Hey Everyone! This is an older video that I pulled from the archives. It was never posted due to the fact that there was simply too much wind noise :(. I've been crazy busy all week and haven't had time to do any editing, so I decided to post it for those that are interested 😁. A few things I forgot to mention; The 300 Amp disconnects are in series with the recloser for use as a visual disconnect. When working on the lines during a permit, we cannot rely on the internal disconnect for protection. Also, the number on the recloser differs from the switch number on the pole. The "R260" on the unit itself is a serial number particular to that unit. The switch number on the pole remains unchanged if the unit is ever swapped out during maintenance. Have a great week all!👊🍻
As a low voltage guy the concept of a visual open and the permitting system is an interesting one. Even with flipping and locking a circuit breaker it's not often we have an air gap that we can check on. At the same time though, everyone is supposed to personally lock the circuit open before working on it.
I noticed what appears to be an operations counter next to the non-reclose handle. I didn't realize reclosers had ops counters. Are those tracked as part of the maintenance program? Great video!!
Yup. Count of three, and we're in the dark. I hope you are all staying safe with all of those fires. The smoke is creating a heavy haze here in WI. I'm praying for everyone. Stay safe, and God bless.
Heavy haze and the smoke and local ozone had me coughing enough when I went to the store to vomit. Pennsylvania's getting hammered by the smoke, NY got it bad enough that LaGuardia and Newark went ground stop. Not seeing a casualty count, hopefully it's zero and stays that way as the fires get brought under control.
This explains the three PCs I lost, back in the 90s, and early 2000s, before PCs became smart enough to stay off, when power was lost, and before I was able to put UPSs in between my machines, and the mains. Thanks.
There used to be a fair number of these on my local utility's system; they were wired with the disconnect cutouts in parallel with the recloser. The disconnect blades were normally stored on a bolt driven in below the neutral, so the recloser could be bypassed and removed for servicing (all the ones in town have since been removed and jumpered out, but a few remain on the company's rural lines).
HUGE RESPECT for your line of work...our power goes out quite regularly here in Baltimore...lots of dead and dying trees falling onto the lines...not out of the ordinary to be out of power for hours or days...3 times in the past we have had outages for 3-8 days
Thanks for explaining. They put these by my late father's apartment and he had so many nuisance trips that it became a bit of a nightmare since he was on home oxygen. The problem was that even if the outage was just for a fraction of a second, his oxygen machine's alarm would alert him and he with his limited mobility would scramble to find his portable just in case the power would go out for longer. After a while he gained confidence and knew the bleeps were just that and he was fine. Towards the end of his life however, he had a portable ventilator as well which had a compressor to force the oxygen and remove CO2 easer and it had a built in backup battery but we found out the hard way that the backup battery was bad because when he had a quick little split second power outage, the compressor didn't automatically come back on and by then he thought the alarm was just the usual "blip" and didn't notice the issue until his oxygen levels dropped enough for him to notice. Fortunately he noticed it and went on his portable machine and called me and I figured it out, but it put a lot of strain on him. Anyway, kind of off topic but power outages were my biggest concern while he was alive to the point where I had got him a giant jackery station so this reminded of him. He left us just under 2 months ago so I still get panicked when the lights blink and then remember "Oh yeah...he's gone. He doesn't have to worry about anything anymore"...but hopefully other people's parents and grandparents on life sustaining machines are fine and if they have one of these in their street, they doublecheck their backup batteries or make sure their machines can recover properly during quick power outages.
Sorry for your loss, my mom has life support type of equipment and you have to fill out a form for priority service during outages, that may be why they put reclosers by those apartments
@@toddt6730 Thank you. It's interesting about that priority service form but you may be right. We DID fill out that form but it was something I had to pursue and get from his electrical reseller (Centerpoint Energy is in charge of the lines but we fake choose who we pay) so it's possible this was the reason they added that. They came back a few months later and replaced a pole in his apartment complex too which at the time he was not happy about because without notice he was without power for half the day (the Jackery saved the day that time) but that was exactly what I told him that "It's better they take care of it now than for it to fall over during a storm!" And honestly, he didn't have a prolonged power outage after that, but a lot of half-second outages. After we cleaned his place out and I was talking to his neighbors, I joked that his partying gift was that their apartment complex would have the most reliable power for the next 4 years.
Mad respect for you and every lineworker! Ive been in the fire service for 30 years, and im always skiddish with crashes & storm damage... Great production sir!
Up until a month ago, I had one of these on a pole at the back of my property. That thing had to be close to 30 years old. I remember after one storm, a bunch of contractors showed up and did not fully understand what it was. Made for a really nice light show when they tried closing the switch with a fuse you mentioned. 😂
Yikes! I'd be reporting those contractors! They could have killed someone. Rule of thumb they broke was "If you don't fully understand what something is, leave it alone!" Glad no one was hurt or killed.
When there are lightning storms around our house in Thailand, often the power will go out for a couple of seconds, then come back on. Now I know why. Always wondered about that. Thanks!
Hey just wanted to thank you for all your videos; I've been fascinated by electrical distribution ever since I was a kid and being able to see up close how things work has been amazing. I always say, if I'd not gotten into computers, I would have become an electrician or lineman. I still have the passion for the subject even though it never became my job!
I enjoy how complicated this one section is, with the recloser and how it's wired, but you explain it so clearly, thanks!! I'll never complain again when my lights flicker! 😊
Ah ha! This now makes sense. Especially this time of year when in my area, here in Ohio. Lots of neighbors getting their trees trimmed. And loads of squirrels around too.
Cool video. I like the close ups of HV switchgear, as an electrician I have worked on most things over the years but never get too see the distribution systems. Thanks and all the best.
I have always wanted an explanation of reclosers. Our local utility (BGE) uses lots of them. Living out in the 'burbs, most people don't appreciate that 1-2 second drop. I definitely do. Lights come back and I don't have to fire up the generator!
Love the videos! As an engineering apprentice for our local utility. Seeing these videos helps complete the circle of what we have been learning while giving a better idea of how things are actually constructed and maintained out in the field.
Big boost last month! Super excited! My young fella told me when he was 7 that I would hit 100k and I told him I never would... He encouraged me the whole way through. Couldn't have done it without both him and you all!
Yeah, I experienced this during the start of a hurricane in Southeast New York several years ago. The recloser tried to close the circuit three times.and then it was lights out for a week
Great to know! I've always wondered what those were hanging on poles. Now do one for why they can't give me more than a varying 106-114V/leg. Service in my neighborhood sucks.
Thank you for the explanation on the recloser. I always wondered how these rectangular boxes on telephone poles worked. Also, I know how it is on the 1st day back after vacation, sometimes its exhausting and feels like a punishment.... 😂
Actually saw a recloser in action while I worked for CN I was working the yard one Saturday night switching railcars, when suddenly I heard an overwhelming 60hz arc hum at the same time as a smash. The sky lit up a brilliant blue-white and I couldn't help but swear over the radio. Everything went dark as the system kicked out, all of downtown and the railyard suddenly dark, with the only light being that from my lantern and the yard-goat headlight. A few seconds later, the lights came on and the sky lit up again. Then darkness, this time for the remainder of the night. It was super fun working the yard with no lights, no security cameras, no supervision. Come lunchtime instead of going to the office, we picked a road-locomotive out, unlocked it, hopped in, and used and abused the microwave. It was a good night.
