# Moving 150kVA down a set of stairs, and the old one back up



## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

Suggestions? For the sake of argument let's say the stairs are concrete.


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## dawgs (Dec 1, 2007)

jza said:


> Suggestions? For the sake of argument let's say the stairs are concrete.


Get a quote from a rigging company. They may do it cheaper, faster, and safer then you can.


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## 3DDesign (Oct 25, 2014)

dawgs said:


> Get a quote from a rigging company. They may do it cheaper, faster, and safer then you can.


I agree. I use a local guy, he's less expensive and safer than using my crew.


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

Christ, really? Didn't think it was that big of a deal.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

You may never have encountered them, but there are trick hand trucks -- very robust -- able to climb and descend stairs. These are powered hand trucks. They are a rental item. You will have to call around to locate one, as they are the kind of gear used once in a decade.

You'll still need the crew as the load demands balancing.

BTW, all dry-type transformers have lifting lugs that are only accessible when the cover is removed. It constantly amazes me how many j-men don't know that.

150kV is a beast.

If you've never shifted a transformer down stairs -- get a veteran who has -- even a professional rigger.

%%%

*"Moving 150kVA down a set of stairs, and the old one back up"*

That is an interesting hypothetical.

I never thought of lowering and raising a transformer for the _exercise_.

Kinky.


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

The older I get the more optimistic I am.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

Last time we moved a 150, I got a quote from a rigging company. They wanted $3000 
So we laid some long 2x6s on the steps and used a chain fall to control the descent. Just let the base slide on the wood. No wheels or rollers.
Did the same when we hauled that sucker UP the next set of stairs. 
Took awhile with 4 guys but a lot cheaper than 3k:thumbup:
In this situation, the move was pretty straight forward. If there hadn't been an anchor for the chain fall, I would have hired the movers.


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

Client agreed to pay for heavy equipment movers, up and down.

It's only 800 pounds. I still think my crew could manage this.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

jza said:


> Client agreed to pay for heavy equipment movers, up and down.
> 
> It's only 800 pounds. I still think my crew could manage this.


Until the undersized or uninspected rigging you use fails or the chainfall comes unhooked and you do some property damage or injure one of your guys.. Then the rigging costs would be a lot cheaper...


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## LKeithR (Aug 9, 2015)

glen1971 said:


> Until the undersized or uninspected rigging you use fails or the chainfall comes unhooked and you do some property damage or injure one of your guys.. Then the rigging costs would be a lot cheaper...


But yeah....my guys can do it cheaper...


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

We wired up an Imax theater conversion to a Russian Circus show about a dozen years ago. I had to bring in a 115, but had no idea how to get it from where it was going to be unloaded to where it needed to be, up a whole lot of steps, and then down a two story drop to the under the stage area. 

Well, the circus boss says no problem. Took about 6 or 7 circus performers around twenty minutes to carry it and rope lower it without so much as a scratch to the spot it needed to go to. All human power, no machinery. I got a profound new respect for circus performers after that.


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## drewsserviceco (Aug 1, 2014)

Hard Siberian winters will make you tough.


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## IEC (Sep 20, 2015)

jza said:


> Client agreed to pay for heavy equipment movers, up and down.
> 
> It's only 800 pounds. I still think my crew could manage this.


Maybe. Maybe even probably. That was my attitude when I put my leg into 17 pieces and spent the next two years learning to walk again and continually breaking my toes from the osteoporosis. 

A friend of mine was standing on the top step of a 4' ladder. "It's only 4 feet. What can happen?" Three wrist surgeries and six months later, he's almost ready to return to work.

It usually isn't the big things in this trade that get us. Most of us know not to walk under the crane harness. It's the iffy "I'm pretty sure this one time" things that do the damage. 

I'm thankful you found a solution that didn't include some poor slob on the down slope of the XFR. Anything lets go and he's a bug on a windshield. Money isn't worth it. Good job, bro!


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

Call a safe mover. They move 1000 lb safes all day long, no problem.

The local safe mover around here has a dually pick-up truck, and believe me, he puts some serious safes in there. A x-former is probably a cake walk for him.


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## IEC (Sep 20, 2015)

Spark Master said:


> Call a safe mover. They move 1000 lb safes all day long, no problem.
> 
> The local safe mover around here has a dually pick-up truck, and believe me, he puts some serious safes in there. A x-former is probably a cake walk for him.


That's a GREAT idea! I wouldn't have thought of it.


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

IEC said:


> That's a GREAT idea! I wouldn't have thought of it.


And you're not dealing with a union rigger :thumbsup:


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

Spark Master said:


> Call a safe mover. They move 1000 lb safes all day long, no problem.
> 
> The local safe mover around here has a dually pick-up truck, and believe me, he puts some serious safes in there. A x-former is probably a cake walk for him.


Oh DAMN! I wish I had thought of that a LONG time ago! That's really thinking outside the box...:thumbup:


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## Bogart (Jul 20, 2015)

Personally I would mount the transformer on two 10ft lengths of double strut, Higher 12 temp out of work actors, dress them up in Roman slave garb and have them navigate the stairs like they are carrying a High ranking roman citizen.

But on a lighter note...Higher a rigging company, they will have all the tools you will need to get the job done correctly and if something goes wrong...You will be in the clear.


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