My local Power/Water abortion !! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2020, 01:12:00 pm
content: We have underground Power to our house, and our & neighbors mains supply is under a single cover between properties.I noticed water running out over the ground, (mains water before the meters), due to faulty water mains, which was underground in the same location as the Power distribution point. Power & Water authorities were called. After the electrician hadgot an electric shock, he put on gloves, and removed the cover. This is what was found....The height of the electrical 'Pit' was such that the bottom half of the main switches & terminal blocks was under water!The 'Power Guy' isolated the supply in the street, and went off to another job until the plumber was finished. The plumberdug further out, (about 1 foot), and found/replaced a badly leaking 'T' junction, which he replaced. Interestingly, there wasno water mains isolator before that point, so as it was soft plastic pipes, they just use a large special tool to 'Crimp-Off' themains from another dug hole a further foot or so away. Here is his new 'T' piece. All okey-dokey mate !...Now the plumber phones Mr Sparky back. He just turns the street power back on, (after SEEING how it looks!), and drives off!Here's how it looked before/after he put the $%#ing power back on !!...I had told him to open all covers, and dry them all out, as well as informing him that the overflow points were obviously toohigh, allowing this to happen. His comment... "She'll be right mate!", and drove off... Most embarrassing for the tech I was!!

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2020, 01:22:44 pm
content: Wow, I'd send those pictures to someone higher up in the utility company...I succeeded in getting a street storm drain replaced by sending a picture of the rusted out and dangerous old one to the mayor's office and asking if a child's foot would have to be cut before it was maintained!

author: AlbertL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2020, 01:28:58 pm
content: Quote from: GlennSprigg on November 19, 2020, 01:12:00 pmLOL

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2020, 09:24:20 pm
content: Quote from: AlbertL on November 19, 2020, 01:28:58 pmI got a shock just seeing the photos.

author: andy3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2020, 09:33:25 pm
content: That Mr. Sparky should be fired and his licence should be revoked! Call the power company. This looks like death waiting to happen.

author: Refrigerator
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2020, 10:06:52 pm
content: Nice water cooled breakers, mate

author: lwatts666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 01, 2020, 04:23:21 am
content: Phase 1 of the new Distributed Electrolytic Hydrogen Driven Economy...

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2020, 12:34:42 pm
content: Quote from: andy3055 on November 30, 2020, 09:33:25 pmYes, I'm going to follow it up with the authorities. Apart from their 'Electricians' attitude/caring on the day, obviously their Designof the electrical 'pit' is wrong, if the overflow point is half way up the electrical equipment!!I just had flash-backs of a factory site years ago, where the (this time) Overhead 3-Phase supply was a 4-core cable comingstraight off the street Power-Lines, traveled about 50 Metres through the building's roof, to the main Switch-Board at the otherend of the building. They then had the Power Authorities main fuses (80-amps / phase I think), on the customers main Sw-Bd,instead of on the pole in the street, or at worst (as is typical here) their fuses on a short pole mounted on the outside 'Eaves'of the property, closest to the over-head supply point in the street...I tried to explain to them, that there was "Street Fault Current" on the cable through the roof, but they didn't want to know!!

author: andy3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2020, 02:13:16 pm
content: What kind of Electrical code do they follow there?