Funny, last night we had a (wind) storm come through, lights started going on and off and I also heard a loud 60hz hum nearby. Went outside to see across the street (and in someones backyard) there was some very nice arcing that would startup as soon as the recloser somewhere up the line decided to try again, last a few seconds until the recloser said "ehh, maybe not". Finally ended in a pop and a lot of bright-white sparks sent flying (... which... didn't think fuses did that, maybe something else destroyed itself?). Power was back on after only an hour or so though- a lot faster then I expected. But it was funny knowing there's a piece of equipment going through and saying "Okay, maybe it's fine now?" to the tune of several kV.
@@codertao Cutouts/fuses pop like a gun during a short-circuit, so it probably wasn't that. It was probably a melting wire or a piece of equipment disintegrating that caused all the sparks.
@@jovetj A drunk driver had crashed into a power pole, shearing the bottom of the pole off resulting in either phase to phase or phase to neutral shorting.
Glad you kept video I came back searching because I couldn't remember the name and kept thinking repeater knowing that was wrong. Bob's decline to the recuse
Great explanation of a recloser. Side note: a pet peeve of mine is when people call them reclosures. It sounded like you were saying recloser, but I see a lot of reclosures in the comments. Carry on... lol
Is that counter next to the reclosing handle at 7:44 is the number of times that unit has cycled by itself, or how many times it's been manually tripped?
The counter is for each and every reclose. It can come in handy if I get multiple complaints of lights blinking on a line. I'll document the number of operations and reference that a couple days later. If more reports come in and the counter hasn't moved then it may be a more localized problem
I use to work on the 15kv and 27kv vacuum reclosers where I work. I installed the arrestor brackets and arrestors and PT brackets. But they moved them to a different department so I hipot test the load and line switchers and wire transwitchers. Kinda cool seeing someone explaining things and showing things that I work on
Flickering (dimming) lights are often a fault with an induction motor turning on, lights going completely dark are breaker tripping or recloser action.
i live right in new york state . upstate area . not sure if you work with national grid at all but they service my area. these videos are great and for people thinking about getting into trades its the difference in my opinion. i can do all of this work with proper training thanks for all the videos and information
But if you notice it regularly when you turn things on/off in your house (and the lights _stay_ dimmed or brightened) then you need to call an electrician and the power company ASAP.
I actually experienced this the other day, was lying in bed and saw a big flash in the window, power went out, then it came back, saw the flash again, and it did it 3 times then power stayed off. I kinda figured it was a branch across the phases nearby that tripped the recloser. Called hydro to let them know so they know at least a rough area to search. This was at night and out of curiosity went out with my flashlight but it was not really strong enough to get a good look at the lines. My area has been experiencing lot of outages in general actually, I suspect there is a bigger issue somewhere that they are still trying to figure out the actual cause. If the trouble is underground that can be hard to track I imagine.
I have asked this question before in other forums, but I still don't have a good answer. Or any answer at all. Near where I used to live there is a very large transmission line (towers a couple hundred feet up, a large three phase feeder, with two ground runs higher up above the three phases). This feed runs from one large sub-station facility for about 70-ish miles to another large sub-station. About every 5 miles or so, the phases hit a very much large power pole tower where the pole position of each phase is rotated. For example, the top phase wire (I'll label it phase 1) is jumped to become the bottom phase wire. Phases 2 and 3 are jumpered to follow in suit....i.e. phase 2 becomes the top mounted phase and phase 3 becomes the middle phase. 5 miles down the path, the exact same physical re-ordering of the phase wires takes place. This large feeder line follows this same reordering process the entire length of the line, from sub-station to sub-station. If I've asked on this channel before...I apologize. I'm just trying to learn the how's and why's. Thanks!
I believe lightening arresters are vdr (voltage dependant resistor) as voltage goes up the resistance drops therefore reducing spike voltage from litening strikes etc
Hey, that's a really great explanation of the general equipment! Would you consider installing fault indicators on the load side? Can lineman install fault indicators for convenience or does the placement need to be approved by engineering?
"Can lineman install fault indicators..." I'd be pretty sure Bob and cohort can't install any significant gear without the order from Engineering. The line workers sure can suggest "Hey! Some pilot lights would find faults faster!!" and see if the company bureaucracy agrees. However increasingly we have 'smart meters' which report-back to headquarters every 15 minutes, and maybe on-demand. When the board operator sees a clump of customers go dark on the map, the location of an out-fault can be pinpointed to between two customers. "George is up, Paul is down", look around poles 101 and 102. If it is just Paul, it may be his 240V transformer. If it is the mile of street after Paul, it is on the 10KV side.
I am going to have to go look at the one the next block over. I was thinking it was a circuit switch. There is a nearby feed across the street of all 3 phases plus neutral. There is a large mini-storage on that side of the street. FYI, I am way down in Hutto, Texas, about as far south as I can be and still be in Oncor territory. If you go further south of the next city, Pflugerville, then you get into territory belonging to the City of Austin Electric utility.
Or worse.... a veterinarian and two friends tried to set up an antenna and fell into a secondary line. The entire town knew what happened when the lights flickered. Dr Middleswart was killed. But the other two survived.
I wonder if re-closures are going to be banned in your area like they have been out in the US West? Considering all the fires in Alberta, BC and the Maritime's this year, your utility might disable them up there. Out here, the utility wants any minor disruption to open the line so if there is an equipment failure , it takes the circuit out of service at the first glitch rather than re-energizing it and possible starting a wildland fire. (Just look at all the fires in Northern California that "might" have been prevented if the re-closures didn't re-energize the line after the first fault). And off course, it isn't always the distribution lines that fault.
I heard on the radio down here (massachusetts) about a recent power outage that was caused by mylar balloons. they do have a layer of aluminum to make them bright and shiny, so I can see them causing a momentary arc like a tree branch would, but shouldn't the offending item be blown clear or vaporized once the recloser opens and recloses? Or maybe a cheap utility didn't put a recloser on that branch line?
If it's a large outage, than yes typically the mainline should be on a recloser or reclosing breaker. Another possibility is; if the fault is close to the sub/recloser, the high current fault may lock out the reclose on the first shot. (An option available on most reclosers)
If it's set to cycle 3 times. But only cycles one time in a month, do you now only have to cycles left? Or does it reset back to 3 after a certain amount of time?
Great question! Currently, our pole mounted reclosers are all manually operated only. Some newer ones in substations along with other devices within the compound can be remotely operated.
Our reclosures here locks out after the second attempt. had one at 5 AM about a month ago on a foggy day. Saw a flash twice before it went out for good. The outage affected 2,000 for about 2 hours and we had a partial comeback on one phase for about a minute. The second that full restoration came back *boom* it went out again for about 2 more hours. Can you explain why that happened.
Cant give an exact reason but could have been set to oneshot between the time it locked out and power restoration. If it didnt have a cold load pickup setting enabled the inrush of current from all of the downstream loads suddenly drawing power again likely caused the recloser to immediately lockout again.
