load break elbows

[woodwalker78]

Looking for tips/advice for removing stubborn elbows from URD padmount TX. (other than a grenade) Using a shotgun to push down on the cable to break the seal works most of the time but it seems to me that this method could cause the pin to break off, although it has not happened to me yet. If the tx has been switched on recently usually by just twisting the shotgun back and forth on the elbow it will come off easily. But the ones I'm looking for advice on are the ones that you are pulling and jerking on so hard you start moving the tx around on the pad. I know Hastings makes a couple of impact ratchet tools just for this problem, but do they actually work on one that is really hung up?? I appreciate any advice or comments!!! WORK SAFE!

[Pootnaigle]

Yeah they work really well. They use the xfmr case as a base and actually pry the elbow off. Much like jacking up a car.They also do it in a straight forward motion so the is no worry bout breaking the probe.

[woodwalker78]

Appreciate that! Workin as a T-man in So Fla and with the heat crankin up daily had to work 4 loops that were out one after another and my back was killin me after 16hr shift from jerkin on those damn things!!!!

[CPOPE]

http://www.powerlineman.com/lforum/showthread.php?t=4374&highlight=elbow

[wtdoor67]

I was always told that if you closed a loadbreak elbow into a fault that you ruined it's loadbreak capability. If so I've ruined a few.

The only trick about those elbow pullers that use the caulking gun type of rachet to jack the elbow is that as soon as it breaks loose, you should immediately yard it off. Knew a guy once who failed to do this. When it broke free he just continued to keep operating the rachet mechanism. This separated the elbow so slowly from the bushing that the load arc burned up the elbow.

[woodwalker78]

LOL, I figured somebody had to ask that question on here at some time or another! It would make it much easier if they could somehow merge the threads that pretty much say the same things! I figured you would have to pull it pretty quick once it broke the seal with a ratchet type puller knowing how quickly those arcs grow!! thanks for the info!!!!

[Tsplice]

These things can be frustrating to say the least,especially if the guy's that terminated it didn't use enough silicone on the module.I've used the ratchett puller on some old elbows that was stuck on so tight that the pulling eye busted loose!There really isn't anything that I've seen that is the answer to every situation you run into.Twisting the elbow can loosen the threads on the probe and that's a fire waiting to happen!And I might add that closing an elbow on a fault does not render the loadbreak useless,as long as the porcaline end of the probe is in tact,it's still a loadbreak.;)

[T-Man]

http://www.spdsystems.com/dsp_productinfo.cfm?prodid=67


I haven't heard a report of one stuck Terminator giving any trouble and there is no physical strain on the operator. It's a lot to carry around but it works very well. If you have a torn pulling eye be sure to de-energize the cable before you take it off with this.

[topgroove]

i'm a trouble man also. this tool works great. it clamp around the elbow housing not the pulling eye. it has a 5lb sliding hammer that quickly removes the elbow and keeps controll at the same time.https://www.swaintools.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=70

[woodwalker78]

Thanks for the link Topgroove, I think I might be able to order this one thru work. Our store room doesn't carry it as a regular tool item, but I might be able to get the restoration supervisor to squeeze one out of the budget. I'll let ya know how it works out if I can wrangle one.

[mainline]

I don't have a link, but we have a hastings slide hammer in our tool crib that works well though we usually do just end up killing ourselves yarding on the damn things. I've used the ratcheting type too and that worked well.

[Divemaster]

We been using the Hastings Hammer Stick for years and haven't had to many problems with the exception where one bright former employee used not only grease type silicone but also spray silicone. One slight prob, you mix the two and you now have silocone cement.

[duckhunter]

It isn't just a lack of silicone that causes the problem, some of the stuff we installed in the 80's had plennty of silicone but it became more like glue.

[ratbastard101]

Beware of the little packets of silicone that some crews like to stockpile on their truck. You know the little packets that come with an elbow or splice kit. There is more than one type of silicone. The type of silicone that comes with a splice is designed to evaporate to enhance the seal where the splice body meets the semiconductor shield. If this silicone is used for instance on an elbow and bushing insert it makes it nearly impossible to remove the elbow in the future. Im sure that some already know this little fact but others may not.

[LAMartin.CVEC]

Here at CVEC Division III we do quite a bit of URD. Years ago guys would put tons of grease on the bushing insets before installing the elbow, and there in lies much of the problem. Most of the manufactures of the inserts and elbows state in the accompanying paper work to use as little grease as possible. It does dry and become very "glue" like therefore the more grease--the more "glue".

Mr. Ratbastard101 above also made a good point. Some guys think that the "grease" is just that, lubracation to ease in installation of the URD application (be it a terminator, elbow, or splice), however some is designed purely for enhancing the moisture barrier.

work safely,

LAMartin

Journeyman CVEC

[Oakland T-Man]

Some Load -Break elbows may be subject to circuit failure depending on the speed of operation.

Partial Vacuum Discharge was a condition that exists during slow removal of the LB-Elbow. Some elbow manufacturers recommend the slide-hammer impact tool for faster removal.

I believe Elastimold constructs their LB-Elbow to eliminate Partial Vacuum Discharge internally.

I like the ratcheting type versus the impact. Which ever tool is used positive swift removal is best.

[T-Man]

Our company worked with Cooper to develop enhanced elbow terminators that are supposed to not flash when opening. We were having trouble with flashing over on our 14.4 Kv system. we found we needed to heat the terminator when the temp went below 40 degrees. This made for longer switching times and created the need for the new terminators. They work much better now. We use a torpedo heater for a set time depending on how cold the hours before switching were.

[climbsomemore]

We had the rachet and the slide hammer pullers over the years... both work great if you have a stuck elbow

The white stuff on the end of the probe... thats a chemical that helps to quell the arc. It's consumable... and parts of the bushing are too. Someone will get the last "good" operation of a load break elbow or bushing--- switch it enough and it will fail eventually.

that white tip is conductive too... the guy who told me it "wasnt" was really suprised that it blew a 140K fuse one night when he had some tall grass get across it. :)

[T-Man]

We are integrating this tool it's much easier on wrists and human elbows. It's a little more to carry around but it works so slick and easy it makes up for the extra to lug about.

http://www.spdsystems.com/index.cfm?prodid=67