Chance cutouts

[ts94]

I know this is an old topic but is one that is near to my heart. Just wondering if other utilities have a program to replace these things. I work for pseg NJ and the companies feeling toward these bombs waiting to blow is as long as the cutout looks OK to leave it in service. They only change them when it is convent. I fight this battle weekly just want some feedback what is happing elsware. Thanks

[Electriceel]

We actually don't have a replacement program in place. It is not only Chance products, S&C have the same issues.
I think some of the problems is the way we treat porcelain products when loading and installing. We should be more careful and take precautions not to damage them.
We visually give them a good looking over before disconnecting them or doing any work on the pole.
All it takes is a small opening and water will start the freeze and thaw process soon you have a fractured piece of glass.

[AEPline]

we changed most of the chance cutouts about 5 years ago. We refer to them as "shiny tops". WE missed some, but everytime it rains we find them. I personaly have not seen a wide spread problem with other manufacturers. If I remember corrrectly---the bad chances that we had were from '89 to around '98

[topgroove]

It all started about that time. chance closed down its US manufacturing plant and moved to mexico for cheap labor. The epoxy never cured right in the potted cutouts. moisture seaps in and freezes causing hairline fractures. Many Lineman were injured or killed from these death traps and chance went out of business, or should I say simply changed their name to hubble and went with poly cutouts.

[topgroove]

You seem to "imply" groove, that all products that are outsoursed...for whatever reason are inferior. I think you're full of shit...but...that's just me.

:rolleyes:Having inferior results is a risk that all companies employing outsourcing methods have to face. If getting excellent quality is of utmost importance in your business, then you have to think twice of whether to outsource or not. This is not to say though that all products and service provided by offshore companies and individuals are of inferior quality.

In the past decade, more than 5 million manufacturing jobs and 850,000information sector jobs have disappeared—many of which have been shipped overseas. This outsourcing is encouraged by faulty trade and tax policies that corporate executives use to boost record-breaking profits and outrageous and obscene executive salaries.


A recent Wall Street Journal poll shows 83 percent of blue-collar workers say outsourcing of manufacturing jobs is the reason the U.S. economy is struggling and why companies are not hiring. Jobs are the No. 1 issue for working family voters this year, said Trumka.
We must demand that our leaders show that they stand with working families—fighting to create jobs, rejecting unfair trade deals and putting us on a path to make things in America again.

[bumpah]

Well put, to bad it's probably not enough to shut up a moron that thinks mexico is overseas

[Highplains Drifter]

It's really too bad you union boys, don't understand...Progression.

EVERY company in America...and the World is lookin for ways to cut back and make PROFIT.

I remember the Union Dockworkers strike a few years back. Remember that one?
The one that had Hundreds of ships from other countrys....tryin to offload their cargo in California?
The Union Strike... that shut down america for about a month?

Remember what the Strike was about? I do.

It was about the Union trying to save antiquated jobs of people walkin around with clipboards...logging in Containers. They were against, Progression...Barcode Scan devices...that would eliminate alot of those.."Clipboard" people Union jobs.

It's a tough call, for Companys that want to stay alive and make a PROFIT.

I drive... an American GM TRUCK. I Bought in 2002.
Got 125K on it...today. Took me 2 years after I bought it to find out it was "assembled in Mexico". AND...My same truck is also..."Assembled in Canada", back in 2002.

It just seems to me sometimes...that "Union", is stagnated in their thinking, and don't really understand the "Progression" of society.

Union was a GREAT thing in the building of America.
IMHO...it's now turned into a determent to America, and a stagnation to our Country.
Not to mention...A major political force, in funding "people"...who don't understand "Progression".

Or...as barry would say...."Fundimental Change" in America.



I guess I don't see your point, the discussion was on inferior products being sold here in the U.S.A. and you have a one track mind and always want to slam the Unions. So enlighten us with much more superior merchandise made by non union.......post for us the link that shows your non union mentality folks what products to purchase that are non union. You are such a leach...... you lived on hirer wages in your tools because of the Union wage and left the country to not pay your share of taxes, but came back to draw social security and Medicare. I think you need to change your depends.

