Reviewing footage to find fault locations
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- Опубліковано 21 тра 2023
- Hey Everyone!
We used to call closing a line in with intent of looking for a fault "smoke testing". We're no longer allowed to use this method, however often times a fault cannot be found and line stays closed in. The cause ultimately remains a mystery... usually it was a small animal that got that turned into a predators lunch. Whenever I'm in that situation, I'll roll the camera incase we catch a flash and can use it to help guide us in the right direction.
In this case, we has approx. 50 poles back lot. Our patrol didn't reveal any problems. To climb each and every pole and get a closer look wouldn't be reasonable. I focused on this location after talking to a customer down the road that saw a flash in the horizon. The entire sideline opened as opposed to the cutout at the transformer. I suspect a dead animal was sitting on top of the can before the blast.
Transformer was replaced.
Be safe out there everyone! 👊🍻
***
Keep in mind my videos are to be used as guidelines only!
There are many different ways to preform the tasks shown in this videos.
Always adhere to your own company's policies and procedures.
This work should only be preformed only by those whom are both trained and authorized to do so! ***
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➡ / bobsdecline
#bobsdecline #Milwaukeetools #lineman
0:52 The reason the ground looks like it lights up first is caused by the rolling shutter effect (an artefact of the camera). The sensor scans from top to bottom, and the flash happened while it was in the middle of one of the scans. So, the top of the frame is dark, but the bottom is bright.
Yep, you nailed it.
At my job, we regularly have to do UL breakdown of component tests. In those tests we intentionally create faults and demonstrate to UL that the product handles them properly. It's not required by the test but video recordings have proven useful for evaluating failures. We use a high speed go pro at 1000 frames a second, and it is common to see this effect.
Hmm interesting a gud to know bit of information 👍👍👍
The story of the guy destroying his own lawn is such a good lesson for me. I will forever take videos of things before and after messing with them.
I worked as a security guard at a condo and one of the residents deliberately sideswiped the retaining wall with her car. Seems she wanted a brand new car and figured we should be the ones paying for it. The surveillance footage was used and she backed down after the property manager discussed it with her.
@@dang48 Lmao that is TOO good. Also, what a horrible plan? Like, she is the one opporating the vehicle. How does she expect it to fall on someone else??? People are crazy nowadays
It's all fun and games, until you let out the magic smoke
Common misconception about colored wire and insulation. The "insulation" isn't there to insulate. It is there just to hold the magic smoke against the wire. And once it leaks out, she's hooped.
The isulation keeps the traped fire inside the wire
Magic smoke is only for electronics power distribution runs on magic light
I work in concert electical and AV, and we have a running joke that anything can be the smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.
@@photonpilot__ words to live by my good sir.
Filming before and after any dig or locating was standard procedure where I worked. It saved the department a lot of money.
Next time you're blowing up a transformer, invite the slow mo guys. 🙃
😂
Definitely! Gav and Dan would probably have fun in the process.😃👍
Hey Everyone!
We used to call closing a line in with intent of looking for a fault "smoke testing". We're no longer allowed to use this method, however often times a fault cannot be found and line stays closed in. The cause ultimately remains a mystery... usually it was a small animal that got that turned into a predators lunch. Whenever I'm in that situation, I'll roll the camera incase we catch a flash and can use it to help guide us in the right direction.
In this case, we has approx. 50 poles back lot. Our patrol didn't reveal any problems. To climb each and every pole and get a closer look wouldn't be reasonable. I focused on this location after talking to a customer down the road that saw a flash in the horizon. The entire sideline opened as opposed to the cutout at the transformer. I suspect a dead animal was sitting on top of the can before the blast.
Transformer was replaced.
Be safe out there everyone! 👊🍻
They do the 'smoke testing' here, Not sure what the DNO's (power companies) call it, but we domestic/commercial guys call it 'the bang test'
A company I used to work for we'd call that a "fuse sacrifice (HRC)". They had a lot of fluro's each with old capacitors in them that would go bad.
"Smoke Testing" bad, but what is the alternative ?? Close counts. Arc flash happens. It is not a direct connect that a megger will find. but a connection that arcs over.
Electricians "bump" motors to see not only if they turn, but which way.
