AB Chance Investigation HELP!!!!

[VoltsandAmps]

To My Brothers:

It is a major decision for any utility to go in and replace all of their AB chance cutouts. The ammount of time and money needed to do something like this is very large. For a utility to make the decision to send their resources out and to replace these products, they need reliable evidence to make a decision like this. I am interested in collecting data about these failed cutouts and showing my results to my company. If the failures of these products are not documented there is nothing that can be done. Yes, it is very tragic that a fellow brother was injured. However, how can the family file a law suit against AB Chance if there was never an investigation done, they need evidence! That is why I started saving failed AB Chance cutouts that fail in the field and investigating the cause of failure. I tested the porceclain and found that some of the cutouts that I have collected had uncured porcelain that did not meet ANSI standards. This is major evidence that Chance cutouts have problems. However, me collecting a few cutouts will not make a difference. I need to obtain a larger ammount of failed cutout to show that there is a problem. My goal is to show that AB Chance cutouts were manufactured defectivley. It would be great to determine if a specific year had a know problem. Also, I am interested in doing line inspections to show for example that out of 100 cutouts, 20 have cracks.

Please let me know what you all think, WE can make a difference!
Chris

[Hemingray Insulators]

now, I'm not a lineman, I'm just a kid thats gonna be a lineman. But I do have a line I built in my grandparents backyard,and I have 3 chance cutouts, that were given to me by a lineman friend when a line went underground. they were fine when he gave them to me, no cracks or chips, but after this last winter 1 of the 3 has a visible crack right around where the mounting hardware is, and i think even at the top and bottom where the terminals are. Now I aint a utility, but if you would like I coulbd provide some pics that perhaps you could use. so far it hasn't broken, during opening and closeing, but I'm watching it. the utility her uses all chance cutouts, no polymer at all, though the lineman have been trying to get purchaseing to buy polymers.

[scammy]

I love this kid.......scammy

[redrider]

voltsandamps My coop has been replacing the chance cutouts for 3to 4 years, mostly the ones with stainless steel hoods. When its windy we can have 5 to 10 a day break. Good money on the weekend. Any time we have one off or are working the pole we replace the ss ones.

[44kv]

I started to work the bucket a couple of weeks ago. I went up today to change a lighting arrester on a tx out and went to pull open the cut out with a finger stick and I looked at the cut out and seen it was cracked down both sides. I told the lineman im on a truck with about it and he told me to change it out. I had never seen one cracked like that, but i changed it out and kept it so if any boby wants it just let me know.

[Lnemn's Mom]

There has to be a way to document the cutouts, a clearing house of sorts. Find out whether any came from same batch if there is any type of numbering on them, and take it from there. Just like automobile manufacturers, they aren't going to tell you, unless forced, that there have been problems in any of their production lines. Product Liability standards would go against AB Chance, for manufacturing the product. Only after there have been accidents and the people start coming back on them will the problems finally surface and they are forced to admit, yes, there may have been a problem. You guys are in the field, you are aware when there are problems, especially if someone you know or have worked with have been injured by a faulty problem. Get in touch with Rusty, and he may have a few suggestions as to what you need to do to document the problems so if it comes down to it, Chance will be opened to account for faulty items hitting the power sector. Guys, you have to face numerous problems and dangers every day, you don't need to go out with the odds against you before you ever make that first climb. Stay safe!

[42linehand]

Connecticut Light and Power is replacing all of their ab Chance cutouts throughout Connecticut. Thiro USA got the contract and started about a month ago. I am not sure about the amount that have been found to be cracked but I do know that they are finding alot. I changed 3 of them a few weeks ago on a private property job with my company and 1 was cracked out of the three. Dont be complacite exam the pole thoroughly before doing any work. Be safe.

[TEX]

We have had some failures also here at pso. The other day I seen one the crew brought in and I have never even heard of one breaking like this one did. It looked like a laser had cut completely through it vertically. Has anyone else ever seen this? From top to bottom it was perfectly cut completely into.


We've had them break down the length and horizontally at the stud. They can sit there partially closed and burn slightly open under a small load or fall apart. They can have (and usually do) have very fine cracks that you may not see. Especially at night or arround the back side where you can't get your face to see it. They are, most defienitely, a very clear danger to the people who work on them AND to the general public walking underneath them. The onus is on the companies, corporations and munies to replace these as soon as possible. They are liable with the knowledge that these items are defective and have been known defective for years.
Unless your managers are living in a vacuum on the ninth rock from the sun, there should be no excuse on their part to mitigate THEIR PROBLEM.

[lineleader]

brother, we in akron have been replacing these for years with the poly variety. the company[same as yours,probably] wouldn't do anything until we threatened them with some legal agendas if someone got hurt. that gotr their attention and now, even though we arent changing them wholesale, we are replacing them every time we work on a pole with porcelain or if one is broke, we replace all of them.they have burnt off arms, poles, and caused fires everywhere in our territory[ohio edison].we keep a log on file at every line shop and also keep the remains of the bad porcelain.good luck, brother to the south,lineleader.

[igloo64]

I havent come across any bad ones yet. Ill keep a watch though. Thanks.

[44kv]

they have a numder, sorta like a lot number on the bottom ear of the cut out we here on the duke system have got a paper on it with the number that is on the ones that need to be changed out, i will post the number tomorrow when i get off, its on the truck, so i cant get to it right now, but i thank duke for letting us contractors know about it and also you guys on here. thanks