Reason for increase in my POCO bill

[mivey]

The trick is soil treatment with common salt reducing soil resistivity, but at the risk of corroding the electrode.

That would reduce resistivity in the vicinity but you need a larger area than that in most cases to be able to use the soil as a conductor.

Do you have more detail? Are all rods everywhere treated? What is the typical rod density? What type soil?

 

[Besoeker]

The trick is soil treatment with common salt reducing soil resistivity, but at the risk of corroding the electrode.

OK. How does that explain your exorbitant bill for a 24 hour fault?

 

[LarryFine]

OK. How does that explain your exorbitant bill for a 24 hour fault?

Consider my last post.

 

[mbrooke]

The clamp-on method could be mis-leading with other hidden electrodes involved.

The treated rod would still need some low resistivity soil to get that low.

I fully agree. My honest opinion is that rod isn't 1 ohm- there are other rods or pipes going back to the source.

 

[peter d]

If only the NEC would give up its obsession with connecting electrical systems to dirt. We would all be better off for it.

 

[mbrooke]

If only the NEC would give up its obsession with connecting electrical systems to dirt. We would all be better off for it.

Substantial business would be lost.

 

[peter d]

Substantial business would be lost.

Not only that, the electrical community in the USA has been so brainwashed with this voodoo for so long that they would never accept needed, radical changes to the NEC with respect to grounding and bonding.

 

[mbrooke]

Not only that, the electrical community in the USA has been so brainwashed with this voodoo for so long that they would never accept needed, radical changes to the NEC with respect to grounding and bonding.

It would require certain code making panel members to admit they may have been mistaken about the purpose of grounding all along. I remember Mike hinted at it. The only reason the OP has a rod is, wait for it: his system actually uses the earth to clear faults.

 

[Sahib]

Sahib, can you take pictures of this instillation and the ground rod in question? I have a feeling that when you grounded the neutral, it was not just the rod that was involved in returning power to the POCO.

Sure but how to transfer photo from my android to here?

 

[Sahib]

It would require certain code making panel members to admit they may have been mistaken about the purpose of grounding all along. I remember Mike hinted at it. The only reason the OP has a rod is, wait for it: his system actually uses the earth to clear faults.

TT system really depends on ground resistance to clear fault. You may say use GFCI. But even GFCI would not operate to clear a ground fault if ground resistance is above a minimum value. Then you would say use our system ie TN system. But I would counter all grounding systems TT, TN etc are equivalent with respect to safety. But hold on are we going off topic?

 

[Sahib]

Consider my last post.

Excellent insight. I will add to my checklist during my official inspection of other sites for avoidable expenditure.

 

[mbrooke]

Sure but how to transfer photo from my android to here?

The way I do it is be plugging in my usb charger cord into the computer, accessing the right file (usually DSCN), save to computer and then upload to this site. Or to photo bucket and then link here.

TT system really depends on ground resistance to clear fault. You may say use GFCI. But even GFCI would not operate to clear a ground fault if ground resistance is above a minimum value. Then you would say use our system ie TN system. But I would counter all grounding systems TT, TN etc are equivalent with respect to safety. But hold on are we going off topic?

If you can keep a stable 100ohms or something like that I see no problem with TT. Just make sure you have a delayed trip RCD main in conjunction with the branch RCDs

 

[Sahib]

OK. Let's assume for the moment that you one ohm or less is correct, how exactly would that increase your energy consumption?

Can't any poor joints in the ground resistance path increase power consumption due to on off cycling of refrigerator compressor?

 

[Sahib]

The way I do it is be plugging in my usb charger cord into the computer, accessing the right file (usually DSCN), save to computer and then upload to this site. Or to photo bucket and then link here.
Thanks. I wonder whither direct transfer from Android to here possible.




If you can keep a stable 100ohms or something like that I see no problem with TT.

With just OCPD's and without RCD's, that could cause big problem. But many, many installations with just OCPD's, no RCD's exist here. Those, therefore, require low ground resistance for safety.

 

[mbrooke]

With just OCPD's and without RCD's, that could cause big problem. But many, many installations with just OCPD's, no RCD's exist here. Those, therefore, require low ground resistance for safety.

No RCDs need a TN system. Even if a rod tests less than 1 ohm, it can go over 1 ohm as time goes on. Maybe I said more than I should, but my point was that if you have a TT system its a good idea to have 2 RCDs if one fails. But thats going beyond this thread.

My and Mivey's theory is that its not likely the rod is 1ohm, but rather your grounding system has other paths back to the POCO neutral like water lines.

 

[Craigv]

Without the details, I could see it if the hot conductor was earthed past the meter without being "hard-wired" to the grounded conductor.

Yes, this was my thought as well...only the earth could possibly dissipate the enormous amount of power supposedly used in such a short time period. But I'm not certain that the meter and service would even handle it without visible damage.

@Sahib, what was the kWh usage for that billing period, and the normal bi-monthly usage? A quick calculation can show us how much current had to be passing through that service for 24 hours.