Wires or weeds?

[daleuger]

Had 3 floodlights on a photocell tripping the breaker. Found this little gem a pvc j-box posing as an "underground j-box". Perhaps the fact most of the lid is long gone and it's full of dirt and growing grass inside has something to do with it? The breaker magically held once I broke apart all the joints stripped out fresh wire and put on new wire nuts. Imagine that.

Also whoever hooked up the photocell RIGGED it in such a way that it only breaks one phase of the 208. I got to learn that one the hard way. Word for the wise. ALWAYS use your meter, kids.

Tomorrow morning I get to dig that out and put in a proper j-box:roll:

View attachment 3696

 

[iMuse97]

Had 3 floodlights on a photocell tripping the breaker. Found this little gem a pvc j-box posing as an "underground j-box". Perhaps the fact most of the lid is long gone and it's full of dirt and growing grass inside has something to do with it? The breaker magically held once I broke apart all the joints stripped out fresh wire and put on new wire nuts. Imagine that.

Also whoever hooked up the photocell RIGGED it in such a way that it only breaks one phase of the 208. I got to learn that one the hard way. Word for the wise. ALWAYS use your meter, kids.

Tomorrow morning I get to dig that out and put in a proper j-box:roll:

View attachment 3696

Why would that photocell need to break both hots? Was it doubling as a disconnect? And thanks for the photo. Glad your OK! Are your linesman's OK, too?

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Had 3 floodlights on a photocell tripping the breaker. Found this little gem a pvc j-box posing as an "underground j-box". Perhaps the fact most of the lid is long gone and it's full of dirt and growing grass inside has something to do with it? The breaker magically held once I broke apart all the joints stripped out fresh wire and put on new wire nuts. Imagine that.

Also whoever hooked up the photocell RIGGED it in such a way that it only breaks one phase of the 208. I got to learn that one the hard way. Word for the wise. ALWAYS use your meter, kids.

Tomorrow morning I get to dig that out and put in a proper j-box:roll:

View attachment 3696

RIGGED????? that's a perfectly standard way of doing it.

 

[Cow]

Also whoever hooked up the photocell RIGGED it in such a way that it only breaks one phase of the 208.

So what kind of photocells do you use that break both hots?

 

[daleuger]

Why would that photocell need to break both hots? Was it doubling as a disconnect? And thanks for the photo. Glad your OK! Are your linesman's OK, too?

My lineman's are wonderful. :grin: I got hit touching only the wire nut capping off a hot wire. #6 running a couple hundred feet spliced to a #10....one would assume the 6 was the hot one, no? They both were as I learned when the 10 caught me in the back of the hand.

I got this call pretty late in the day, it's in addition to a T and M job I'm already working on.That's the initial theory. It wasn't paramount to have this up and running tonight and I don't have the underground box yet so I didn't look into it much more deeply than the j-box.

The photocell is nippled to an outdoor panel and I've not yet taken off the dead front to see what's going on there. Going back to sort it all out in the morning when I have the box and can take care of all of it in one shot.

 

[daleuger]

So what kind of photocells do you use that break both hots?

......brain fart:roll:

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Is that the new camoflage box they sell at the sporting goods stores?

 

[220/221]

RIGGED????? that's a perfectly standard way of doing it.

True but in my opinion it shouldn't be allowed.


This is one of those "even though it's legal doesn't mean it's safe" things.

They make us break both legs in a mechanical switch, why not in a control switch? It wouldn't be that hard to put a second set of contacts in there.


But still.......use your tester Dingus.

 

[480sparky]

..............They make us break both legs in a mechanical switch, why not in a control switch? It wouldn't be that hard to put a second set of contacts in there............

That's the difference between a disconnect and a controller. A disconnect is intended to disconnect all sources of energy. A controller only needs to disconnect enough sources to produce the desired action.

 

[iMuse97]

My lineman's are wonderful. :grin: I got hit touching only the wire nut capping off a hot wire. #6 running a couple hundred feet spliced to a #10....one would assume the 6 was the hot one, no? They both were as I learned when the 10 caught me in the back of the hand.

I got this call pretty late in the day, it's in addition to a T and M job I'm already working on.That's the initial theory. It wasn't paramount to have this up and running tonight and I don't have the underground box yet so I didn't look into it much more deeply than the j-box.

The photocell is nippled to an outdoor panel and I've not yet taken off the dead front to see what's going on there. Going back to sort it all out in the morning when I have the box and can take care of all of it in one shot.

We want to see the inside of the panel tomorrow if it's got any fun stuff in it.

 

[daleuger]

We want to see the inside of the panel tomorrow if it's got any fun stuff in it.

Still have not been back to this particular item. Quasite box is on back order. Go figure. :roll:

 

[daleuger]

Well there's that :grin:
View attachment 3801 View attachment 3800

 

[Charlie Bob]

and sometimes you think you've seen it all

 

[hurk27]

Well there's that :grin:
View attachment 3801 View attachment 3800

Any time I do underground splices, I use the Ideal, DB-twisters, they have grease in them, and will resists any water or moisture that might get into the box or conduit. and I don't care how good you glue your PVC pipes it will get in.

 

[daleuger]

If you see the original picture it was just flat out full of dirt and mud that had washed in, and had no cover. I suspect a mower or bush hog had something to do with that. I would use underground splices if say it were UF cable or something along those lines. My opinion these hots were just going straight to ground at well.....the ground. I get what you're saying though. In hindsight a little duct seal in the conduits probably wouldn't have hurt anything.

They have a few more of these boxes around that park but they've been saved by the fact they're in mulch and not grass. However, sadly I got laid off today because we've pretty much run out of work so it won't be mine to reason why.

 

[hurk27]

If you see the original picture it was just flat out full of dirt and mud that had washed in, and had no cover. I suspect a mower or bush hog had something to do with that. I would use underground splices if say it were UF cable or something along those lines. My opinion these hots were just going straight to ground at well.....the ground. I get what you're saying though. In hindsight a little duct seal in the conduits probably wouldn't have hurt anything.

They have a few more of these boxes around that park but they've been saved by the fact they're in mulch and not grass. However, sadly I got laid off today because we've pretty much run out of work so it won't be mine to reason why.

Sorry to hear that, I hope it will get better, it's been hard here too, and no over time in a while, but I'm high on the ladder, so I been kept busy but doing many jobs that I don't normaly do. but I'm not complaining.