why. . won't. . .it. . .die????

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brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
I have a sodium light in the corner of my backyard that is owned by the poco. I hate this light, and everytime I see it, I say "Self, we're gonna take that bulb out tomorrow." This has been going on for quite sometime.

As TS Fay was passing through this weekend, I experienced multiple brownouts and power outages; actually got to see some nice fireworks from another poco's transformer that sits next to mine. The brownouts came in rapid succession and I thought it had finally killed this sodium lamp. It was slower and slower to come back on, and as of last night it had quit working.

Well tonight, its back on in all its orange glory. This happened last year when we got hit by major storms, and that time it was out for almost two weeks, then it mysteriously started working again.

Why???? What's making it quit working for a short period and then come back to life.



As for the brownouts, I want to have a discussion related to that, so look for that thread coming up soon.
 
Call in a trouble ticket that the light suddenly turned yellow, just for kicks. That might actually get you someplace if a sympathetic lineman gets dispatched on it.
 
i'm sure they'll take it down; i just don't get around to those type of phone calls during the day. just like i keep telling myself i'll get up there and do it myself.

i'm just wondering why it will quit working sometimes and then come back on a day or week later.

Call in a trouble ticket that the light suddenly turned yellow
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after the brownouts, it did actually look like a mercury lamp for the first 3-4 minutes it came back on. usually that only lasts for a few seconds.
 
Usually there is a thermal protector in the unit that causes this but I would think this would happen pretty often not just once. Otherwise perhaps it wasn't get full voltage to the unit.
 
brantmacga said:
Well tonight, its back on in all its orange glory. This happened last year when we got hit by major storms, and that time it was out for almost two weeks, then it mysteriously started working again.

Why???? What's making it quit working for a short period and then come back to life.
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Are you sure the POCO hasn't been coming out and replacing it when you weren't home?
 
brantmacga said:
Why???? What's making it quit working for a short period and then come back to life.
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I have several (3) simular out front 3/2 of the street goes dark - but I know that it is a bad resistive/burning splice in a UG box in front of my neighbors house. (How do I know you ask? They painted all the UG services on the street for other work and I followed them source to load.) I have called for months.... Nothing... Am I going to go fix it myself? - thought about it - but no....

In your situation you don't want the light - I want mine...

Short of getting destructive (12ga or sling-shot) or creative (as in going for what you know and killing it), have you thought of having it repaired and called to do so???? Not that you can expect much for low tax dollars going to maximized wage... But thats a different story...
 
Who is paying for the light ? Is it on private property or is it a " streetlight " that is being paid for by the local goverment ? POCO's don't just hang lights for the hell of it . If it's your nickel , just have it changed out or removed .
 
djohns6 said:
Who is paying for the light ? Is it on private property or is it a " streetlight " that is being paid for by the local goverment ? POCO's don't just hang lights for the hell of it . If it's your nickel , just have it changed out or removed .
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its not a streetlight; its in my backyard. Its mine. I assume poco installed it; its connected to the line side of the service.
 
brantmacga said:
its not a streetlight; its in my backyard. Its mine. I assume poco installed it; its connected to the line side of the service.
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But you may still be paying the bill. Not through your meter spinning a bit faster, but as a line item. That's the way city street lights are done. There's no meter on them, the POCO calculates the average power consumption, and figures the bill that way.
 
480sparky said:
But you may still be paying the bill. Not through your meter spinning a bit faster, but as a line item. That's the way city street lights are done. There's no meter on them, the POCO calculates the average power consumption, and figures the bill that way.
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yeh that's how they are on the bill for the farm shop; but i don't have it on my home bill. maybe i'm just not billed for it.
 
Check to see if you are being billed for the light if so, tell the POCO to remove it or at least remove it from your billing if they will not. This lack of revenue usually results in removal. Otherwise complain to the lighting district and petition them to have it removed.
 
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