Sad story. After redoing a 480 motor controller, the main fuse blew. Master E on the job said "try it again"
Cause of fault - mis labeled wire, a neutral, was plugged into a large MCB (molded case breaker)
When I was heavy towing and recovery industry, I took pics of everything, and this was before smartphones and digital cameras. It was mostly wrecks,recoveries, and unusual tows. However, there were a few instances of companies and individuals that were scammers and fraudsters. Their vehicle would be damaged from something they did. They'd call for a tow and then blame the damage on the tow operator .
I remember one trucking company that ran trucks that were falling apart. They blamed me for some rusted out ferring that fell off. From that point forward, I took pics of every rusted out p.o.s. truck they owned. I'd spend an extra 45 minutes strapping their truck together, then I'd take pics of every strap and location. I marked it on the invoice that pics were available upon request. I also charged them for every strap that I had to put on and take off. They never tried that b.s. again, and they eventually went out of business. In your case with damaged lawn, I would have reminded that homeowner that insurance fraud is a criminal offense. I can provide over 20 stories of fraudsters who tried these scams. It failed because I was ready for them.
one of the towing channels i watch that does illegal parking tows does a video walkaround and points out on video and scuffs,scrapes and dings no matter how small they showed one video where a kid tried to blame them said oh that wasn't there before until they mentioned it was and they had video to prove it
Nothing more satisfying than a perfect reinstatement.
I think I mentioned this in the original video where you mentioned the guy who filed the bogus claim that before and after photos can save your bacon. I worked for an IT company that was subcontracted to replace network equipment for a major US retailer and a couple days after we finished a sit our boss said the store claims we destroyed one of the network cabinets in their receiving area. As soon as he said the location I knew what he was talking about and told him their claim was BS, sent him the full sized hi-res pics I took showing the half smashed cabinet covered in a thick layer of dust (showing it has been that way for a long time) and told him to get the NOC notes from that night because the condition of that cabinet was included in my site report. An hour later the project manager from said major retailer emailed our boss saying it wasn't our fault and not to worry about it. Without those pics our company would have likely been on the hook for about $2-3K in parts and labor to replace it when it was obvious from the pics they put the fork from their forklift though it a couple times over the years. The general contractor required we takes photos and upload them for that exact reason. Even if they didn't it was our company policy to do so except in places where it was prohibited (Military and DOD contractor sites).
Most people call in a "transformer explosion" when they are usually a blown fuse. I live near an intersection so have two fuses out my window and have seen them blow many times over the years. That said, I had the transformer blow in front of my home years ago, and my car was parked fairly close. The next day the local boys came by and cleaned my car... and also took samples of the oil for testing. (older unit so might be PCBs) They called afterward and left a message on my house phone that the samples came back clean, so I should not worry about contamination.
That does my head in, people calling EVERYTHING a transformer explosion... but I guess most people just think everything on a 'telephone' pole that goes bang is a transformer lol
its good that they replied with the oil test , here in Australia things have declined A lot , would be really lucky to get a follow up response
Sadly most of ours DNSPs are owned by penny pinching private equity firms who do the barest of minimum.
@@liam3284 the joy of private operator, sadly it's the way it took in Europe 10 years ago power failure was for seconds (thanks to recloser) but now as the let tree go so high that they start to burn it's more hours of outage now. they slowly fired all the internal lumberjack team and replace them with subcontractors
Great video, Aaron. You’re always so thorough with everything, I’m sure your supervisor knew straight up the guy was looking for a free ride. Well done, as always. 👊🏻
Shame they can't charge HIM for making a false damage claim! People like that REALLY irritate me.
Few things can make me more angry than being falsely accused. It’s happened one too many times now. Now I too take whatever steps are necessary to cover my rear end. I want to be able to call out any accusers.
Why is it that people who can afford to do thing themselves are the ones most likely to lie in order to get someone else to pay for it?
VERY common for me as a domestic/residential (depending on country) sparks.... you get told 'well it worked when you got here'... remove the socket outlet and find NO wires or even a box behind it... GRRR, they think we're stupid
@@benjaminshropshire2900 That's how they GOT the money.. as a residential/domestic electrician, the poorest customers (the ones who have to go budget everything simply through lack of money) are the ones who keep the tea/coffee flowing and in some cases even offer to cook you lunch. They get the best prices :)
@@TheChipmunk2008 yep us poor people are the best around the rich however are the scum of the earth
@@benjaminshropshire2900 Because they are greedy... and don't think of others as people, so doubt they have any empathy about how accusing people of making a big mess may cause issues with their jobs.
