At 08:54 AM 9/26/2004 -0400, Chris K wrote:
>You don't seem to understand. The issue is that we're not talking
>"trench" and "cable" here. We're talking renting a backhoe for a major
>excavation and expen$ive cable once your'e "upstream" from the transformer.
no, I got that part. we're excavating the driveway anyway, so I thought
I'd just have the backhoe dig a trench while he's there. what I don't know
is how deep, how many separate conduits, etc.
>You won't find this stuff at Home Depot, the cable for each phase is about
>1 3/4" thick. The 3 phases aren't twisted together, in part because of
>the risk of insulation breakdown, and in part because if they were, you'd
>never get the stuff to move. For the $2k you're looking at spending for a
>generator, you could buy, maybe say 200 feet of cable, if you could find a
>supplier willing to sell you less than a 1,000 foot roll, which you'd need
>anyway for a 300' run (each phase needs it's own strand remember).
cool. well, not "cool" really, but this at least means it can be done.
> Then there's the $1K or more for the "pad mount" transformer you'd need
> to go from the "distribution line" to the "drop" (depending on how many
> folks will be connected to the transformer).
>Speaking of whom, what about the folks who are all served off the existing
>transformer? What will you do for them? You might be allowed to pony up
>for a complete replacement of the utility company's system, but you won't
>be allowed to run your own branch.
I am the only one on both transformers, or at least the line off the first
transformer goes only to the transformer on the pole in my front yard,
which goes only to my house. I think the first transformer would have to
stay where it is; it's part of the neighborhood system.
>Your average electrician won't touch a "distribution" level line. They
>don't have the equipment. At 10,000 volts, everything has to be done with
>a "hot stick", a fiberglass pole with a manipulator on the end.
>The folks trained and equipped to do this either work for the utility or
>are under contract to them, because that's where the work is.
now that's a problem.
>Hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think you'll find it feasible once
>you get into it.
no, maybe not, but I'm at least going to try. nearly three days is
entirely too long to be without power, especially when the newspaper sings
the praises of the utility on the day after the (light)
thunderstorm. everybody has power, etc. took them almost two more days to
get our neighborhood. next week the power went off again, this time no
storm, just a hurricane 300 miles away. they seem to view a storm anywhere
in florida as an excuse to throw a breaker somewhere to shut off power to
us, and leave it off until they damn well feel like turning it back
on. when you inquire about the hold up, you get a peevish, "maybe you
missed the news - there's a hurricane." yes...in a different state. no
wind or rain here, so what's the problem, jackass?
note: were the eye to travel over the town, yes, weeks without power is
reasonable. three days for a puff and some rain isn't. especially when we
seem to be the only ones without power.
like I said, I just want to eliminate as many of their excuses as I can;
the guy that was here told us we were 'lucky' - had it been just a house
out and not a neighborhood it would have taken *longer*. as he then told
us we were the last area to be fixed, I don't know how that would be
possible, but I don't want to think about getting any lower on their
priority list. next week, we were again the last to have power restored,
again this time reminded that we should be happy the whole neighborhood
went out.
both times the street right next to ours never lost power. not for a
second. they don't see a problem, though. can you imagine the lack of
problems they'd see if it was just my house? anyhow, jeanne is now headed
right at us, so I'm sure we'll be out for a few days again, and there are
no generators to be had (still). right now we're deciding between the
generac at home depot and something bigger from a speciality retailer
(neither has had availability since before ivan). either way, it has to be
able to run a house, so yeah, it won't be cheap.
don't even get me started on why the utility should have to foot the bill
for all this. if they can keep the rest of the city reliably lit, it isn't
too much to expect them to fix the problem here.
scott
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