In my occupation as an electrical engineer mostly for Hydroelectric plants, which I own two of, I am intimately familar with this device. We typically design one of these without its reclose feathure as a dicconnect means at the utility interconnect point. There are always reclosers located in the high voltage circuit feeding these plants. When they do function we are immediately disconnected from the circuit. By design we then have to arrive on site and resyncronize to the utility. Although this could be done automatically we choose to visit the site as a precaution against other potential failures. I must admit that our local utility company does an amazing job of maintaining the system in that we typically go many months without a utility trip incident.
The questions Aaron are: how much does your company chip in for these videos. Do they allow you to make them on company time? Do they insist on script approval? Viewing before release? Also seems like equipment providers might see a struggle w something and send you their products directly. What is your companies stance on this? Have any of your efforts brought up a situation where there were procedure details not completely agreed on by all in command? Are others jealous - “ let’s ask Aaron -isn’t he in charge?” Thanks for your efforts 😅
phase to phase voltage you saw on the tag 12.0 to 13.2KV will power a "closing coil" which is just a large solenoid that will pull the mechanism "closed" for a reclose operation. This particular unit uses smaller solenoids to trip the unit open when any phase exceeds a current threshold(140 A i think was stated). Tripping coils are small and trip a large spring to open the unit while the closing coil is large and powerful and will recharge the spring when it operates.
When you show the non-reclosing handle it looks like there is a counter (reading 0111) just to the left of it. Is that a counter, and does it count closing cycles? I can see where that might be used to schedule maintenance...
Yes! Was going to explain this when I redid the video (which didn't happen) 😬. It's an operation counter... It counts each and every operation/trip. It comes in handy if I get repeat reports of lights blinking from a customer. I'll note the counter and check back a few days later to see if something is kicking the line. Newer models will count, document exact dates and times of the fault and even fault current! A great trouble shooting aid.
2:47 What can be done, if anything, when copper thieves steal the most easily accessible 6 feet or so of the lightning arrester ground wire from a large number of utility poles in a town ? -------- This happened about 12 years ago in my town, and the utility company has done nothing to remedy the problem. Perhaps there is nothing they can do.
We've done a few things.. Pole crews must use a certain style staple every for foot on the ground wire when fastening to the pole. It must then be covered by a hard plastic covering which is again fastened every foot. The wire itself, is also no longer pure copper. It's a mixture of metals that offer a similar ampacity yet have no value at a scrap yard. A few of them went missing at first, but thieves we quick to find out their efforts were fruitless. We now use the new wire type for all pole grounds.
@@Bobsdecline , thanks man, I really appreciate your reply. At each pole, can a new mixed-metal piece of wire be spliced in to simply replace the missing 6 feet or so, or does the entire pole ground wire have to be replaced due to dissimilar metals electrolysis or some other problem? Again, thanks !
The rail line had a ground bonds stolen from their poles, and when a bat shorted the primary (feeeding the 22/1.5kV substation) to the pole, the current arced into a signal lamp. Took the railway out of action for weeks.
@@BobsdeclineI believe the material is called bronzed aluminum. The crimpits are made of this material which is compatible with both copper and aluminum. Correct me if I'm wrong.
We have them set up just like this in my town but instead of securing the cutout doors they just leave them swinging in the breeze on the cutouts. Directly over a sidewalk.
Procedure wise, we cannot. Glad you asked this question! The recloser will feed backwards... The problem is, it's function all comes from the source side. In theory it will function as expected... Since the source side would experience the loss of power, the device would be left energized on the load side without any operating capabilities. I've never tried this and welcome anyone to comment further if they have any more info! 🤔
Yes, we use loop schemes here in Connecticut. That reclosure appears to be a radial reclosure? Where the source comes in & goes through the reclosure & trips on over current. It may not have radio control to reset it & close back in by a system operator. We utilize a multitude of different overhead & underground automated reclosures & switches. I live on a loop scheme. Any lineman knows if you live on a loop scheme our lights hardly ever go out except on big storms. We have source reclosures, mid point & tie reclosures. They are preset to operate either by over current or a loss of voltage on one side. We have three operations of the source reclosure before it locks out from over current. The tie reclosure senses a loss of voltage on one side & closes back in from another circuit that phases in. In the event that the problem spot is between say the source & the mid point reclosures? The mid point reclosure will open from over current & open. Then it will time out & try to close back in at half the current it’s rated for. If it still sees an over current situation it will lock out. I’ll get 5 chances on my circuit to reenergize the line. Then a troubleshooter is dispatched to “ride the line” to see what might have caused the outage? Usually a large tree limb or car versus pole or a primary phase down. Here at home I start my whole house generator as it might be a while until the problem is found & repaired.
@@johnclyne6350 This particular recloser trips on overcurrent and the timing is controlled through "hydraulic timing". There are models that look similar and are completely electronically controlled (but still oil bathed). You would need electronic control for a loop scheme.
@@awfulbox In CT our loop scheme is radio controlled with microprocessor control for automated settings. We have a mix of smart switches & several different manufactures of reclosures. Both oil & vacuum reclosures. The oil models are being phased out for obvious reasons as they can leak & need frequent maintenance.
@@johnclyne6350 Vacuum reclosers can have oil in them and be hydraulically controlled as well. Just clarifying that a recloser either operates on electronic logic or hydraulic logic, but not both. Meanwhile the contacts of the switch inside the recloser are either oil bathed or inside vacuum bottles and sometimes both.
Also - could be what was called a "Sectionalizer" perhaps? Main breaker/yard recloser actually opens briefly, and if the sectionalizer noted the fault was behind it (on its circuit), it would open when the recloser/breaker in the yard opened, and remain open when the recloser closes back ...
Sectionalizers is a whole category of devices that can be used to cut off/close in sections of the grid - everything from manual cutout switches to communicating 3-phase reclosers.
@@Harrier42861 Right, we can get into the more elaborate designs nowadays, but 40 yrs ago things were much simpler ... there is (was?) much legacy line hardware still in use in outlying non-urban areas.
@@Harrier42861 re: "to communicating 3-phase reclosers" Back in 2019 the local distribution network here was retrofitted with S&C Electric "Intelliruptors" (speaking of 'modern' line hardware) and these are the communicating recloser and line (fault) 'sectionalizers'. After some initial 'shake-out' mis-operation the first year (distribution engineering working out the topology bugs), they seem to have worked out well in keeping the power on for the majority of the customers on a particular 'circuit' coming out of the switchyard. It beats having a switchyard breaker go solid open (after three retrys) and every customer being w/o power while the fault is localized.
Good stuff, thank you! Off topic, how do you (or do you) mitigate non-linear loads? Harmonics. It's getting to be a major problem and with adding all these EV car charging station it will get worse. I'm measuring over 12%TVHd and we're having lots of problems with UPS's, generators starting and motor VFD's faulting. Thoughts?
