Coincidence or proximal cause?
I was working at my in-laws’ 1951 tract house, plugged my little 15Amp chop-saw into the outlet in the free-standing garage, pulled the trigger and the motor kicked just a little and then went dead. I checked the breaker panel, but no CB’s had tripped. I plugged into another outlet on the patio and the saw ran perfectly.
Next day, my FIL called and said that one of the overhead wires from house to garage was broken and hanging down. I looked at it today and found that the insulation was cracked all along the 20 foot span of both hot and neutral aerial wires. The neutral wire is broken just near the bottom of the drip loop where the internal garage wire that emerges from a little weather head was clamped to the aerial wire and “weather-proofed” with several turns of friction tape.
I’m guessing that the original electrician probably nicked the copper when he stripped the end of the wire and time, corrosion and motion from the wind did the rest.
If the wire was just about to break, could the amperage surge from my 15A saw motor have somehow caused the final failure, or was it pure coincidence that it happened just then?
Even though the insulation is cracked to the point that I can see bare wire in places, is it safe to re-connect the broken end as long as the separation between the two wires is sufficient that they cannot touch? I noticed that the power company’s lines on the pole have strands of insulation hanging down from them in places yet they are still in service.
Replies
On over head wiring free air space is a good insulator, but if it is triplex, the kind where two hot legs are twisted around a neutral, replace it.
Some of the old setups had an insulator on the end of each wire, and were seperated to provide an air gap of four or more inches, if its this type you might be ahead to replace with triplex.
"On over head wiring free air space is a good insulator, but if it is triplex, the kind where two hot legs are twisted around a neutral, replace it.Some of the old setups had an insulator on the end of each wire, and were seperated to provide an air gap of four or more inches, if its this type you might be ahead to replace with triplex."I don't get it. Seems like you are saying "if it's already triplex, replace it; but if it is not triplex, replace it.There is only a hot and a neutral on separate insulators about 8" to 10" apart. The only grounded outlets in the place are in bathrooms and kitchen.
BruceT
Yes you understood perfectly, It' just me covering my but, and not knowing if it was 110 or 220v. It would work if you put it back together, but what is the real risk involved?
Will it be dangerous to people or property?
I'd call it coincidence. I'd also replace the entire run .... that stuff is supposed to be sunlight resistant.
Yeah, the surge from the saw probably broke the camel's back. No way I can see that it was your "fault", though, as the circuit should have been expected to handle the load.
You are going to replace it 'cause it is broken.
As to the Q of why - for some reason ( I am guessing fraying, then corrosion, then wind and ice loads)it had worked down to only a few strands of wire left. That means that the full amperage was trying to run across a less capable conductor and was causing heat right there, which softened and melted the wire that was left.
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