Good to see full PPE when closing in that switch.
For horizontal drilling, im sure everyone takes pics of all the driveways before and after. People will try to get their driveway replaced. Seems bizarre that someone would deliberately make a mess of their yard however. That is crazy!
It was definitely crazy! The reason we anticipated a problem is he came outside a few times yelling at us about the powerlines being buried there. He wanted to build something in that area of his property, but couldn't.... Wanted all the lines moved off his property.
the wire trees are cool. i wish i could do that!
Thanks Aaron. Learned lots today regarding the usefulness of documenting the scene of the - repair!
Hey, Exceptional Content as usual. Been following your channel for years now. I’m a consultant for a large Utilities Provider here in Florida. I would love to see that disgraceful and fraudulent Asshats reaction when he realized that he had to repair his “handiwork” himself in his yard. LoL These malevolent people nowadays never cease to amaze me with their dispicable behavior. I HAVE A Question tho= WHO CREATED THOSE AMAZING TREE SCULPTURES OUT OF SCRAP WIRING? 4:40 to 5:20? WOWZAAS! That is SO creative and Awesome! Please let me know on this one ☝️
Appreciate the comments very much!
I'm not sure who exactly made those... He hired an electrician to do some work. I was on site for a disconnect and saw that in the backyard. Electrician said he wasn't a lineman, but worked in the industry.
They're definitely pretty cool! I couldn't imagine the time invested in them
The guy who called in a false report should have been charged with making a false report.
Agree. Probably not his first time
@@Bobsdecline Your correct.
Punishment: No more electricity for his property
@@kanalname5996 Sounds good except some kind of government intervention, or lawyers, would prevent that.
They definitely go with a nice bang 👍👍
AWESOME CONTENT. Ive seen a PT blow up and send shrapnel through a low side bank breaker like it made of cardboard. Thats 1/4" steel the ABB breakers are shrouded in. And we work next to that stuff EVERYDAY. You'll like this one. We had a guy in our department recently put up workman's grounds on LIVE bus ⚡. It was a triple ground yard before we upgraded our workmans ground equipment now its a double ground yard. LUCKILY we have the SEL (Schweitzer) primary relaying in almost all our yards. AND he wasnt wearing a faceshield where the calorie rating required it..The kid is lucky to be alive. and with no injury AT ALL. And he still walks around like nothing happened. UNREAL.
Yeah pictures are a big help now a days. Quite often I take pictures before doing work, especially of preexisting damage.
That was a loud crack. Nothing like playing with lightning every day. I only get to see things like that in the foundries. Sometimes they get moisture on the metal in the winter. Then when they are adding to the pot. It will crack like that and shoot flames, metal and sparks 30 ft in the air. I was surprised that the transformer did not have flying debris from the arch. I would think it would dissipate through the grounding in the station. Due to it not insulated by the insulation bells on the transformer. I bet it got the ol ticker running fast. Looks like you never really get use to the loud booms and cracks. That was pretty close to the flash of orange running for cover. I appreciate you sharing. I seem to be more fascinated by the overhead lines and how they are secured and equipment on the pole. Keep up the great work and be safe out there.
Absolutely despise people who make false claims and try to get something for nothing....
I do love seeing those people getting caught as well as those that do stupid things like plant all sorts of vegetation around a padmounts or even cover over vault lids with soil and plants, only to have the local utility remove all obstructions with a backhoe quickly and efficiently
Speaking of loud noises, three times in my neighborhood, heavy equipment ,back hoes on trailers, snagged the powerlinesand snapped multiple utility poles. The utility finally raised the lines and it has been much quieter.