Alright Aaron Another great Video. We deal with reclosures on our TELECOM Poles as such just like Xformers as well. Peco IS doing alotta upgrades to bigger class 2 50 plus foot poles down here that we set for the Power company if its our pole. I think alot has to do with upgrading network to 34kv and adding all sorts of heavy equipment like like reclosures and xformers... At any rate great vid. Always knowledge gained. Does your telecom own any poles That they set for you like we do?? Also what are u aware of the grounding and bonding policys for your cable and telecom Companies below and also what are the distances required between your lowest conductor to cable tv or teecom?? Sorry if that s long winded. BE SAFE BROSKI
Not really related, but long ago there was a company that made PC power supplies with a big stiffening cap in them. They has just enough juice to ride out an OCR. 😁
The have "intelligent" capabilities. They're able to communicate with other intellirupters for automatic power restoration and better document fault data. They also aren't oil filled and have a wide range of preferred operation settings. We have a couple on either side of large industrial/commercial customers. They can automatically switch to the other feed if one no longer detects an incoming voltage.
We have underground lines in the neighborhood but its feed from overhead lines just like any other neighborhood, i learned not to play xbox during monsoons season cause i cant tell you how many times we get brownouts or mini blackouts. Only when its really severe enough and the power grid is being hit in multiple locations, but normal windstorms and thunderstorms do nothing to flicker these lights. When the radio and tv stations start cutting in and out then its best to stay off the computer or xbox or your progress is gone. But for the most part our power company is awesome for reliability and making sure the lights come back quick and stay on
Depends on the type. The unit itself can be anywhere from a couple grand to $30K depending on phase count, operating principle (hydraulic vs vacuum), bonus features (Smart grid reclosers will communicate with DCC and to a limited extend will self-reconfigure during storm events).
Does the recloser open all 3 circuits in the event of a fault on just one? It would seem so from the operating handle. Does this only open on high current like a circuit breaker or can it open on other types of faults? Are electronic reclosers any different? Thanks for the great video!
Always all 3... A fault on only 1 of 3 phases will open all three. We have had three individual reclosers for each phase in the past to minimize customers affected until we arrive. Electronic reclosers are typically a newer technology and have more options. It doesn't necessarily require extreme high current to open. Sometimes they'll trip under cold load pick up (picking up entire line that's been out for a while). Some units have settings to account for this. There's also options for lock out on first trip when current is extremely high
We live at the end of a single phase feeder that runs a mile through tall trees. When there is a storm and the light "flicker" I start counting. When it get's to three "flickers" it either holds ir we will be without power for 4 to 10 hours.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! This would have been another career choice for me instead of the Skilled trades if I would have had the RIGHT CONNECTIONS back 40 yrs AGO!!! Back 40yrs ago these kinds of jobs and career choices REQUIRED HEAVY Political INFLUENCES to Secure a High Paying job such as a lineman in Communist New York State!!! Even employees working for National Fuel Gas COULDN’T GET THEIR FAMILIES INTO GAS/PIPELINE JOBS Back THEN!!!! Maybe it’s different now, not sure where your from? Great Videos Enjoy your career as a lineman it Dangerous but Satisfying!
@@Bobsdecline I worked on overhead distribution reconstruction crews and that's the first thing we did every morning. Put the reclosure on one shot lol. I remember the one time I actually seen a cutout with the feed coming in from the bottom it was in the middle of nowhere on a storm in West Virginia. It's the only time I ever seen that in 10 years though. The door just hangs open hot and it can be dangerous especially to crews coming in from different parts of the country on storm, trying to get an idea of feed directions.
Oh nice! Yea I hear ya on the cutout... I had one that if opened and left free to swing freely, it would make contact with the cross arm brace. We took an interruption and re wired it right away! Definitely a trap
3:23 not sure if you've talked about the idiots who cut the section of copper ground near the bottom of the poles. If not, maybe you could mention the possible outcomes of doing this, either for you guys, or for the thieves if something's wrong when they cut it? 😁
@@chrisstromberg6527 I know, I just meant for those of us who have an inquiring mind. I'm a cable guy, and from what little I know about Aaron's job, I've heard that if enough of these grounds are cut, it can cause dangerous situations for us too.
There's one at the sub as well. The sub is up that side road to the right, the main line comes down through the woods and makes a "T". There's a recloser on either side of the "T" so that a fault on one side doesn't interrupt power to the other.
A little off topic. But if I posted a picture of some equipment that I think are breakers in a sub yard, could you tell me if I'm correct? Or what they are or what they do please?
How long is the "flicker" in these cases? Just a couple of seconds? Can you explain why lights in a storm would go out for say, 30-60 seconds, then back on? This the recloser the reason as well?
I completely forgot these existed, for some reason I imagined the lights flickering was the grid rerouting power around a downed line. Like how some data networks can reroute around a dropped section.
Sometimes it is that - newer communicating reclosers can interlink with Distribution Control shut out damaged sections of the grid autonomously and backfeed from other circuits until the damage can be repaired if your utility has their SCADA system set up correctly.
Hey Everyone!
This is an older video that I pulled from the archives. It was never posted due to the fact that there was simply too much wind noise :(.
I've been crazy busy all week and haven't had time to do any editing, so I decided to post it for those that are interested 😁.
A few things I forgot to mention;
The 300 Amp disconnects are in series with the recloser for use as a visual disconnect. When working on the lines during a permit, we cannot rely on the internal disconnect for protection.
Also, the number on the recloser differs from the switch number on the pole. The "R260" on the unit itself is a serial number particular to that unit. The switch number on the pole remains unchanged if the unit is ever swapped out during maintenance.
Have a great week all!👊🍻
Thank you for the vid regardless of the noise. Now things make more sense. 👍🤝
Oh, and a 🍺 for you!
As a low voltage guy the concept of a visual open and the permitting system is an interesting one. Even with flipping and locking a circuit breaker it's not often we have an air gap that we can check on. At the same time though, everyone is supposed to personally lock the circuit open before working on it.
Audio was just fine, thanks!
I noticed what appears to be an operations counter next to the non-reclose handle. I didn't realize reclosers had ops counters. Are those tracked as part of the maintenance program? Great video!!
@@jwilli2460 Some utility companies and coops do use them to determine maintenance intervals but i wouldn't say it's common practice.
Cool, I've wanted an up close look at a recloser for years!
use binoculars. They work well for equipment inspections.
Yup. Count of three, and we're in the dark. I hope you are all staying safe with all of those fires. The smoke is creating a heavy haze here in WI. I'm praying for everyone. Stay safe, and God bless.
Heavy haze and the smoke and local ozone had me coughing enough when I went to the store to vomit. Pennsylvania's getting hammered by the smoke, NY got it bad enough that LaGuardia and Newark went ground stop.
Not seeing a casualty count, hopefully it's zero and stays that way as the fires get brought under control.
This explains the three PCs I lost, back in the 90s, and early 2000s, before PCs became smart enough to stay off, when power was lost, and before I was able to put UPSs in between my machines, and the mains. Thanks.
I picture you giving a citizen driving directions. “Go 20 span and turn right . 30 span turn left lol. Thanks for the videos and stay safe
There used to be a fair number of these on my local utility's system; they were wired with the disconnect cutouts in parallel with the recloser. The disconnect blades were normally stored on a bolt driven in below the neutral, so the recloser could be bypassed and removed for servicing (all the ones in town have since been removed and jumpered out, but a few remain on the company's rural lines).
