10K fine and your neighbors house, maybe your own too - or all of the above.

A while back (decade) a GC here decided to move a service by taking it off the wall and shifting it over - the mast snapped, shorted, as the lines melted together they eventually fell onto the neighbors front steps - igniting them into a small fire - which the fire dept promtly put out, and used pick axes to make sure they were out. The neutral must have been the first to go - since every electrical device in the house he intially did this to let the smoke out - and along with most of the neighbors - every house on that transformer. When I got there - to put the new service back on the original building people were still finding things to add to the tally... Cars with molten plastic and metal dripped on them from above - appliances, TV's and the POCO decided the transformer was damaged in this and needed to be replaced. That GC got to pay for all of it... No one wants to be that guy.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
And you (if you're the dope cutting the SEC) may be purchasing all of the equipment damaged, and possibly other litigious damages and fines from the POCO or AHJ. I like to say - The "fuse" might be a 30KVA transformer, $10K fine and your neighbors house, maybe your own too - or all of the above.

A while back (decade) a GC here decided to move a service by taking it off the wall and shifting it over - the mast snapped, shorted, as the lines melted together they eventually fell onto the neighbors front steps - igniting them into a small fire - which the fire dept promtly put out, and used pick axes to make sure they were out. The neutral must have been the first to go - since every electrical device in the house he intially did this to let the smoke out - and along with most of the neighbors - every house on that transformer. When I got there - to put the new service back on the original building people were still finding things to add to the tally... Cars with molten plastic and metal dripped on them from above - appliances, TV's and the POCO decided the transformer was damaged in this and needed to be replaced. That GC got to pay for all of it... No one wants to be that guy.


But, the power was still turned off, wasn't it?
retard.gif
Mission acomplished, then. :D
 

Jake49

New member
Location
Scranton, SC
There is a tool made to accomplish this. I used one on a project about 2 months ago. It is called a conduit splitter (What other name would it be called) and I borrowed it from the Directional Boring Contractor. It looks and acts more or less like a can opener and the depth can be set where you don't have to worry about cutting the wires. After cutting around the conduit you can cut up the side and be able to remove the conduit from around the wires. I still haven't found out where to purchase one and the Boring guy did not remember where he got it but I know it's out there cause I used one and if you can find it please let me know from where.

Thanks,
Jake49
 

N844AA

Member
Location
Los Angeles
Wow all these fancy tricks and all this time I was just really careful with a hacksaw.:)

Is that one of those things that hold a saw blade in a frame with a wooden handle? It's manual, right? You have to manually push it back and forth? Kinda like a Sawzall but it's somehow powered by the muscles in your arm?
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Is that one of those things that hold a saw blade in a frame with a wooden handle? It's manual, right? You have to manually push it back and forth? Kinda like a Sawzall but it's somehow powered by the muscles in your arm?


I've heard of those things. Don't recall seeing one, though. :D
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Is that one of those things that hold a saw blade in a frame with a wooden handle? It's manual, right? You have to manually push it back and forth? Kinda like a Sawzall but it's somehow powered by the muscles in your arm?

I've heard of those things. Don't recall seeing one, though. :D

You young kids an all your fancy tools. Bet you never had to use a yankee either.

When I was a kid we didn't even have electricity, we had to drill out the studs with a sharp rock.:D
 

Den

Member
Location
Southern Iowa
I have used a heat gun to soften the pipe and then its easy to pull out a chunk and see the wires to protect them to finish cutting the pipe
 

mivey

Senior Member
You young kids an all your fancy tools. Bet you never had to use a yankee either.

When I was a kid we didn't even have electricity, we had to drill out the studs with a sharp rock.:D
Around here, only the spoiled kids had sharp rocks.
 

Den

Member
Location
Southern Iowa
I've got a yankee. Havn't used it for years because I had to order bits. I seen our local Menards has them new with quicktach 1/4 bit holder. I might have to upgrade.
 
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