# Working in the rain



## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

I had a service call yesterday for a leg out in a single phase panel in a small warehouse. I found that all the other unit have full power and there is no power on the on line side of one leg of the main breaker which is in an exterior meter bank. Then the feeder goes underground to the panel inside the unit. My question is it's pouring rain, would you wait till the rain stops to take all the covers off and pull the meter and investigate this or would you wait for a break in the weather?

I am waiting, I don't want to kill myself for Christmas.


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## ohmega (Apr 19, 2010)

It rains all the time here. On past jobs I have set up tarps above the panels in some sort of a lean-too fashion. It works ok but not when the wind is blowing the rain sideways. :no:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I would wait for better weather.. something goes wrong and the first thing they will ask is.. "don't you know any better than to work with electric in the rain"?? :blink:

Being dead doesn't fix the problem any faster.. :thumbsup:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

It never rains here. I'd wait for a break in the weather. 

If it was some kind of emergency I'd set up some kind of shelter, put down a dry insulated surface on the ground, turn everything off, open it and dry it out, the reenergize to troubleshoot.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

With Dominion, no matter how much you beg and plead WILL NOT pull a meter in the rain. I decided to adopt the same policy. I would wait.


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

Who cares, you aren't working live anyways.


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

I just spent about 10 hours over the last two days watching our local POCO work 16kV live...a tree took down some powerlines Sunday evening around 6:30..one phase was live on the ground burning a hole into a concrete sidewalk...4 feet from a house! It took the POCO _*only 5 1/2 HOURS*_ to get there to cut the power off. 

Then they spent another five yesterday to replace a single line of one span of #6 copper. :jester:

After a 21 hour outage the customers had their power restored. :whistling2:

As to the OP's situation, I would not work on it in the rain. Unless there is a severe hazard to life (screw property, it can be replaced) I would not risk my butt on this. 

Finally, any work involving the meter base should be done by the POCO anyways.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

mxslick said:


> butt on this.
> 
> Finally, any work involving the meter base should be done by the POCO anyways.


Poco won't touch meter main combo's, there the owners responsabity, besides I told the customer to go ahead and try calling the poco last night, they were there within two hours and said there is 240 on the line side of the meter. So today It stopped raining and I just came from there. It seems there was a burnt lug coming out of the load side of the meter, that feeds the main breaker.


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## Jbird66 (Oct 26, 2010)

We have a couple of those pop up canopies. They sell them at HD for maybe $150.00 and they are nice for jobs like this. They set up in about 5 mins or so.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Jbird66 said:


> We have a couple of those pop up canopies. They sell them at HD for maybe $150.00 and they are nice for jobs like this. They set up in about 5 mins or so.


 

When pulling a meter ouside in the rain, the danger is not the rain falling, it's what you're standing on that makes it dangerous. Tarp doesn't help that.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

mcclary's electrical said:


> When pulling a meter ouside in the rain, the danger is not the rain falling, it's what you're staing on that makes it dangerous. Tarp doesn't help that.


Exactly, you never know whats going to happen when you pull the meter, rusted back of the panel, split bolts with no tape, anything is possible.


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

I think you already know the answer to this question,
As an experienced electricains we should all be setting
a good example in reguards to electrical safety.
Doesnt matter what you say !
What matters most is what you do !
If you have any concerns, dont do it !




Bkessler said:


> I had a service call yesterday for a leg out in a single phase panel in a small warehouse. I found that all the other unit have full power and there is no power on the on line side of one leg of the main breaker which is in an exterior meter bank. Then the feeder goes underground to the panel inside the unit. My question is it's pouring rain, would you wait till the rain stops to take all the covers off and pull the meter and investigate this or would you wait for a break in the weather?
> 
> I am waiting, I don't want to kill myself for Christmas.


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> I had a service call yesterday for a leg out in a single phase panel in a small warehouse. I found that all the other unit have full power and there is no power on the on line side of one leg of the main breaker which is in an exterior meter bank. Then the feeder goes underground to the panel inside the unit. My question is it's pouring rain, would you wait till the rain stops to take all the covers off and pull the meter and investigate this or would you wait for a break in the weather?
> 
> I am waiting, I don't want to kill myself for Christmas.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I try to wait for a break in the weather or I try to re-schedule for a clear day. The operative word being try, some days it doesn't happen and I end up working in the rain anyway.


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## Hivoltage98 (Dec 17, 2010)

Wait. If there's something wrong in the meter bank safety comes first. PPE should be worn and care should be taken. We opened a meter socket one time and BOOM!! The bus bar fell off the insulator and shorted to ground. Apparently the meter socket was defective (afterwards the homeowner told us about a few other houses catching fire from the bad meter sockets). But we didn't have PPE 15 years ago. Be safe and be the hero later.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Hivoltage98 said:


> Wait. If there's something wrong in the meter bank safety comes first. PPE should be worn and care should be taken. We opened a meter socket one time and BOOM!! The bus bar fell off the insulator and shorted to ground. Apparently the meter socket was defective (afterwards the homeowner told us about a few other houses catching fire from the bad meter sockets). But we didn't have PPE 15 years ago. Be safe and be the hero later.


 

That's right. Work safe, go home at night. Your family deserves that much.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

I would wait as well. I've reconnected and disconnected in the rain, but panels and meter sockets I would leave alone in a downpour. 

-Matt


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## Malaking_TT (Dec 17, 2010)

So why do you need to pull the meter just to investigate? Troubleshooting is much easier when stuff is hot.