Ampacity. Now there is a new word for me. Always learning. Thanks
HUGE RESPECT for your line of work...our power goes out quite regularly here in Baltimore...lots of dead and dying trees falling onto the lines...not out of the ordinary to be out of power for hours or days...3 times in the past we have had outages for 3-8 days
Thanks for explaining. They put these by my late father's apartment and he had so many nuisance trips that it became a bit of a nightmare since he was on home oxygen. The problem was that even if the outage was just for a fraction of a second, his oxygen machine's alarm would alert him and he with his limited mobility would scramble to find his portable just in case the power would go out for longer. After a while he gained confidence and knew the bleeps were just that and he was fine. Towards the end of his life however, he had a portable ventilator as well which had a compressor to force the oxygen and remove CO2 easer and it had a built in backup battery but we found out the hard way that the backup battery was bad because when he had a quick little split second power outage, the compressor didn't automatically come back on and by then he thought the alarm was just the usual "blip" and didn't notice the issue until his oxygen levels dropped enough for him to notice. Fortunately he noticed it and went on his portable machine and called me and I figured it out, but it put a lot of strain on him.
Anyway, kind of off topic but power outages were my biggest concern while he was alive to the point where I had got him a giant jackery station so this reminded of him. He left us just under 2 months ago so I still get panicked when the lights blink and then remember "Oh yeah...he's gone. He doesn't have to worry about anything anymore"...but hopefully other people's parents and grandparents on life sustaining machines are fine and if they have one of these in their street, they doublecheck their backup batteries or make sure their machines can recover properly during quick power outages.
Sorry for your loss, my mom has life support type of equipment and you have to fill out a form for priority service during outages, that may be why they put reclosers by those apartments
@@toddt6730 Thank you. It's interesting about that priority service form but you may be right. We DID fill out that form but it was something I had to pursue and get from his electrical reseller (Centerpoint Energy is in charge of the lines but we fake choose who we pay) so it's possible this was the reason they added that. They came back a few months later and replaced a pole in his apartment complex too which at the time he was not happy about because without notice he was without power for half the day (the Jackery saved the day that time) but that was exactly what I told him that "It's better they take care of it now than for it to fall over during a storm!" And honestly, he didn't have a prolonged power outage after that, but a lot of half-second outages. After we cleaned his place out and I was talking to his neighbors, I joked that his partying gift was that their apartment complex would have the most reliable power for the next 4 years.
Mad respect for you and every lineworker! Ive been in the fire service for 30 years, and im always skiddish with crashes & storm damage... Great production sir!
I think it's awesome your employer let's you make these videos. My grandfather was a lineman & I'm an electrician.
Up until a month ago, I had one of these on a pole at the back of my property. That thing had to be close to 30 years old. I remember after one storm, a bunch of contractors showed up and did not fully understand what it was. Made for a really nice light show when they tried closing the switch with a fuse you mentioned. 😂
Yikes! I'd be reporting those contractors! They could have killed someone. Rule of thumb they broke was "If you don't fully understand what something is, leave it alone!" Glad no one was hurt or killed.
When there are lightning storms around our house in Thailand, often the power will go out for a couple of seconds, then come back on. Now I know why. Always wondered about that. Thanks!
Hey just wanted to thank you for all your videos; I've been fascinated by electrical distribution ever since I was a kid and being able to see up close how things work has been amazing.
I always say, if I'd not gotten into computers, I would have become an electrician or lineman. I still have the passion for the subject even though it never became my job!
I enjoy how complicated this one section is, with the recloser and how it's wired, but you explain it so clearly, thanks!! I'll never complain again when my lights flicker! 😊
Yeah great Video. Greeting from a Lineworker from Germany.👍
Lineman for Dummies Series! I love learning the basics about your trade. Great video. 👍
Your every video is awesome dear lineman brother. I watch your every video from Bangladesh. Good luck with your love.
Ah ha! This now makes sense. Especially this time of year when in my area, here in Ohio. Lots of neighbors getting their trees trimmed. And loads of squirrels around too.
Cool video. I like the close ups of HV switchgear, as an electrician I have worked on most things over the years but never get too see the distribution systems. Thanks and all the best.
Congratulations on 100k subs Bob! Unreal the amount of heart you put into your videos just to educate degenerates like myself! Keep it up proud of you
Thank you Sir! Means a lot! 👊🤝🍻
Pretty cool, love you sharing your knowledge and educating future linemen, you are an asset to your employer
I have always wanted an explanation of reclosers. Our local utility (BGE) uses lots of them. Living out in the 'burbs, most people don't appreciate that 1-2 second drop. I definitely do. Lights come back and I don't have to fire up the generator!
Love the videos! As an engineering apprentice for our local utility. Seeing these videos helps complete the circle of what we have been learning while giving a better idea of how things are actually constructed and maintained out in the field.
👍👊 100K soon!👍👊
Big boost last month! Super excited! My young fella told me when he was 7 that I would hit 100k and I told him I never would... He encouraged me the whole way through. Couldn't have done it without both him and you all!
@@Bobsdecline I really enjoy the content, whether you have 7 subscribers or 7000000 of them!
Yeah, I experienced this during the start of a hurricane in Southeast New York several years ago. The recloser tried to close the circuit three times.and then it was lights out for a week
strike one, strike two, strike three you're out
Hey Bob, thanks for the tips, I also work with reclosers here in Brazil. Nice and very explanatory video. I'm already a follower, hug bro👏
Thanks for posting this video. Wind noise was not bad, I had no trouble understanding your commentary.
Great to know! I've always wondered what those were hanging on poles.
Now do one for why they can't give me more than a varying 106-114V/leg. Service in my neighborhood sucks.
Thank you for the explanation on the recloser. I always wondered how these rectangular boxes on telephone poles worked. Also, I know how it is on the 1st day back after vacation, sometimes its exhausting and feels like a punishment.... 😂
Great video and I love your Canadian accent
That is the first one of those I've seen Glad you made a video on this piece of equipment for.power line's
Thanks, often heard of the recloser, rarely seen them.
They're expensive, so they're used sparingly, and just where they'll be the most useful.
@@jovetj The first ones in my area went to affluent neighborhoods first.
Cool stuff! I wanna see inside one !! 🤪
Nice overview on reclosers. Would like to see similar on voltage regulators.
Actually saw a recloser in action while I worked for CN
I was working the yard one Saturday night switching railcars, when suddenly I heard an overwhelming 60hz arc hum at the same time as a smash. The sky lit up a brilliant blue-white and I couldn't help but swear over the radio. Everything went dark as the system kicked out, all of downtown and the railyard suddenly dark, with the only light being that from my lantern and the yard-goat headlight.
A few seconds later, the lights came on and the sky lit up again. Then darkness, this time for the remainder of the night.
It was super fun working the yard with no lights, no security cameras, no supervision. Come lunchtime instead of going to the office, we picked a road-locomotive out, unlocked it, hopped in, and used and abused the microwave. It was a good night.
Funny, last night we had a (wind) storm come through, lights started going on and off and I also heard a loud 60hz hum nearby. Went outside to see across the street (and in someones backyard) there was some very nice arcing that would startup as soon as the recloser somewhere up the line decided to try again, last a few seconds until the recloser said "ehh, maybe not". Finally ended in a pop and a lot of bright-white sparks sent flying (... which... didn't think fuses did that, maybe something else destroyed itself?). Power was back on after only an hour or so though- a lot faster then I expected. But it was funny knowing there's a piece of equipment going through and saying "Okay, maybe it's fine now?" to the tune of several kV.
