High Voltage splicing training

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DIRT27

DIRT27

Member
Location
Ca
I recently got my J-mans licence and was looking to get certified for high voltage splicing. There is some high voltage work around here but almost no splicers. I used to work for the POCO, but did mostly overhead. I had some exposure to underground but did not get much hands on splicing experience. I have a basic understanding and know all the safety and grouning prodcedures

I was wonder if there were any good schools where I could get certified? Our company has about 80 guys and the only guy that could do high voltage left the company about a year ago.
 
quogueelectric

quogueelectric

Senior Member
Location
new york
High voltage splicing

High voltage splicing

DIRT27 said:
I recently got my J-mans licence and was looking to get certified for high voltage splicing. There is some high voltage work around here but almost no splicers. I used to work for the POCO, but did mostly overhead. I had some exposure to underground but did not get much hands on splicing experience. I have a basic understanding and know all the safety and grouning prodcedures

I was wonder if there were any good schools where I could get certified? Our company has about 80 guys and the only guy that could do high voltage left the company about a year ago.
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The only place that I have ever seen classes are through the IBEW union hall the last class for lead wiping was in 1991 in my area of which I was in myself. There have been plastic splicing classes but there is nothing quite like a lead wipe where you pour 1000 *degree molten lead into your gloved hands and mold it like melted ice cream into the shape you desire as it cools to a mere 600 *degrees and the colors changing can tell you how hot the lead is it is freaky. Setting your partners blueprints on fire with the acetylene torch........priceless.
 
celtic

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Wouldn't Okonite , 3M, RayChem (Raytheon?)or one of the other manufactures of cable/terminations offer a class ...for a price.


Being "certified" is a different classification that being "qualified".
Certification will cost more than being qualified.
Certification implies (IMHO) that you are able to certify others who will teach classes on being a qualified spilcer, whereas qualified means you are trained to do perform the task(splice).
 
celtic

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
?In the two-and-a-half years that we've been working on this, we've talked to a lot of different groups ? from engineering to utilities ? and not one person has said, ?I don't know why you're doing this.? This is long overdue.?

The NCSCB will offer three separate certifications: the installation of medium-voltage, hand-taped splices and terminations, paper-insulated lead-covered cable (PILC), or lead certification.

Certification is still strictly voluntary but may soon become a de facto standard in the industry. ?One thing people will be assured of is that once they get somebody with this certification, that person will have at least demonstrated that they know what's involved in this type of work,? Anderson says.
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Voluntary Certification for Medium-Voltage Cable Splicers...from link above.

I am a "qualified" MV splicer..have been since 1989 ...took 2 seperate courses from 2 different employers ~ up to 25KV. I have worked "kit terminations" (typically what you would see in new work) and hand taped/lead splices.

I am "on the fence" with this certification....it's voluntary but NOT required: - Would this mean a person like myself would need to be re-certified (although I am ONLY "qaulified" as detailed previously)? Is there any "grandfathering"? (MY "CON" view)
- Establishing a nationwide minimum standard that can be accessed through some sort of database to enhance one's employability is a good thing(My "PRO" view)

Of course, these are just my opinions and are subject to change :D
 
zog

zog

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
Our splicers have all had this training. One advantage is Raychem offers a 10 year warantee on splices intalled by certified splicers. It also seperates you from the other non-certified guys.
 
quogueelectric

quogueelectric

Senior Member
Location
new york
Plastic kits

Plastic kits

Are fairly simple to follow the installation instructions.If you understand the basic principles of a stress cone and the stresses that high voltage puts on insulation a lot of this is common sence to a trained individual. Manhole safety procedures seem like a lot of overkill and to an untrained individual as I have said before you may get away with something 99 times without a problem but that 100th time you dont get lucky you and your partner are dead duck. Some of the gasses found in manholes bond with blood molecules much faster and easier than oxygen you may go unconcience in as short as 8 seconds and if it is the right gas you can kill your partner in annother 8 to 10 seconds. This is why you read or see evry couple of years on the news someone goes into a drywell or cesspool and drops dead and the next 2 people who go in to save them drop dead also. This gas has to be treated as you are going under water and you have to hold your breath in this environment. This is hardly an OSHA procedure but is the reality when untrained morons go dabbling into dangerous work they have no buisness doing. Sorry manhole procedures are one of my pet peeves. It doesnt have to be perfect for me but common sence goes a long way..I will throw a nice bone now for cutting cross link poly use mason line to cut the xlp if you pull the mason line back and forth it will cut through like butter and will not nick the aluminum conductor this is a bear to get off and little tricks to help make your job easier are great.
 
N

Nick

Senior Member
One thing about manufacturer training is their real focus is on their particular kit. The most important aspect of splicing and terminating MV cable is the cable prep and I don't feel they cover that aspect well enough are also just a couple hour demonstrations. (I believe you can go to 3M training and become 3M certified if you want to spend some time in Texas) I spent 44 weeks and 6 full Saturdays learning this art. Kind of hard to cover all that info and hands on practice in a few hour seminar.
To answer the OP... The IBEW is the only real comprehensive one I know of. You have to be a member and it is only offered at the large locals. It is too expensive to put on for the smaller locals with limited budgets.

BTW-
quogueelectric, the mason line trick works great on XLP but I would suggest only using white cotton line. Mason line, especially the colored stuff, can introduce contaminants.
 
D

dirtywater07

Member
Interesting

Interesting

as a 2nd year apprentice can I become certified in HV splicing or do you need to be a JM....I'm guessing u need to be a JM but I'm sure someone can tell me.....never hurts to have an up in your field....if some other things slow down :grin: Like right now for me
 
zog

zog

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
"I got all my high voltage splicing training as an electrician for the military, go sign up, they'll teach you."

And it is free!
 
E

ed humel

Member
Location
Ct
high voltage splicing

high voltage splicing

you all are hitting the nail right on the head, the most important part of splicing is cable prep, making sure there are no contaniment and sanding down the insulation to make sure there are no voids, i have been splicing for a little over 11 years full time, 18 + years total, my best learning experiance is from the field, and the gentleman in it.it was hard for someone 20yrs old to try to help so of the oldtimers, they were brutial. the best advise is call your local ulitity and find out when they do their recertification training and mabay they will let you attend(paying of course) a couple of classes, this is not cut out for everyone, you reallu don't have to worry about the lead issues any more except for pulling it out or doing a trifilicating joint, which is just following the directions. good luck
ed:cool:
 
S

SeanKelly

Member
Not sure if I am posting in the correct section here but I have been looking for training/certification to install primary and pad mount transformers in Wa state. I remember hearing you could go to the POCO and they had some classes but I can't find anything about it on the net. If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated
 
peter d

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
SeanKelly said:
I remember hearing you could go to the POCO and they had some classes but I can't find anything about it on the net. If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated
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There is not much to it. As EC's we frequently have to deal with this as we have to provide the primary and secondary conduits as well as the grounding and concrete pad. If you are talking about private installations and being responsible for the HV as well, the only real specialty would be the high voltage cable splicing, and as you have learned from this thread training is hard to come by.

The actual mounting and installation of the transformer itself is noting more than some PVC conduit, a concrete pad and some rigging. Most EC's will sub out the concrete pad, and the poco will rig the transformer. Grounding and stub-out are done to the utility spec depending on their brand/size of transformer.
 
G

groomsey

Member
training

training

Might look to the local union in your area. I am out of Austin and I know our local does a lot of high voltage work. As one guy said though, the on the job experience is the best way to learn. They may be able to help. Groomsey
 
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