# Lack of competency?



## MotoGP1199 (Aug 11, 2014)

Its amazing it passed inspection the first time around. I don't know how some people sleep at night. Good catch, you might have just saved a life. These issues seem like basic grounding and bonding and any company doing work on that scale should not have this much trouble with it.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

Yep, I'd say lack of competency all right......on more than one level.......

1) I don't know about your area but around here, primary metering would have been less $$$ than a switchgear, transformer, etc. 

2) Yes, the transformer case needs to be grounded. The Ω reading may or may not be correct, small voltages will confuse a digital meter reading Ohms. But it doesn't matter, the case needs to be solidly grounded. 

3) Can the entire switchgear be moved back an inch or so? If not, then a half-round pipe or even wire insulation would be a good idea. As it is, eventually, it'll blow up. 

4) No wonder the ground is bad.....the wires are different shades of green! 250.194873(W)(173) plainly states 'Thou shalt not have green grounding conductors that are differing shades of coloration'. 

The grounding issue is a pretty easy fix and ends to be done. If a fault were to develop inside the transformer, the case could easily be energized with respect to ground. Bad news.......

Before connecting the ground wires to the transformer case, either de-energize it or take a voltage reading from the grounds to the case. If it's more than a few volts, I would not connect it while it's energized.


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## ppsh (Jan 2, 2014)

Unfortunately the switchgear can't move back any farther, its butted up to the framing, I think I have the room to get a slit piece of 1/2" pvc to cover that edge. I did check voltage from the grounds to case, 0v, didn't get that telltale t5 buzz on continuity either.


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

IDK for sure, but it looks like the duct seal packer could easily have used the duct seal to force those cables away from the cabinet instead of looking like the duct seal is pushing the conductors against the cabinet.

Shouldn't that conduit have at least a bell end on it?


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

At the very least the hack could have bent up the flange with a crescent wrench and bashed it flat with a hammer. Would be FAR from proper, but still better than that.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I don't believe we have ever pulled a ground wire into a utility transformer.


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

Southeast Power said:


> I don't believe we have ever pulled a ground wire into a utility transformer.


You bring up an excellent point. What does that ground wire do since this is a Delta configured secondary. No ground reference from the transformer exists, right?


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

Southeast Power said:


> I don't believe we have ever pulled a ground wire into a utility transformer.


Codewise they should've pulled a minimum sized neutral & pulled no ground wire?


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

Bird dog said:


> Codewise they should've pulled a minimum sized neutral & pulled no ground wire?


But in a Delta configured secondary, there is no neutral.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

oldsparky52 said:


> But in a Delta configured secondary, there is no neutral.


True, but, how old is this install?


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## ScooterMcGavin (Jan 24, 2011)

oldsparky52 said:


> You bring up an excellent point. What does that ground wire do since this is a Delta configured secondary. No ground reference from the transformer exists, right?


In this case It’s being used as a step up transformer so the 480 is a load not a source. The 480v utility service is wye connected so a fault on the low side of the step up transformer can flow back to the wye connected service if properly grounded.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

oldsparky52 said:


> You bring up an excellent point. What does that ground wire do since this is a Delta configured secondary. No ground reference from the transformer exists, right?


It's supposed to trip the feeder breaker in case of a core and coils ground fault.


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

micromind said:


> It's supposed to trip the feeder breaker in case of a core and coils ground fault.


Yea, I got caught up thinking that was the secondary


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

oldsparky52 said:


> Yea, I got caught up thinking that was the secondary


I know what you mean.....99 1/2% of them are..........


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## ppsh (Jan 2, 2014)

Properly grounded it today.









Had a bit of a WTF moment looking at the 12kv side today.









Only 2 of the MV-105s come out of the 3" conduit, the B phase pops up behind it through a 2" pvc sleeve through the slab.









Crimp quality on the concentrics leaves much to be desired. Guess that's what happens when you use a BG die instead of an O die.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Looks like B phase has been replaced in the past


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

gpop said:


> Looks like B phase has been replaced in the past


Different wire, different elbow........yep, no doubt. 

I didn't notice until you brought it up..........what a dunce.........lol.


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