I was outside in the yard when I was younger, on the slight hill that looked down our 600ft driveway to the county road. It was uphill on that county road from both sides, and I heard something heavy moving slowly down there and realized it was the (gravel) road grader. Stopped what I was doing and watched him arc up into view, over the driveway, and down the other side of the hill, where he then snagged the guy wire for the sideline to our house. The guy line flew up and landed on the ground (on top), shorting with the phase. Happened so fast I didn't really see any sparks. But I promptly went inside and called the power company to report what an arse the road grader guy is.
excellent video Aaron. Thanks!
Awesome tips! Thanks!
I always took photos of any work I did with a large company. I kept a file labelled CMA (cover my a**). Whenever there was a question of work quality I could always refer to the saved images. It was also useful to prove that additional work was required.
Working at the Big 3 letter computer company, all work remote, always took screen captures of before and after any configuration/hardware swap software updates to CYA.
You do a hell of a job and your training shows. I have one comment. I would not switch anything in a switchyard without a SCADA controlled GCB between me and the GOD. That is a ballsy move. Not a criticism, just an operational difference. Please, stay safe. You and all the guys up there. 13.2 volt, fuse, eeeaaah.. goes with the territory. All the best.
I would say that the reason the first fault appeared to light up only the ground first is due to the rolling shutter effect of modern digital cameras.
Why is it that those with money often try and take advantage of those who are helping them. Rather than thank you for your wonderful dedication to not disturbing his property, he tried to steal from you and your employer. Your boss Should have brought a Deputy along with him to reinforce the gravity of filing false claims. Just me, but people like that really piss me off. Good job
Awesome!!
super detailed! thanks
Even when I'm doing IT work, I always take before and after pictures of any projects myself or my team do. Good ole' CYA mentality.
Whoa buddy!!! Crazy!!!
I wish I had used my smart phone to record idiot middle managers issuing illegal directives so they could be prosecuted and sacked over the years. One supervisor told me to do a job in a long distance,bulk gasoline tanker that was 1/ Illegal work hours and 2/ Him knowing that I would have been awake, for 20 hours, in a semi truck with NO sleeper cab. take photos, record conversations......dont let slimy people get away with their nonsense.
That's alright. I had a bank tell me to commit fraud once.
Cool footage, learn something new every video. 👍
I remember that rich neighborhood story people have a lot of nerve to try it.
Classic opening there, bro....had me crackin up...😂
good stuff as usual brother!
hey the reason it shows the ground being lit first is because of the rollingsutter effect of the camera. Ur camera doesn't take the full picture but captures a row of pixels and then moves up to take the next row. So it took a picture of the top part while it was stil dark and when the flash came it was still doing the bottem part of the pic and thus making it look like it's only lit from the bottem
You can get a serious sunburn from flash if you're close enough
Yep Brun your eyes and your body
alright a new video...hope all is well with you!
You rock bro. Such a good resource. An inspiration to constantly strive for integrity and innovation of service. Thanks for your top notch contributions
That first one reminded me of a cheery bomb!!
awesome video
Hello to you friend from electricians of Russia wonderful videos!)
Years ago I was doing a punch under a backyard to that had trees and lots of junk to pull a 3" conduit through to install a string of hand holds in a area that the secondary was directed buried. All was going well until the secondary fuse blew in the pad mount at the back corner of the house we were working on. After a long dig we found the second. Where the secondary was all that was left was bits carbonized insulation and sand that had been fuzed together from arching. Apparently the punch hit a tree root and went down right into the secondary. It was a long day to get it all fixed and the 3" conduit pulled through.
I was replacing a rear lot pole in a historic neighborhood and my camera video saved my ass. They called in and started a shit storm and even complained the pole was too tall. My video showed us cutting 5’ off making it a 35’ pole 😂😂 they looked pretty stupid after my video
👊
Have you seen a high voltage fuse go? As loud as distribution fuses at MV are, I would imagine the HV fuses must give quite a report.
Fuse for >100 kV?
0:06 should be the new intro!
0:07 is as good as 0:13 Well done!
Great video Aaron.. No matter what you have to CYA at all times! As much as we all want to bitch and moan about the utility companies, the best people they have are in the field.. No matter who it is, the guys/gals that come to the house/scene are the best ever! Keep up the great work!