So what caused the short circuit? I hope your train didn't derail onto a pole or something.
@@codertao Cutouts/fuses pop like a gun during a short-circuit, so it probably wasn't that. It was probably a melting wire or a piece of equipment disintegrating that caused all the sparks.
@@jovetj A drunk driver had crashed into a power pole, shearing the bottom of the pole off resulting in either phase to phase or phase to neutral shorting.
Glad you kept video I came back searching because I couldn't remember the name and kept thinking repeater knowing that was wrong. Bob's decline to the recuse
Great explanation of a recloser. Side note: a pet peeve of mine is when people call them reclosures. It sounded like you were saying recloser, but I see a lot of reclosures in the comments. Carry on... lol
Is that counter next to the reclosing handle at 7:44 is the number of times that unit has cycled by itself, or how many times it's been manually tripped?
The counter is for each and every reclose. It can come in handy if I get multiple complaints of lights blinking on a line. I'll document the number of operations and reference that a couple days later. If more reports come in and the counter hasn't moved then it may be a more localized problem
Nice video man! Wish I can be a lineman like you for nbp 👍
Very interesting video ,thank you. Stay safe out there
I use to work on the 15kv and 27kv vacuum reclosers where I work. I installed the arrestor brackets and arrestors and PT brackets. But they moved them to a different department so I hipot test the load and line switchers and wire transwitchers. Kinda cool seeing someone explaining things and showing things that I work on
At Kyle?
Flickering (dimming) lights are often a fault with an induction motor turning on, lights going completely dark are breaker tripping or recloser action.
i live right in new york state . upstate area . not sure if you work with national grid at all but they service my area. these videos are great and for people thinking about getting into trades its the difference in my opinion. i can do all of this work with proper training thanks for all the videos and information
In Australia, one trip, then a line inspection during fire season.
I gotta bet it is cold there too. NH here and it feels like winter again. Pretty miserable wet and cold here.
That makes sense as to why my lights may flicker on and off a few times
But if you notice it regularly when you turn things on/off in your house (and the lights _stay_ dimmed or brightened) then you need to call an electrician and the power company ASAP.
I like when you said 'theres nothing i can do abooooooooooooooooooot that right now.
Really interesting
I actually experienced this the other day, was lying in bed and saw a big flash in the window, power went out, then it came back, saw the flash again, and it did it 3 times then power stayed off. I kinda figured it was a branch across the phases nearby that tripped the recloser. Called hydro to let them know so they know at least a rough area to search. This was at night and out of curiosity went out with my flashlight but it was not really strong enough to get a good look at the lines. My area has been experiencing lot of outages in general actually, I suspect there is a bigger issue somewhere that they are still trying to figure out the actual cause. If the trouble is underground that can be hard to track I imagine.
Great job thank you
Had no idea, thanks!
I have asked this question before in other forums, but I still don't have a good answer. Or any answer at all. Near where I used to live there is a very large transmission line (towers a couple hundred feet up, a large three phase feeder, with two ground runs higher up above the three phases). This feed runs from one large sub-station facility for about 70-ish miles to another large sub-station. About every 5 miles or so, the phases hit a very much large power pole tower where the pole position of each phase is rotated. For example, the top phase wire (I'll label it phase 1) is jumped to become the bottom phase wire. Phases 2 and 3 are jumpered to follow in suit....i.e. phase 2 becomes the top mounted phase and phase 3 becomes the middle phase. 5 miles down the path, the exact same physical re-ordering of the phase wires takes place. This large feeder line follows this same reordering process the entire length of the line, from sub-station to sub-station. If I've asked on this channel before...I apologize. I'm just trying to learn the how's and why's. Thanks!
Yes folks this is why you never touched a down power line. That recloser might close energizing what was a dead line.
⤴️ Yessir! 💯
I believe lightening arresters are vdr (voltage dependant resistor) as voltage goes up the resistance drops therefore reducing spike voltage from litening strikes etc
Hey, that's a really great explanation of the general equipment! Would you consider installing fault indicators on the load side? Can lineman install fault indicators for convenience or does the placement need to be approved by engineering?
"Can lineman install fault indicators..." I'd be pretty sure Bob and cohort can't install any significant gear without the order from Engineering. The line workers sure can suggest "Hey! Some pilot lights would find faults faster!!" and see if the company bureaucracy agrees.
However increasingly we have 'smart meters' which report-back to headquarters every 15 minutes, and maybe on-demand. When the board operator sees a clump of customers go dark on the map, the location of an out-fault can be pinpointed to between two customers. "George is up, Paul is down", look around poles 101 and 102. If it is just Paul, it may be his 240V transformer. If it is the mile of street after Paul, it is on the 10KV side.
I am going to have to go look at the one the next block over. I was thinking it was a circuit switch. There is a nearby feed across the street of all 3 phases plus neutral. There is a large mini-storage on that side of the street. FYI, I am way down in Hutto, Texas, about as far south as I can be and still be in Oncor territory. If you go further south of the next city, Pflugerville, then you get into territory belonging to the City of Austin Electric utility.
Or worse.... a veterinarian and two friends tried to set up an antenna and fell into a secondary line. The entire town knew what happened when the lights flickered. Dr Middleswart was killed. But the other two survived.
Armando.niwvlapasswordpassqordpassqorspassqorspassqordpassqordpassqorspassqorsoassqorspassqorspassqors
I wonder if re-closures are going to be banned in your area like they have been out in the US West? Considering all the fires in Alberta, BC and the Maritime's this year, your utility might disable them up there. Out here, the utility wants any minor disruption to open the line so if there is an equipment failure , it takes the circuit out of service at the first glitch rather than re-energizing it and possible starting a wildland fire. (Just look at all the fires in Northern California that "might" have been prevented if the re-closures didn't re-energize the line after the first fault). And off course, it isn't always the distribution lines that fault.
I heard on the radio down here (massachusetts) about a recent power outage that was caused by mylar balloons. they do have a layer of aluminum to make them bright and shiny, so I can see them causing a momentary arc like a tree branch would, but shouldn't the offending item be blown clear or vaporized once the recloser opens and recloses? Or maybe a cheap utility didn't put a recloser on that branch line?
If it's a large outage, than yes typically the mainline should be on a recloser or reclosing breaker. Another possibility is; if the fault is close to the sub/recloser, the high current fault may lock out the reclose on the first shot. (An option available on most reclosers)
If it's set to cycle 3 times. But only cycles one time in a month, do you now only have to cycles left? Or does it reset back to 3 after a certain amount of time?
They reset back to 3 after a minute or so, depending on settings.
arron are the reclosers operated by your dispach on this pole or do u mannully reset the re closer by hand?
Great question! Currently, our pole mounted reclosers are all manually operated only. Some newer ones in substations along with other devices within the compound can be remotely operated.
Stinks like stale campfire here in NH. Stop sending the smoke this way!!!:P
Our reclosures here locks out after the second attempt. had one at 5 AM about a month ago on a foggy day. Saw a flash twice before it went out for good. The outage affected 2,000 for about 2 hours and we had a partial comeback on one phase for about a minute. The second that full restoration came back *boom* it went out again for about 2 more hours. Can you explain why that happened.
