Wet Hotsticks

[Miami Bear]

Hey fellas,

I am trying to understand the reasoning behind something. We are supposed to wipe moisture and dirt off our booms to make sure electricity won't track. We are supposed to wipe our hotsticks for the same reason. Why then, is it safe to work with our hotsticks in the rain? Isn't there a small possibility that if a complete sheet of water forms for a split second it would provide a path to your hands on the surface of the stick?

[Miami Bear]

Pure water is not a conductor.

Wipe the hotsticks and boom to remove dirt, dust and other debris because it could contaminate the rain water, which should be close to distilled water. Any contaminates could cause the rain water to track.


I always thought rainwater was pretty contaminated, had no idea it was even close to distilled. Well if that's the case, makes perfect sense, thanks.

[BigClive]

Rain water is pretty pure, but it only takes the tiniest amount of impurity to make it conductive. Even an invisible trace of dirt smeared along the stick as you cleaned it could make the water conductive enough to track at the high voltages involved.

[Miami Bear]

Makes perfect sense. It had been nagging me for a while so I'm glad I asked instead of working with the doubt.

[Squizzy]

We have an answer to wet hotsticks, we just don't work in the rain with them.

[scammy]

just dont work in the rain,,each raindrop has a peice of dirt in it,,2 mos ago we had a transformer on fire,an inexperianced lineman took a hot cutter to cut the primary lead and made contact ,,he didnt wear his gloves ,,,,,,,a more experianced lineman would have opened the branch line,,scammy

[BigClive]

I don’t think even Glasgow is that dirty.

You ain't seen Glasgow. ;)

My biggest water contamination issue here is bird shit in the city centre. If water drips off a surface that has been fouled then it becomes nicely conductive.

You can keep gambling with hotsticks in the rain if you wish. I guess they don't test them while they're wet and in a "just out the truck and given a quick wipe with the nearest rag" condition.

[Miami Bear]

We have an answer to wet hotsticks, we just don't work in the rain with them.


I understand not wanting to do it during a downpour but not even in a light, on and off rain?

[scammy]

use the stick and wear your gloves and shoes if ya have them,scammy

[BigClive]

Tell me CL... Do you, or have you ever had a stun-gun?

[Squizzy]

Never in the rain unless you are doing something like closing drop outs or HV isolaters from the ground with several sticks joined up, also we don't use gloves when using sticks, when contamination starts to build up or the stick starts to fail you get a tingling feeling which is about 1 second from when you should drop your stick.

[thrasher]

I cannot speak for all companies but we test all of our sticks dry, then we pull out a spray bottle and spray the stick with mist from end to end and test them again. All sticks have to pass both tests once a year. Assuming the sticks have been taken care of and cleaned and waxed regulary we rarely have a stick fail a dry test. We have had several sticks that have failed the wet test over the years and have had to be chemically cleaned and re-finished. Most of the time we can tell when they will fail a wet test before we every put voltage to them because the water stops "beading" on the stick. If the water beads they pass, if water doesn't bead they will usually fail.

[Miami Bear]

Interesting. Our sticks are tested every two years.

[ssgerken]

our sticks get tested every six months, and we still are supposed to wear rubber gloves when using them. go figure.

[BigClive]

I was always been led to believe that the Scots had a caustic sarcastic wit. So much for that legend.

I was getting there.... So do you or have you ever had a stun gun?

[BigClive]

I did have a "lights in tree" picture specially for you CL, but it was actually a bit close to the bone even for this forum. :rolleyes:

I guess you don't have a stun gun then? I was going to make a technical point.

I'll also guess that you are little over 5' in height. (if that)

[Aussieoperator/troubleguy]

We had a meeting with some rep from Chance a few years ago , I asked him what the rating of a extendable linkstick was when wet with rain , he couldnt answer me directly and basically i took it that the sticks are not guarenteed for wet use .
I then chased it up with our high voltage test section and they dont carry out any "wet testing" of link sticks and hot work tools .
We are still expected to use the sticks in the rain and though in 30 years i have only once felt a slight tingle using lots of different operating sticks in the rain .
I would like to get something in writing from Hastings or Chance on this issue but i wont hold my breath.

[Edge]

not sure what to say other than I think using rubber gloves with hot sticks in ANY type of weather is completely fuggin nuts... I worked EHV , HV, and sub transmission for years mostly doing stick work in many kinds of weather on every voltage from 19.9 up to 765... single, bundle, tri and quad.... NEVER and I mean NEVER! wore anything other than maybe a pair of leathers.... easy to tell if the stick is breaking down you can fell the "hummmm" but most of the time you see the end of the stick haloing long before that.... send it down wipe it test it send it back up....

all that being said the utility I work for now (strictly distribution) you wear you gloves for everything save a pogo/extendo/telo pole...
and while I think its completely insane it's their rules and my job....

so an old lineman once said " if you don't think it's Safe.... don't fuggin' do it!"


Edge

"you gonna ground it?"

"f_{4 NO!!! send me up those tire chains... these a GD fuse somewhere!!!"