I bet it lit up the ground first because of the sensor in your camera. Most cameras have a CMOS sensor which have “rolling shutter.” This means it scans from top to bottom or bottom to top, 1 row of pixels at a time but within milliseconds. As opposed to global shutter which is all the pixels/photo sites being read and written at the same time per frame. If you have ever tried to film lightning with a fast shutter then it will do the same thing. Also if you have a flash that’s out of sync with the sensors readout then you can get this. It’s what we call an artifact. Other artifacts are present with cmos sensors such as the “jello effect” or “rolling shutter effect” which comes from slow readout CMOS sensors which will physically warp the image with movement or make the image warp rapidly like jello.
I have a question about something for which I have always been curious... I've watched several videos of you working in the switch/distribution yards. With such high voltage connections seemingly just overhead, how do you know how close you can be to wires and insulators in your proximity without the risk of something suddenly arcing over to your body? Or is that all taken into account when they design the facility such that no "man passages" are ever within arcing distance?
Taken into account in design.
that's because they use a titanium charge in those cut out fuses and that's why you saw it flashed like that with the sparks that indicates titanium in the charge itself it says loud as a salute at a fireworks show for comparison
He looked like a fool? That was intent to defraud - a criminal offense.
I guess that even though a transformer generates heat, it's not enough to keep ice from forming on them.
Y'all need some of those nuclear flash helmets the pilots wear :)
our reclosers are automatic it trys 3 times then locks out but iam sure they can be run in manual as well
Aaron, not related to this but have a question. Me and my cousin just made the long drive from Alaska to Tennessee with the remainder of his stuff that he had in storage. It was an amazing drive across the two countries. I did however notice something in Canada that I don't normally see here in the United States - Single phase primaries that do not have a neutral line, just one line going pole to pole. It also looked like some of the 3 phase primaries didn't have a neutral line either. I'm guessing that there is probably a substantial grounding rod at the pole where the transformer is attached. I'm just used to seeing the neutral line as well. Thanks for all that you do, keep up the great work!
It's not something we do in our province, but I've heard of it in neighboring areas. I've also seen utilities repair storm damage without replacing the neutral to get customers on faster. You're exactly right in that a well established ground grid must be in place on the receiving end. That, or sometimes they can pick up a neutral off a nearby feed.
@@Bobsdecline If I recall correctly, you are in the East. This was mostly in the Yukon Territory, but did notice it in B.C. as well. It appeared to be the rule rather than the exception. Thanks again.
The technical term for that is called "Single-wire earth return" or "Single-wire ground return" and you can search those terms for lots of information. Such setups are often most effective through bodies of water, but such setups are not rare in remote villages and dwellings where cost of the run is a big factor and good grounds can be established.
6:00 the richer they are... the more IMO, they are to do something and to try to lie to the other to pay for something they planned on doing... too bad in those cases the company doesn't go after them for fraud or something else to show to others that doing a false statement is not the way to get free work done.
It lit up the ground as your phones sensor was part way through a refresh and that's what it caught. Higher speed cameras won't show partial frames like that if they are made for industrial or capture purposes.
If you’re using an iPhone, and you’re taking a picture out of the window of a train, moving at a high rate of speed, the trees and poles will appear to lean for exactly the same reason.
The closer the vertical object is to you the more it will appear to lean
Thanks for sharing that great you can video things at work and it’s saved you from being blamed for things you didn’t even do wow so people are just (💩) heads
Was one of the first times I grabbed pics of a job. So glad I did!
I typically troubleshoot much smaller equipment but I suspect the trouble might be up that pole. 🤔 the man made lightning hotter than the surface of the sun could be a clue.
Wonder if an auto darkening welding helmet would work.
can you do a video on those crazy clothes you wear with the safety bars stitched in?
I would be curious to try a welding helmet in these situations
You should record in 60fps if you're not already. (Your UA-cam video is only 30 so no idea if you are). Might also consider 120/240 for these situations. Also you could probably carry a dark welding lens with you if you'd like to view directly.
That guy that committed FRAUD needs to go to prison for LIFE. Life in prison for criminals. We do not need pieces of shit in our society. Lock 'em up 'till they die!
He said some “oh shi”
In the beginning did you throw an m80 at that pot lol
maybe you should carry a welding helmet with dark lens or automatic model better yet, that would block all the dangerous invisible light wavelengths and allow you to better see the issue.
probably still wouldn't want to stare at a long burning arc, since it may still be too bright for the lensing. the invisible light is really not good for cameras either and will slowly ruin them.