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2020, 09:41:53 am
content: Shocking photos. I have found many tradesmen are basically incompetent, especially plumbers and electricians. It is difficult to find good ones who won't rip you off and will do quality work. The plumbers you steer well clear of are those with glitzy vans and a 131 number on it... out for a quick buck, do shoddy work or stuff the job up, and bypass regulations. Been caught out a few times. Good you called this issue out. You could publish the names the companies involved via a Google review, Trusted reviews, Trust pilot etc.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2020, 09:55:50 am
content: Quote from: andy3055 on December 01, 2020, 02:13:16 pmAS3000 is the wiring code.Some electricians could not be bothered adhering to AS3000 regulations and they lack due diligence and common sense. Examples I have witnessed myself are 230 active mains wire touching a metal bathtub, illegal switch board wiring, no earth to two metallic light fittings (earth wires left dangling off), no earth on a GPO mains outlet. There is only one electrician I know that I can trust to do the job right.In Australia (Victoria at least) it is illegal to do your own mains wiring (240V) and solar wiring (non SELV), even if you are an experienced electrical engineer. You have to have an electrician's license. In the UK, people can wire their own power outlets in their home. The death rate by electrocution in the home is lower in the UK than it is Australia.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2020, 10:13:08 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 02, 2020, 09:55:50 amThe sticking point is electronics engineer vs certified electrical engineer and it's not an 'electrician's license', it is a contractors license.

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2020, 10:42:10 am
content: So your undergrounded mains comes up to this "pillar" on the ground? Top notchQuotePower authority ==distribution provider? Or did you contact your energy retailer (ie the people who send you bills)?FWIW: If we _totally ignore_ the safety issues here, then the work on your property to fix it might be seen as "contestable" by some distribution operators, hence the distributor sparky may not be allowed to do it even if you ask them. I don't know how all of the fine print works, there is more legal & rules than molecules of water in that pit.But still: why on earth would they turn the power back on to something like that? Maybe the only other option the distrib sparky had would be to declare your connection unsafe (& not reconnect it), so he's doing you a "favour" by not making you go through that?I could understand (but not necessarily agree with) such a motivation.

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2020, 04:10:56 am
content: Quote from: Whales on December 02, 2020, 10:42:10 amHi. I initially mentioned the word 'authorities' just to keep it simple. The actual controlling Govt bodies. The Plumber was asub-contractor working under direction from the 'Power & Water Corporation' here in Western-Australia. (No complaint for him!).However, the Electrician was in a truck/utility with 'Western Power' written all over it, and they are THE main Govt authority here.(He did not seem to be a Contractor, and all the above have nothing to do with meter-reading/bills services).The main problem for me, was that apart from the 'Design' of this 'pit' with the elect equip being way too low, (to be addressed),that I expected him to at LEAST temporarily open all the covers and dry the parts out first!!

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2020, 06:33:04 am
content: sounds like standard procedure, I saw a tree limb (something like a 9x12 inch piece) being used to separate wires after a 'emergency' repair for like.. 3 months.they probobly get paid on a quota or something so he does not give a shit. the only thing he would get is 'why did that take so long' and massive scrutiny that he is wasting company resources to do 'unnecessary' work.all over the place in every corporation. standard procedure for a manager to get promoted is to push massive amounts of shoddy work.Quote from: Whales on December 02, 2020, 10:42:10 amalso with those guys, more jobs = more OT, because they are paying them high amounts for emergency overtime repairs, they will give preference to high overtime pay with the people that get themostwork done to make the overtime money worth it for the company, on accounting paperwork. He can fall in favor on a overtime preference list (common in power companies) and cost him quite a few hours of pay of a half, double pay or triple pay if he does it slower then anyone else there. Enjoy somalian utilitiesThose guys might be cranking 60-70$ an hour easily (or more) doing those over times. expect fierce resistance from the top down.. another (light) blue wall of silence there. Those guys are serious work junkies around here, hours are ALL that counts. Union gave them raises in quarters, the overtime pay dominated their salary bonus until they are late in their game. The bonus stays sweet but the older guys will want quality of life so they do better work because it means less to them when they are established, wife/family usually starts to get effected heavily (bribe money stops working). Also, back injuries slow em down.its not 100% but its prevalent.So, its better for that guys pocket book in the long run with +1 on his jobs completed list and slightly better odds at extra OT.Accountant: I don't feel so bad with the 250% storm pay with those guys because those crews will get more jobs done! hooray. If I did not take it into account the jobs might take longer with a random pool of people. I can't let that happen for the sake of the spreadsheet! homer did 25, Larry did 40. Guess who they are gonna offer it to?