Cant give an exact reason but could have been set to oneshot between the time it locked out and power restoration. If it didnt have a cold load pickup setting enabled the inrush of current from all of the downstream loads suddenly drawing power again likely caused the recloser to immediately lockout again.
In my occupation as an electrical engineer mostly for Hydroelectric plants, which I own two of, I am intimately familar with this device. We typically design one of these without its reclose feathure as a dicconnect means at the utility interconnect point. There are always reclosers located in the high voltage circuit feeding these plants. When they do function we are immediately disconnected from the circuit. By design we then have to arrive on site and resyncronize to the utility. Although this could be done automatically we choose to visit the site as a precaution against other potential failures.
I must admit that our local utility company does an amazing job of maintaining the system in that we typically go many months without a utility trip incident.
The questions Aaron are: how much does your company chip in for these videos. Do they allow you to make them on company time? Do they insist on script approval? Viewing before release? Also seems like equipment providers might see a struggle w something and send you their products directly. What is your companies stance on this? Have any of your efforts brought up a situation where there were procedure details not completely agreed on by all in command? Are others jealous - “ let’s ask Aaron -isn’t he in charge?”
Thanks for your efforts 😅
dont worry about noise, its real life, thanks Aron
Appreciate that 👊🤝
How are they powered? Is there a big spring you have to wind up or does it use supply power to operate itself?
phase to phase voltage you saw on the tag 12.0 to 13.2KV will power a "closing coil" which is just a large solenoid that will pull the mechanism "closed" for a reclose operation. This particular unit uses smaller solenoids to trip the unit open when any phase exceeds a current threshold(140 A i think was stated). Tripping coils are small and trip a large spring to open the unit while the closing coil is large and powerful and will recharge the spring when it operates.
@@awfulbox Sounds like a great design!
@@awfulbox Thanks for clearing that up for me!
The ones we worked with used a bank of capacitors to store enough power to operate twice without power.
When you show the non-reclosing handle it looks like there is a counter (reading 0111) just to the left of it. Is that a counter, and does it count closing cycles? I can see where that might be used to schedule maintenance...
Yes! Was going to explain this when I redid the video (which didn't happen) 😬.
It's an operation counter... It counts each and every operation/trip.
It comes in handy if I get repeat reports of lights blinking from a customer. I'll note the counter and check back a few days later to see if something is kicking the line.
Newer models will count, document exact dates and times of the fault and even fault current!
A great trouble shooting aid.
2:47 What can be done, if anything, when copper thieves steal the most easily accessible 6 feet or so of the lightning arrester ground wire from a large number of utility poles in a town ? -------- This happened about 12 years ago in my town, and the utility company has done nothing to remedy the problem. Perhaps there is nothing they can do.
We've done a few things..
Pole crews must use a certain style staple every for foot on the ground wire when fastening to the pole. It must then be covered by a hard plastic covering which is again fastened every foot. The wire itself, is also no longer pure copper. It's a mixture of metals that offer a similar ampacity yet have no value at a scrap yard.
A few of them went missing at first, but thieves we quick to find out their efforts were fruitless.
We now use the new wire type for all pole grounds.
@@Bobsdecline , thanks man, I really appreciate your reply. At each pole, can a new mixed-metal piece of wire be spliced in to simply replace the missing 6 feet or so, or does the entire pole ground wire have to be replaced due to
dissimilar metals electrolysis or some other problem? Again, thanks !
The rail line had a ground bonds stolen from their poles, and when a bat shorted the primary (feeeding the 22/1.5kV substation) to the pole, the current arced into a signal lamp. Took the railway out of action for weeks.
@@BobsdeclineI believe the material is called bronzed aluminum. The crimpits are made of this material which is compatible with both copper and aluminum. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Did you knock that damn red sign off the pole?
We have them set up just like this in my town but instead of securing the cutout doors they just leave them swinging in the breeze on the cutouts. Directly over a sidewalk.
Can you backfeed through a recloser? Like if a line goes down and the network permits feeding the line from the other side of the recloser
Procedure wise, we cannot.
Glad you asked this question!
The recloser will feed backwards...
The problem is, it's function all comes from the source side. In theory it will function as expected... Since the source side would experience the loss of power, the device would be left energized on the load side without any operating capabilities.
I've never tried this and welcome anyone to comment further if they have any more info! 🤔
Yes, we use loop schemes here in Connecticut. That reclosure appears to be a radial reclosure? Where the source comes in & goes through the reclosure & trips on over current. It may not have radio control to reset it & close back in by a system operator. We utilize a multitude of different overhead & underground automated reclosures & switches. I live on a loop scheme. Any lineman knows if you live on a loop scheme our lights hardly ever go out except on big storms. We have source reclosures, mid point & tie reclosures. They are preset to operate either by over current or a loss of voltage on one side. We have three operations of the source reclosure before it locks out from over current. The tie reclosure senses a loss of voltage on one side & closes back in from another circuit that phases in. In the event that the problem spot is between say the source & the mid point reclosures? The mid point reclosure will open from over current & open. Then it will time out & try to close back in at half the current it’s rated for. If it still sees an over current situation it will lock out. I’ll get 5 chances on my circuit to reenergize the line. Then a troubleshooter is dispatched to “ride the line” to see what might have caused the outage? Usually a large tree limb or car versus pole or a primary phase down. Here at home I start my whole house generator as it might be a while until the problem is found & repaired.
@@johnclyne6350 This particular recloser trips on overcurrent and the timing is controlled through "hydraulic timing". There are models that look similar and are completely electronically controlled (but still oil bathed). You would need electronic control for a loop scheme.
@@awfulbox In CT our loop scheme is radio controlled with microprocessor control for automated settings. We have a mix of smart switches & several different manufactures of reclosures. Both oil & vacuum reclosures. The oil models are being phased out for obvious reasons as they can leak & need frequent maintenance.
@@johnclyne6350 Vacuum reclosers can have oil in them and be hydraulically controlled as well. Just clarifying that a recloser either operates on electronic logic or hydraulic logic, but not both. Meanwhile the contacts of the switch inside the recloser are either oil bathed or inside vacuum bottles and sometimes both.
Also - could be what was called a "Sectionalizer" perhaps? Main breaker/yard recloser actually opens briefly, and if the sectionalizer noted the fault was behind it (on its circuit), it would open when the recloser/breaker in the yard opened, and remain open when the recloser closes back ...
Sectionalizers is a whole category of devices that can be used to cut off/close in sections of the grid - everything from manual cutout switches to communicating 3-phase reclosers.
@@Harrier42861 Right, we can get into the more elaborate designs nowadays, but 40 yrs ago things were much simpler ... there is (was?) much legacy line hardware still in use in outlying non-urban areas.
@@Harrier42861 re: "to communicating 3-phase reclosers"
Back in 2019 the local distribution network here was retrofitted with S&C Electric "Intelliruptors" (speaking of 'modern' line hardware) and these are the communicating recloser and line (fault) 'sectionalizers'. After some initial 'shake-out' mis-operation the first year (distribution engineering working out the topology bugs), they seem to have worked out well in keeping the power on for the majority of the customers on a particular 'circuit' coming out of the switchyard. It beats having a switchyard breaker go solid open (after three retrys) and every customer being w/o power while the fault is localized.