Very cool video of those connections. Great use of that camera, but is there any risk to the camera sensor because of the flash? Surprised the power company doesn’t make video of the connections a requirement for both after analysis and insurance when a part fails. That one guy tearing up his yard should be charged for the false claim.
Wow! Do you keep an extra pair of shorts with you? My husband has learned to take photos as well. Please stay safe, and God bless.
Definitely keep ear plugs on me now lol
That bit with the guy making the false damage claim could have easily been reported to the local police as attempted fraud, because that's exactly what it is.
People have gone to jail in the US for less.
I guess what I'm saying is that the only way we're gonna be able to make it so that we don't have to deal with so many nasty people is if we make it painful to be a nasty person. So corrective punishment is due in that case IMO.
Except he said this was in a rich area, so the guy probably has "friends"
@@dubuque1 "friends" should be good enough friends to laugh at you make yourself look like an idiot, and should have sense enough to not interfere if the utility company decides to press "attempted fraud" charges. If they DO interfere, that turns it from simple "attempted fraud" to "conspiracy to commit fraud", with all involved facing those same charges.
The law is blind to all but the facts. And the facts in this case, are that someone ruined their lawn and tried to pass it off as damage that the utility company did.
"Friends" that have money, influence, power, whatever you want to call it that you seem to insinuate makes them somehow "above the law", should know enough to know that the law comes down especially hard on those that can be proven to have blatantly flaunted it.
Because of the photographic evidence that Bobsdecline and his crew documented when performing the work, they could have a million people claiming that "I saw the utility company wreck his yard" and it wouldn't change the outcome a bit, except it would make those million people guilty of perjury.
@@44R0Ndin Understood. I understand the proof, as 13 years of my career was CCTV in retail security, and never went to court without video evidence. We did not go to court often, especially when their defense attorney found out about the video evidence. Same thing with CCTV cameras around my place in a neighborhood area as well. The officers would routinely stop by with thumb drives to get video.
I used to like watching photoinduction blowing up stuff with really high voltage. He ripped a transformer out of a microwave oven that was sitting in his kitchen and left the pieces of destruction on the counter and wired two of those together to get 5k volts. Then he was able to get some excitement out of this really huge transformer and was able to produce 10's of thousands of volts. Then he used all of that to blow up things like speakers, light bulbs, electronics, hot dogs, watermelons and of course a pumpkin lol.
When you see this type of power why you can't put out electric car battery when one decides to blow up 🙂
Aaron, same thing happens with surge arresters (or insulation faults) at low voltages (240/415) too, had one today in fact... Insulation tester at 500v would get to 500v and show 30 megohms (which is a pass on an older installation today)... actually apply 240 from the network with actual power behind it, and CLICK, RCD would go (30mA trip current, UK name for GFCI). Every. Single. Time. Despite passing insulation tests. I believe it has something to do with available energy for ionization of marginal stuff... This was our favourite rodents btw... Ratties :) Fixed it after finding the faulty cable
“Looked like a fool”? Much more than that, it sounded like potential fraud to me, dudes lucky charges weren’t the result
That's not very Canadian of that home owner
'You can get into your car without your pants on, but never get into a car without a dash cam ~Aleksei Dozorov, (Russia motorists' rights activist)
Did you have spare undies with you? LOL
I did not realize the IBEW extended into Canadia! Probably one of the strongest unions in the US and I like knowing I am showing up on a union job. Classy people and they do it right the first time.
I hate unions for what they do and what they stand for, socialism. I'm sure the people on the ground don't know this, but still they support it. Ignorance is no excuse. BTW, my dad and uncles are IBEW members. And I've heard of plenty of union workers that don't do work or do bad work. So, no guarantee there.
I have a lot of questions for you if you have maybe 10 min I’d like to pick your brain. In lineman school atm.
Seems you have a fault 😂
Wealthy people are VASTLY more dangerous to everyone they consider beneath them. They wouldn't be wealthy if they weren't evil greedy people.
Not all wealthy people are dishonorable. Just some of them. Stop spreading hateful stereotypes that just encourage more hate.
Thanks Aaron.