Linemen Vs Crazy Generator Hookups…..

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

I’ve seen some nutty generator hacks, like back feeding receptacles, there’s even a company selling an “adapter” to hook up to your dryer receptacle.

My line work experience is very limited, we re-wired a company town when I was an apprentice, and a little private stuff at some mills and whatnot, so I’m far from a line man.

We had what I believe was called a ground clamp that would go on the phase lines and then to ground, on the line side of where we were working.

Are linemen installing these on line and load side of where they are working, or is there some other method they use to protect themselves from stupid homeowners?

 

[norcal]

Like using suicide cords?

 

[ramsy]

When traveling with IBEW linemen there was an occasional disconnect handle found on some poles. Hopefully, those can break off the line on either side of the crew, before latching both sides on again. When lineman work in crowded distributions without pole disconnects to isolate from DIY home owner, I've seen them take the lines down on both sides of the work. Rather than bond the lines & blow up stupid DIY's with a back-fed ground fault, they break & reconnect the lines without as many surprises.

Unfortunately when working storm duty, lightning strikes with potentially millions of volts can hit several miles away, go thru the grounding, around the disconnect, and back up the pole again.

Inside wiring travelers are groundmen that support the lineman by digging 10-foot holes for the power poles, thru rock using jack-hammers & mud using pumps, but apparently when lighting visits there can be a lethal step potential several feet away from the pole.

The best use for inside wiremen may be as canary in the coal mine, for linemen to watch them from above, to see if their still standing.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I’ve seen some nutty generator hacks, like back feeding receptacles, there’s even a company selling an “adapter” to hook up to your dryer receptacle.

My line work experience is very limited, we re-wired a company town when I was an apprentice, and a little private stuff at some mills and whatnot, so I’m far from a line man.

We had what I believe was called a ground clamp that would go on the phase lines and then to ground, on the line side of where we were working.

Are linemen installing these on line and load side of where they are working, or is there some other method they use to protect themselves from stupid homeowners?

Yes. It’s an OSHA requirement, and one that will probably get you fired from most places around the country if the rules for installing them are ignored. Search for “temporary grounding” or “personal protective grounds” there are many images and lots of information on them.

Personal Grounds | Grounding Sets | J Harlen Co

Shop 22 products in Personal Protective Grounds from $319.90 to $2,151.90; Brands: Hastings Fiberglass, Salisbury, Warren Heim; Page: 1 of 2

www.jharlen.com

 

[infinity]

Are linemen installing these on line and load side of where they are working, or is there some other method they use to protect themselves from stupid homeowners?

I know that there is a theoretical possibility that a portable generator can back feed the grid but does this really happen very often in the real world? My 8KW generator would probably power the grid for about 2 seconds before the generator breaker would trip. I guess that even 2 seconds is long enough for a lineman to possibly get injured.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I know that there is a theoretical possibility that a portable generator can back feed the grid but does this really happen very often in the real world? My 8KW generator would probably power the grid for about 2 seconds before the generator breaker would trip. I guess that even 2 seconds is long enough for a lineman to possibly get injured.

Happens more than you would believe…
although realistically you’re correct. kW is kW.. a generator backfeeding a line with a couple of transformers on would trip the breaker due to loading.
However, a long tap that is torn down without another transformer can be energized, even if it’s down. I have witnessed live lines laying suspended in trees, weeds holding the line up, etc. if these are energized they can kill something before the generator breaker trips.

Had a pole broke about a half mile in the woods about 25 years ago.. Hot line was still separated from the neutral and off the ground about 8” When I got there the owner was very upset because apparently his dog was sniffing around and killed once his nose hit the line.
I hated it for him, but hey.. it was his generator that did it.
Ive also shared here before noticing a generator connected wrong on a mobile home and throwing a fuse in on the line. Fried the generator circuit boards. It shut off immediately and to my knowledge never ran again. The HO tried to send us a bill for a new one..

 

[drcampbell]

I know that there is a theoretical possibility that a portable generator can back feed the grid but does this really happen very often in the real world? My 8KW generator would probably power the grid for about 2 seconds before the generator breaker would trip. I guess that even 2 seconds is long enough for a lineman to possibly get injured.

If the line fault leaves only a few customers connected and it's not a hot summer afternoon, 8kW could power up more houses than you might guess.

There are generators out there that don't have any fuses or breakers, but rely on the engine's inability to turn the generator when overloaded. With a 30:1 step up transformer on the pole, you'd need only 3 volts on the "primary" winding (indistinguishable from dead) to put an outdoor electrician at risk.

At the risk of sounding like an engineer, what's the worst that could happen?
We're talking about interrupting somebody's cardiac rhythm, not a nuisance trip. When the stakes are this high, it doesn't matter if it happens only one time in a million.

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

Yes. It’s an OSHA requirement, and one that will probably get you fired from most places around the country if the rules for installing them are ignored. Search for “temporary grounding” or “personal protective grounds” there are many images and lots of information on them.

Personal Grounds | Grounding Sets | J Harlen Co

Shop 22 products in Personal Protective Grounds from $319.90 to $2,151.90; Brands: Hastings Fiberglass, Salisbury, Warren Heim; Page: 1 of 2

www.jharlen.com

Yeah those are what we used.

One place we worked, a pulpmill generated its own power and power for an entire town.

We put the clamps on between the power plant and the town where we we working.

If I was a lineman right now, with all the morons internet DIYing everyrhimg, I’d want protection on both ends.


And yes, I was talking about suicide cords. There is even a company selling them.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

And yes, I was talking about suicide cords. There is even a company selling them.

Lots of them for sale on Ebay, FB Marketplace, etc.

 

[goldstar]

I guess that even 2 seconds is long enough for a lineman to possibly get injured.

You bet it is. I've seen linemen take the necessary precautions when working on power lines (like the jumper clips shown) while that section of the power grid is shut down. Also, don't forget, the pole xfmr is a step-down xfmr (i.e. 12KV - 120/240V). Applying 120/240V on the secondary side of thge xfmr from an improperly connected generator will act in reverse and power up the primary line through the xfmr, maybe not for too long but it's enough to get a lineman whacked !!!