# Thursday STV #1



## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Spot The Violations.

sitting home with no work is really cruddy. Went through some pics and thought I would share a few. These were all taken by me, at jobs I have worked on. The violations may or may not have been the reason I was there, yet I never miss an oppertunity to take a picture.

1:









2: Big blues on a 100A service drop









3:









4:









5:










~Matt


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

TOOL_5150 said:


> ...............
> 3:
> 
> 
> ...


 


No violation here. The wiremold is properly protected by that box in the bottom of the frame. :laughing:


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

I'm sitting home too. At least I have something to read.


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I do this all the time. The big blues are the most economical wire connector to give to the POCO. I am not there when they reconnect. Sometimes that can be over a year after I am done.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> I do this all the time. The big blues are the most economical wire connector to give to the POCO. I am not there when they reconnect. Sometimes that can be over a year after I am done.


A big blue is not rated for 2 #2 wires, and most likely a copper to aluminum connection - I would think you are putting yourself in a liability issue.

I would rather spend a couple bucks for mechanical splices, and tape em up, and be able to sleep at night.


~Matt


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

TOOL_5150 said:


> A big blue is not rated for 2 #2 wires, and most likely a copper to aluminum connection - I would think you are putting yourself in a liability issue.
> 
> I would rather spend a couple bucks for mechanical splices, and tape em up, and be able to sleep at night.
> 
> ...


I have no problem temping a new service to an old drop with big blues. The POCO will be along in a couple days and remove them and crimp the wervice up right. Big blues aren't rated for a pair of #2s, so I just cut some strands off until there's 3 or 4 left.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

the difference is, you said a few days - Knowshorts said "Sometimes that can be over a year after I am done."

~Matt


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

For "temporary" service drop connections,I use wire rope clips.About $.50.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I use to use old lugs and/or split bolts I had left over from other services changes.


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## Sparky480 (Aug 26, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> I do this all the time. The big blues are the most economical wire connector to give to the POCO. I am not there when they reconnect. Sometimes that can be over a year after I am done.


Make friends with the guys in the power company!! I always carry 2 sets of there connectors on the van. They love to come and see it done already and not have to get out of the truck


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

For temping it up you can't beat a few romex connectors. Cheap and secure.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

LOL are you guys serious!? Romex connectors? Wire rope clips? Around here you would get laughed at and called a hack if you did that crap. The smaller mechanical splices for 100A services cost $3. Thats a whopping 9 dollars, that I pass to the customer - to do it the right way.

~Matt


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> LOL are you guys serious!? Romex connectors? Wire rope clips? Around here you would get laughed at and called a hack if you did that crap. The smaller mechanical splices for 100A services cost $3. Thats a whopping 9 dollars, that I pass to the customer - to do it the right way.
> 
> ~Matt



No it's serious. Sure it has the makings of hack work, but only if you intend to leave it. It is no more hack than running romex willy-nilly for temp lighting. The POCO will be along in a few to make the right splice, no need to spend that $9. 

Well, I say this, but I have only done it twice, both cases were emergency situations. I'd never be allowed to reconnect a service under normal change-out conditions. The POCO would have a fit. May even call the police.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

InPhase277 said:


> No it's serious. Sure it has the makings of hack work, but only if you intend to leave it. It is no more hack than running romex willy-nilly for temp lighting. The POCO will be along in a few to make the right splice, no need to spend that $9.
> 
> Well, I say this, but I have only done it twice, both cases were emergency situations. I'd never be allowed to reconnect a service under normal change-out conditions. The POCO would have a fit. May even call the police.


Around here, there is a definate need for spending that $9, as I dont know how long its going to take POCO to crimp their splices on and seal the meter. No way in hell I would leave a customers house without everything done the proper way - Even if part of it is temporary.


~Matt


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> No way in hell I would leave a customers house with everything done the proper way - Even if part of it is temporary.
> 
> 
> ~Matt


:laughing: Yeah I can believe it!


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

InPhase277 said:


> :laughing: Yeah I can believe it!


Fixed. The edit reason was put there specially for you.


~Matt


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> Fixed. The edit reason was put there specially for you.
> 
> 
> ~Matt


:laughing::thumbup:. But I have read on other threads how you guys out west have to wait days sometimes for a reconnect? How can that be? I get same day service. Disconnected in the morning, reconnected in the afternoon.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

InPhase277 said:


> :laughing::thumbup:. But I have read on other threads how you guys out west have to wait days sometimes for a reconnect? How can that be? I get same day service. Disconnected in the morning, reconnected in the afternoon.


not that long ago - i was told I had to wait a month. no joke! :blink:

I just laughed and hung up. What else can you do at that point. For that customer I just put mechanical splices on and taped em up really good.

POCO is fast to take your money every month around here, but when you need them to do something for you - forget it.

~Matt


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

InPhase277 said:


> :laughing::thumbup:. But I have read on other threads how you guys out west have to wait days sometimes for a reconnect? How can that be? I get same day service. Disconnected in the morning, reconnected in the afternoon.


In residential services we don't wait. 

SDG&E or SCE hasn't disconnected a residential service for me in over 8 years. Then when you do see them, they are usually subs. I see the utility trucks every day, I just don't what they do all day long.

A few years back, got a call about overhead lines ripped out of riser due to 400 pound eucalyptus branch falling on them. Probably the only reason SDG&E was there and power was off was due to the fact the aerial was severly damaged.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

TOOL_5150 said:


> LOL are you guys serious!? Romex connectors? Wire rope clips? Around here you would get laughed at and called a hack if you did that crap. The smaller mechanical splices for 100A services cost $3. Thats a whopping 9 dollars, that I pass to the customer - to do it the right way.
> 
> ~Matt


Kennywood Park raised their price $2.00x4 people=$8.00.I still need a buck,not including the food cost increases.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

TOOL_5150 said:


> LOL are you guys serious!? Romex connectors? ...........


Don't laugh. It's been done.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

And look, whoever did that was so dang cheap he took the locknuts off as well. 

~Matt


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Don't laugh. It's been done.


That used to be the accepted way of doing temp splices till the POCO got there to do permanent taps. They _*wanted*_ it that wayfor job security. Now they give us the permanent tap connectors for free at the local POCO office. Even if I bought bug nuts, they would just cut them off and give to a buddy along the way.


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## jfwfmt (Jul 5, 2008)

*Nah, see 300.20 (B)*



TOOL_5150 said:


> And look, whoever did that was so dang cheap he took the locknuts off as well.
> 
> ~Matt


Not so he did that so that he would not have to cut a slot in the lock nut to let the induced current out.

/s/ Jim WIlliams


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

InPhase277 said:


> :laughing::thumbup:. But I have read on other threads how you guys out west have to wait days sometimes for a reconnect? How can that be? I get same day service. Disconnected in the morning, reconnected in the afternoon.


It all depends on the state/province, their regulations and the POCO running the show. 

On a similar note, around here all inspectors are electricians with a minimum of 7 years of licensed experience with certain other background requirements , I'm told that in some areas the guys inspecting electrical are just normal guys working for the AHJ, given a series of mini courses and 'BAMMO' they're qualified to inspect electrical. I can imagine the differences in what kind of stuff slips by in the two extremes.

From region to region the quality/promptness of service can be wildly different.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

These had been in place for about 15 years with no issues :jester:



















Home lost power to one leg and I was SURE that the problem would be in the connection.

Nope. Main breaker.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

220/221 said:


> These had been in place for about 15 years with no issues :jester:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 See them like that on alot service change outs.


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