Good stuff, thank you! Off topic, how do you (or do you) mitigate non-linear loads? Harmonics. It's getting to be a major problem and with adding all these EV car charging station it will get worse. I'm measuring over 12%TVHd and we're having lots of problems with UPS's, generators starting and motor VFD's faulting. Thoughts?
The recloser controller I worked on could detect and trip on any harmonics the power company programmed.
Practically all EV chargers have active power factor correction so they won't do anything to make the problem worse.
Alright Aaron Another great Video. We deal with reclosures on our TELECOM Poles as such just like Xformers as well. Peco IS doing alotta upgrades to bigger class 2 50 plus foot poles down here that we set for the Power company if its our pole. I think alot has to do with upgrading network to 34kv and adding all sorts of heavy equipment like like reclosures and xformers... At any rate great vid. Always knowledge gained. Does your telecom own any poles That they set for you like we do?? Also what are u aware of the grounding and bonding policys for your cable and telecom Companies below and also what are the distances required between your lowest conductor to cable tv or teecom?? Sorry if that s long winded. BE SAFE BROSKI
Not really related, but long ago there was a company that made PC power supplies with a big stiffening cap in them. They has just enough juice to ride out an OCR. 😁
What’s the difference between a recloser and an intellirupter?
The have "intelligent" capabilities.
They're able to communicate with other intellirupters for automatic power restoration and better document fault data.
They also aren't oil filled and have a wide range of preferred operation settings.
We have a couple on either side of large industrial/commercial customers. They can automatically switch to the other feed if one no longer detects an incoming voltage.
*recloser
Cool, I guess that is the high voltage version of an automotive automatic resetting circuit breaker
We have underground lines in the neighborhood but its feed from overhead lines just like any other neighborhood, i learned not to play xbox during monsoons season cause i cant tell you how many times we get brownouts or mini blackouts. Only when its really severe enough and the power grid is being hit in multiple locations, but normal windstorms and thunderstorms do nothing to flicker these lights. When the radio and tv stations start cutting in and out then its best to stay off the computer or xbox or your progress is gone. But for the most part our power company is awesome for reliability and making sure the lights come back quick and stay on
Get a UPS for your XBox, or computers, or all of it.
Get a good UPS will solve that
Just curious how much does the average reclosure cost. Great invention & well worth the cost.
Depends on the type. The unit itself can be anywhere from a couple grand to $30K depending on phase count, operating principle (hydraulic vs vacuum), bonus features (Smart grid reclosers will communicate with DCC and to a limited extend will self-reconfigure during storm events).
Does the recloser open all 3 circuits in the event of a fault on just one? It would seem so from the operating handle. Does this only open on high current like a circuit breaker or can it open on other types of faults? Are electronic reclosers any different? Thanks for the great video!
Always all 3... A fault on only 1 of 3 phases will open all three. We have had three individual reclosers for each phase in the past to minimize customers affected until we arrive.
Electronic reclosers are typically a newer technology and have more options.
It doesn't necessarily require extreme high current to open. Sometimes they'll trip under cold load pick up (picking up entire line that's been out for a while). Some units have settings to account for this.
There's also options for lock out on first trip when current is extremely high
it will open all 3 phases and attempt to reclose 3 times before locking out.
How does the central office know which recloser has tripped, malfunctioned or otherwise needs attention?
We live at the end of a single phase feeder that runs a mile through tall trees. When there is a storm and the light "flicker" I start counting. When it get's to three "flickers" it either holds ir we will be without power for 4 to 10 hours.
good propane or natural gas generator will fix that:)
I’d like to have a couple of those Chance blades
What shields are you wearing? They look good!
nice
Did PCB oil have advantages over the oil used today?
I thoroughly enjoyed this video! This would have been another career choice for me instead of the Skilled trades if I would have had the RIGHT CONNECTIONS back 40 yrs AGO!!! Back 40yrs ago these kinds of jobs and career choices REQUIRED HEAVY Political INFLUENCES to Secure a High Paying job such as a lineman in Communist New York State!!! Even employees working for National Fuel Gas COULDN’T GET THEIR FAMILIES INTO GAS/PIPELINE JOBS Back THEN!!!! Maybe it’s different now, not sure where your from? Great Videos Enjoy your career as a lineman it Dangerous but Satisfying!
What make are those reclosers? Also what about the recloser controller and relay. Did not see the box for that.
👍👍👍
Do you guys not call it one shot up there? Great video. Just think of OCR's as giant circuit breakers 😂.
It's sometimes used.... If anyone heard the term "one shot" they'd know exactly what you're referring to!
@@Bobsdecline I worked on overhead distribution reconstruction crews and that's the first thing we did every morning. Put the reclosure on one shot lol.
I remember the one time I actually seen a cutout with the feed coming in from the bottom it was in the middle of nowhere on a storm in West Virginia. It's the only time I ever seen that in 10 years though. The door just hangs open hot and it can be dangerous especially to crews coming in from different parts of the country on storm, trying to get an idea of feed directions.
Oh nice!
Yea I hear ya on the cutout... I had one that if opened and left free to swing freely, it would make contact with the cross arm brace. We took an interruption and re wired it right away! Definitely a trap
3:23 not sure if you've talked about the idiots who cut the section of copper ground near the bottom of the poles. If not, maybe you could mention the possible outcomes of doing this, either for you guys, or for the thieves if something's wrong when they cut it? 😁
I'm pretty sure the thieves could care less what anyone has to say about their illegal doings. LOL.
@@chrisstromberg6527 I know, I just meant for those of us who have an inquiring mind. I'm a cable guy, and from what little I know about Aaron's job, I've heard that if enough of these grounds are cut, it can cause dangerous situations for us too.
If they cut the ground, and the primary neutral breaks, that is dangerous.
Another awesome vid. So why aren't these devices located at the substations?
There's one at the sub as well. The sub is up that side road to the right, the main line comes down through the woods and makes a "T". There's a recloser on either side of the "T" so that a fault on one side doesn't interrupt power to the other.
When The ARC IS faultY/ TO UNDERGO MAINTANAINCE is theRE any bypas plan in place ? solid links perhaps?
By passed with fused links in an emergency and a replacement unit if it's planned maintenance
A little off topic. But if I posted a picture of some equipment that I think are breakers in a sub yard, could you tell me if I'm correct? Or what they are or what they do please?
Shoot me a pic on IG or FB, I'll see what I can do!
Thank you good sir..
How long is the "flicker" in these cases? Just a couple of seconds? Can you explain why lights in a storm would go out for say, 30-60 seconds, then back on? This the recloser the reason as well?
I completely forgot these existed, for some reason I imagined the lights flickering was the grid rerouting power around a downed line. Like how some data networks can reroute around a dropped section.
Sometimes it is that - newer communicating reclosers can interlink with Distribution Control shut out damaged sections of the grid autonomously and backfeed from other circuits until the damage can be repaired if your utility has their SCADA system set up correctly.
Many times I have observed three short dim outs over about ten seconds before it goes out completely, usually for about an hour.
great videos! a little editing would put a cherry on top and help your reach/audience engage better.