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

Justin2366 said:


> So why do you need to pull the meter just to investigate? *Troubleshooting is much easier when stuff is hot.*


You're new here, aren't you? :whistling2:

Several reasons:

1: Against OSHA rules to work hot;
2: Rain, wet ground and electricity don't mix well;
3: Available fault currents are very high at the meter, and remember there is NO OCPD at all to stop any carnage. (The fuse(s) for the transformer are there ONLY to remove a faulted transformer from the system before it explodes, they will NOT blow in the event of a fault on the secondary.);
4: Pulling meters when wet is something even most POCO's won't do. 

I'm sure there are others who will expand on my list.

And in case you still don't get it, here's a video for you: 






That was a short in the meter can which escalated....despite what the stupid reporter said about a "transformer". (Media tends to call any electrical problem a "transformer fire." )


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Justin2366 said:


> So why do you need to pull the meter just to investigate? Troubleshooting is much easier when stuff is hot.


Because the problem was behind the meter.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Why risk it? You only have one life to live and dying from an electricution (sp?) is no way to go out.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

I was sent to troubleshoot a 480 volt motor and Motor control located outdoors, it was a heavy downpour and I would have to stand in 2" of water. I told the customer no way, they were pissed. No trash compactor for another day .... oh well.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

BBQ said:


> I was sent to troubleshoot a 480 volt motor and Motor control located outdoors, it was a heavy downpour and I would have to stand in 2" of water. I told the customer no way, they were pissed. No trash compactor for another day .... oh well.


_You_ would of been smoked low and slow.. so you are better dead as long as the trash gets compacted.. stupid people.. :no:


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## Malaking_TT (Dec 17, 2010)

mxslick said:


> You're new here, aren't you? :whistling2:
> 
> Several reasons:
> 
> ...


I don't care what OSHA says unless they are standing over my shoulder. I've pulled off many meters in the rain but if you want to get right down to it you should have the power company pull the meter for you. It is their meter after all.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Justin2366 said:


> I don't care what OSHA says unless they are standing over my shoulder.


You are bad ass. :laughing:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> Because the problem was behind the meter.


Well, thats a good reason. :laughing:


~Matt


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

Justin2366 said:


> I don't care what OSHA says unless they are standing over my shoulder.


With that attitude you would never work for me or on any jobsite I have ever been on...the GC's take OSHA rules very seriously here. You'd change your tune with the first fine you get hit with. 




Justin2366 said:


> *I've pulled off many meters in the rain* but if you want to get right down to it you should have the power company pull the meter for you. It is their meter after all.


You have? Wow. How many have you had that have blown up in your face? It will only take one to kill or blind you. I have had a meter blow up on me while pulling it (residential) and I an very lucky to have suffered nothing other than singed arm hair and ringing in my left ear. I don't pull meters for any reason anymore. 

Do as you will but I hope you have your life insurance paid up.


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## Malaking_TT (Dec 17, 2010)

BBQ said:


> You are bad ass. :laughing:


I just think every person should be able to judge for themselves what they can and can't do in certain situations. We don't need the government telling us every little thing that can hurt us. If people need to have their hand held for every instance that can occur then maybe they shouldn't be in the trade.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Justin2366 said:


> I just think every person should be able to judge for themselves what they can and can't do in certain situations. We don't need the government telling us every little thing that can hurt us. If people need to have their hand held for every instance that can occur then maybe they shouldn't be in the trade.


I agree you completely, so were both bad asses. But this is in heavy rain and I had to take the meter cover off as well, and there is always that scary 3/8" gap between the top jaw and the metal front cover of the meter. I pulled it this morning with a real light drizzle.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Justin2366 said:


> I just think every person should be able to judge for themselves what they can and can't do in certain situations.


If you are self employed you can do that. OSHA does not apply to the employer. 





> We don't need the government telling us every little thing that can hurt us. If people need to have their hand held for every instance that can occur then maybe they shouldn't be in the trade.


Maybe 'people' don't need that but companies do. Historically when companies have been left to keep things safe by their own choice they do very poorly at it.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*Live*

I've done it about 3 times. Probably won't do it ever again. I felt sorry for the people. In all 3 cases there was an old lady on oxygen and in the winter. We had to hold umbrellas, keep gloves real dry before cutting and set as much dry insulation we could around area. Still was nervous as hell and wouldn't recommend it. POCO shut owners off in all circumstances because of waterfall in panel, meter coming off house, etc... 

Older and Wiser


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Everyone agrees SOME regulation is needed. The fight is always about HOW MUCH.


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## Malaking_TT (Dec 17, 2010)

mxslick said:


> With that attitude you would never work for me or on any jobsite I have ever been on...the GC's take OSHA rules very seriously here. You'd change your tune with the first fine you get hit with.
> 
> /quote]
> 
> I've worked in CA before dude and the conditions there left much to be desired. I work for one of the largest electrical contractors in the country and they also take OSHA rules seriously but I follow them because it is COMPANY policy and they pay me very well to follow their rules not because the government says I need to. I guess I don't need to tell you I didn't get my meter pulling experience while working for my current shop.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I had to break out the rain gear today. No meters to pull though darn it. :laughing:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Its allways better in the rain:laughing:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> Its allways better in the rain:laughing:


As Bill Clinton said in court.. "It depends what your definition of *it* is"

Monica must of been proud.. :no:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

B4T said:


> As Bill Clinton said in court.. "It depends what your definition of *it* is"
> 
> Monica must of been proud.. :no:


 She must be:laughing::laughing:


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