# Testing 600 volt wire on wooden reels



## Nom Deplume (Jul 21, 2013)

Why would you even consider using this wire?
I would contact my supplier and return it and tell them to reship.


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

We need a way to determine that the wire is damaged before we set up for the wire pull. With the damage 4 or 5 raps in there is no way of telling the wire is damaged until it is too late. If we see the damage in the first rap we will not use the wire.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I've never tried it, so I can't say whether it would work. For what it's worth have used that method to find a fault inside PVC where there wasn't a hard ground path.


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

We had some 15KV wire how up on a job site that was damaged a on some inner wraps. We backcharged the supplier for the time to pull it in and back out.


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

In another life, I worked in the QC dept at a wire manufacturer.

The water needs to get in between all the wire, just wetting is not a good test.

Dirt and other elements can create a path back to gound.

Wetting the reel is not exactly a full reel test. It will pick up the fault if it exists but only 
reflect what got wet and in most cases will not affect the inner winding inside the reel.

To truely test a complete reel you need to soak it in water for 24 hours, 
and yes we did this. This is usually done on MV cable, which has a outer jack,
a wrapped ground, a inner isolation material of approx. .1/4", then the wire.

When you load it up, just be ready for the shot gun sound if 
when it does fault.


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

Thanks CADPoint. I had thought about immersion but we do not have a tank that size on a moments notice.

THANKS AGAIN LC


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## j johnson (Jul 20, 2009)

test it with a high pot


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## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> Thanks CADPoint. I had thought about immersion but we do not have a tank that size on a moments notice.
> 
> THANKS AGAIN LC


So did you get acceptable readings with your method?

What did the manufacturer say was acceptable?

If the readings were considered low, as others have indicated, they will only get worse, if/when the wire ages or get fully immersed.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

I agree with Nom Deplume. I can understand not wanting to find bad wire 3-4 wraps into a wire reel. But why are you wanting to spend YOUR TIME AND MONEY doing the testing when you ordered NEW wire from your supply house? Are they going to reimburse you?

I have no doubt if we had this issue, my boss could call any one of the supply houses we order from and they would be scrambling to correct this screwup. A good supply house would realize it isn't worth the loss of your business over a few damaged cuts of wire.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

...send all wire back to supply house and find a new supplier and wire manufacturer


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## knowledge29 (Nov 6, 2010)

I ran into this very issue.called up supplier and with some persistence and a threat of non payment they took the wire back and replaced it at no cost.


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