Jon Elson wrote:

Ignoramus18851 wrote:

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 13:37:45 -0800, Glenn wrote:


Don't overlook the incoming power feed.



Yes, I will definitely check that. My incoming power lines are
connected to the electrical panel with Allen style set screws. They
are before the main breaker, so, I will have to be very careful
tightening them, as they cannot be turned off.

Those things scare the HELL out of me, and I work on live 240 V gear
all the time. I can't think of ANY safe way of tightening those, without
making a special tool. If that L-shaped allen wrench touches anything else,
like the electrical box, the explosion will be totally awesome, and you
don't want to be anywhere near it. If you are not familiar with the term
"arc flash" you might want to read up on it. A 240 V residental service
doesn't really supply the watts that can get into serious arc flash
territory,
but it could still send you to the hospital.


A good molded handle T type Allen wrench would probably be safest. The
molding would likely be enough insulation, but a wrap of electrical tape
wouldn't hurt. You're only insulating for 120V so it's not that bad. The
bad part is mostly the what if in the event you somehow create a short.


The electrical lines coming into the house are underground.


Yes, here, too. The phenomenally incompetent guys that put in a water main
managed to cut our phone service 4 times, the gas main once, and nicked the
insulation on the buried electric feed. Water got in and ate the conductor.
Somebody turned on the stove one day, and most of the lights in the house
went out. The electric co. strung a bundle of #6 wire across our back
yard and
just left it like that for about SIX WEEKS!

Jon

I've seen worse than that. The one that amazed me was the line that ran
from a manhole that had a 4' high plywood wall around it, through a 6'
length of that yellow jacked cable protector on the ground, up a tree
and then tree to tree at about 8' high alongside a sidewalk for a good
two blocks before disappearing down an alley. This was not a simple 240V
feed to a nearby building, it was a primary feed, probably 13.2kV and
was well within reach of anyone on the sidewalk.

Pete C.