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Re: [RFI] Dangerous Situation

To: KD7JYK DM09 <kd7jyk@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [RFI] Dangerous Situation
From: Adrian Flynn <adrianjamesflynn@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2016 21:32:20 -0500
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
In 1973 I had a Gopher eat through the neutral feeding my mobile home from
the power meter.
I had 75 Volts on some outlets and 180 to 190 on others.
Took the Mobile Home court about 3 days to get an electrician in to check
it and in the mean time I pulled the breaker at the pole and used 8 Gage
extensions to power needed items inside the mobile.

I know it was a gopher as they found the fried remains when they were
digging to replace the old line.

What a week that was in Chandler, Arizona 115 degree days.

Adrian KF7DYU

On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 9:03 PM, KD7JYK DM09 <kd7jyk@earthlink.net> wrote:

> : If the neutral is open at the service drop, other services, like cable
> tv,
> : could be carrying the neutral currrent on it's shield, creating a hazard
> : for  workers and users downstream.
>
> My place was built in '81 by a mixture of stoners and people that didn't
> care.  I have an electrical code book from about 2005, each and every
> example with a circle and line through it with "NO" under it is in my
> place.
> I've straightened most of it out over the years.
>
> There was a ground wire for the service, 220VAC, 200A, it wasn't connected.
> There was a neutral issue I never precisely figured out, but straightening
> other things resolved it.  The irrigation system neutral was through the
> well casing.  I'd sit on the wellhead while programming the timers and
> notice the lights flickering.  I got zapped in the butt and found the
> issue.
>
> There was no neutral to the house.  Two 120 VAC circuits, a disconnected
> ground and a neutral that wasn't connected right.  How could this place
> even
> function?
>
> Turns out the return was through 110' of 1.5" PVC water pipe.  Not the
> pipe,
> but the water itself!  The place ran some 25 years like that.  What a
> freakin' mess.
>
> Kurt
>
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