Nice Quiet Sunday....NOT!

Status
Not open for further replies.
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Nothing like a rainy Sunday at home on the couch. Then the phone rings. POCO at house, no power, meter socket bad they tell me. Grab some stuff from the garage and head out.

DSC00595.JPG


Of course they fail to tell me it's a meter disco combo. Note the blowout in the breaker.

DSC00596.JPG


Go inside to look for trouble, trouble I find. SER running 50+ feet into the basement. Found this damage about 40' in. Looks like it was damaged when installed 15 years or so ago. Years of water did a number on the AL. Water was dripping from inside the sheath. Don't think that this caused the breaker blowout. No sign of a blowup here.

DSC00599.JPG


Panel was messy. Grounded and grounding conductors were not separated. Otherwise panel was fine.

DSC00601.JPG


Replaced entire service except for the panel. Bolted in some ground bars and separated neutrals and grounds. Good (enough) as new!

DSC00606.JPG
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
It looks like spider man worked that panel. What a mess. BTW- today is Tuesday. :D

Don't you hate those lazy days when you get interrupted to work. In the rain no less. That's why I don't answer the business phone after hours. :smile:
 
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Rewire said:
thats why I keep both 100A and 200A meters and disconnects and a 200A combo in stock.
Click to expand...

I keep some stuff handy. I never really did much emergency service. Was always too busy with contractors. The way things are now I'll do pretty much anything. With that in mind I'll be beefing up the materials on hand.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
electricmanscott said:
Nothing like a rainy Sunday at home on the couch. Then the phone rings. POCO at house, no power, meter socket bad they tell me. Grab some stuff from the garage and head out.

DSC00595.JPG


Of course they fail to tell me it's a meter disco combo. Note the blowout in the breaker.

DSC00596.JPG


Go inside to look for trouble, trouble I find. SER running 50+ feet into the basement. Found this damage about 40' in. Looks like it was damaged when installed 15 years or so ago.
Click to expand...

I would get rid of those pictures of the bad SER. When I see a blown out main on a rainy day it's always written up as a lightning strike that way I'm sure it's covered by their insurance. Some insurance companies won't cover faulty workmanship during contruction.

Those are good pictures and all the proof I would need. And it's even possible that lightning did strike, we will never know.
 
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
480sparky said:
I see only two staples for all that SCR, NM and flex.:wink:
Click to expand...

You didn't hear about the great staple shortage of '09? :wink:

That's the before picture. The new SE is clipped properly. The rest of the mess remains exactly as you see it.

You can see by just one picture that amount of mess there. the whole place is a disaster. Those extension cords go all over the basement. Freezer, dehumidifier, drop lights, sump pump, and on and on.
 
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
growler said:
I would get rid of those pictures of the bad SER. When I see a blown out main on a rainy day it's always written up as a lightning strike that way I'm sure it's covered by their insurance. Some insurance companies won't cover faulty workmanship during contruction.
Click to expand...

I got paid. :smile:

What they try to tell the insurance co is not my business or problem. If asked I will offer my opinion and it will be 100% honest.
 
L

LawnGuyLandSparky

Senior Member
If not lightning, I'd guess water infiltration. That MM looks semi-recessed, as though the siding was butted up to the service. That has a way of funnelling rainwater right into the MM. How does the service drop enter the pan? You're in Mass so I'd suspect it's miles of bare SER from the pan to the peak?
icon10.gif
 
iaov

iaov

Senior Member
Location
Rhinelander WI
I love calls like this. No screwing around with HO getting estimates. You tell em what its going to cost and do it. They're pretty happy to see ya and happier still that you are willing to get them up and running after hours.:smile:
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
electricmanscott said:
What they try to tell the insurance co is not my business or problem. If asked I will offer my opinion and it will be 100% honest.
Click to expand...


Glad to hear it, I have always admired honesty but I try to admire it from a distance. :D

Question: Did they also have a power surge, did all their electronic equipment get fried?

I noticed after reading again where you said you don't think it was the staple that caused the breaker blow out. I missed that on the first reading.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top