[PSE Lineman]

Yes this is a worn out thread about chance cutouts. Yes Swamp is still full of himself, SHIT! Here at Puget Sound Energy, where they contracted out all the linecrews, we are still hanging chance glass load break 100 amp cutouts. We are still finding bad ones dated around 1997. Today I found one dated 03-95 and it was "flying". The stud to hang it with melted out of the glass and came out of the glass and was left on the cutout bracket, hanging from the high side jumper and hot tap. It had 2 cracks from the stud hole up to the top. My partner and I, we NEVER work primary alone, took the strain off the jumper, with sticks, and lifted the hot tap and de-energized the 25 kva xfmr and changed out the b/o cutout with one right out of the box of the exact same make and model. They are made in Mexico and the box says "chance" all over it. If anyone wants pix, I'll gladly put some up with the b/o cutout and the box with new ones in them just to show you they are not out of business. We teach all of our new servicemen to ALWAYS go up and look over the cutouts close and make sure that it has no cracks in it before rattling the pole around, reminding them that linemen have been killed from them. PSE says they are not going to change them all out. We have been finding them for about 6 or 7 years. Some fly off the bracket and just hang from the jumper, some start the pole on fire, some burn the arm off and some burn the pole right in half just above the xfmr on the single phase. Actually had an old guy squirt the pole with water and put it out. When I got there the pole had tracks all over it more than 2 inches deep from the cutout bracket to the ground and the pole had to be replaced.

[topgroove]

If you go to the AB Chance website http://www.abchance.com/products.asp
You'll see the cutouts are not listed on their products page. With all the lawsuits that would be impossible. The boxes you have must be old inventory. The cutouts are now Hubell, a subsiderary of Chance.

[loodvig]

Yes this is a worn out thread about chance cutouts. Yes Swamp is still full of himself, SHIT! Here at Puget Sound Energy, where they contracted out all the linecrews, we are still hanging chance glass load break 100 amp cutouts. We are still finding bad ones dated around 1997. Today I found one dated 03-95 and it was "flying". The stud to hang it with melted out of the glass and came out of the glass and was left on the cutout bracket, hanging from the high side jumper and hot tap. It had 2 cracks from the stud hole up to the top. My partner and I, we NEVER work primary alone, took the strain off the jumper, with sticks, and lifted the hot tap and de-energized the 25 kva xfmr and changed out the b/o cutout with one right out of the box of the exact same make and model. They are made in Mexico and the box says "chance" all over it. If anyone wants pix, I'll gladly put some up with the b/o cutout and the box with new ones in them just to show you they are not out of business. We teach all of our new servicemen to ALWAYS go up and look over the cutouts close and make sure that it has no cracks in it before rattling the pole around, reminding them that linemen have been killed from them. PSE says they are not going to change them all out. We have been finding them for about 6 or 7 years. Some fly off the bracket and just hang from the jumper, some start the pole on fire, some burn the arm off and some burn the pole right in half just above the xfmr on the single phase. Actually had an old guy squirt the pole with water and put it out. When I got there the pole had tracks all over it more than 2 inches deep from the cutout bracket to the ground and the pole had to be replaced.

I think your company bought some old stock that ABChance had storred somewhere! At yard sale prices! And you people have to work with this stuff!
We have a man with no arms because of Chance and our company not removing these cutouts. Go out on a foggy night and watch them track! Be very carefull !

[PSE Lineman]

I picked up a new cutout today and took pix of the label. It seems we were both correct, Topgroove. Look at the pic of the label and read the trademarks and the date, Loodvig. They are made in Mexico and are new. Like I said, we know they are killers and we are very careful around them until they pass the swat test. I swat them with my chicken stick to see if they are going to fall apart after I give it the visual. The cracked one is the one we removed yesterday that was hanging by the highside jumper. The other pic is the actual date on the new one.