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joensie
01-04-2011, 09:04 AM
We have a device that is used to convert 120V to 240V at the meter socket. We use this when we have lost a phase in the service to temporarily restore service to the customer.
We made this device ourselves and I have heard it called Add-a-phase, save-a-serve, and an autotransformer. We are looking to get another one but our company has determined that we are not qualified to construct something this complicated.
Can anyone tell me what these devices would be called and what vendors sell them?

Thanks

Pootnaigle
01-04-2011, 09:36 AM
I bleve they are called service savers, dont remember who markets em.

yager024
01-04-2011, 11:31 AM
I bleve they are called service savers, dont remember who markets em.



Yeah thats what they are called (service savers) we use them all the time especially on under ground problems. Sometimes we leave them on for days, weeks, and in some cases months while we wait to be able to rip up the road or a driveway.

topgroove
01-04-2011, 11:33 AM
Damn... I want one . Anybody have a link to where I can get one:)

Boomer gone soft
01-04-2011, 12:34 PM
We used them when I was at Xcel Energy. We called them add-a-phase. Don't know where they were acquired but they sure came in handy on UG service faults.....and they were too heavy for one man to lift. They were attached to hand trucks.

BigClive
01-04-2011, 02:29 PM
Auto transformer is probably the most accurate description. These things will be a centre tapped 120-0-120 transformer with the neutral to the middle tap, hot 120 to one of the outer taps and the missing phase picked up on the other tap.

Will double the current draw for the house on the remaining phase and the transformer will have to be heavy enough to deal with a fully loaded house, so they will be heavy. I'd guess that the commercial units are basically the transformer, a connection system and perhaps a couple of fuses and a big metal barrow to cart it about on.

wtdoor67
01-04-2011, 06:28 PM
You know I remember a device that had that name. It was a copy right name, because I used to see them advertised in Electric World and such. I remember once hanging a pot that was going to have an add a phase hooked to it. It was the customer's device however. I never went back and looked at it.

It was a device that converted single phase to three phase however. Oil field use however. I'll do a google on it.

wtdoor67
01-04-2011, 06:34 PM
Found it but I can't get it to post. Google add-a-phase and it'll come up.

Highplains Drifter
01-04-2011, 07:02 PM
Found it but I can't get it to post. Google add-a-phase and it'll come up.


Door, HERE (http://www.ronkelectrical.com/add_a_phase.html) but I think this is a 3 phase one.

joensie
01-04-2011, 08:01 PM
Big Clive was right as to what our device is. It is a secondary autotransformer.
We used a 10 kva GE autotransformer and ran that through a 50 amp breaker for protection. We used a temporary service adapter from Ekstrom Industries (732A) to run it into the meter socket. We mounted this on a two wheel cart to move it around. Two guys can load it fairly easily. Probably about 150 pounds.
It works good, although the load needs to be restricted somewhat.
I think the add-a-phase machines are to add a third phase.
I still havent been able to find someone who sells them.

Pootnaigle
01-04-2011, 08:02 PM
Ummmmmm that aint a service saver itz for gettin 3 phaze when you only just have single phase available.

Highplains Drifter
01-04-2011, 08:10 PM
Big Clive was right as to what our device is. It is a secondary autotransformer.
We used a 10 kva GE autotransformer and ran that through a 50 amp breaker for protection. We used a temporary service adapter from Ekstrom Industries (732A) to run it into the meter socket. We mounted this on a two wheel cart to move it around. Two guys can load it fairly easily. Probably about 150 pounds.
It works good, although the load needs to be restricted somewhat.
I think the add-a-phase machines are to add a third phase.
I still havent been able to find someone who sells them.

joensie, I have been contemplating about using more dc power for my self and I have been reading on inverters that produce a pure syn wave. Is there something built in your auto transformer that will do that as not to damage any of the customers electrical appliances?

topgroove
01-04-2011, 09:43 PM
Big Clive was right as to what our device is. It is a secondary autotransformer.
We used a 10 kva GE autotransformer and ran that through a 50 amp breaker for protection. We used a temporary service adapter from Ekstrom Industries (732A) to run it into the meter socket. We mounted this on a two wheel cart to move it around. Two guys can load it fairly easily. Probably about 150 pounds.
It works good, although the load needs to be restricted somewhat.
I think the add-a-phase machines are to add a third phase.
I still havent been able to find someone who sells them.

Damn... I've got to get my hands on one even if I have to build it myself. One question though? How do you pick up the nuetral in the channel? Does the temporary adapter have something to attach to the nuetral?

T-Man
01-04-2011, 10:09 PM
This is what we were using. Took me a while to remember what it was called. Check it out.

http://www.electricalmaterialscompany.com/htm/undrgrnd_srvce_quck_restor.htm


Takes two men to set up and our rules said you needed a good neutral to operate because the company didn't want return current traveling thru water pipe or neighbors grounding. So if there was a bad leg of URD we could install this and repair the cable during the day light. At first it was a hard sell to the guys but once they realized they didn't have to run core flo and cable thay used them enough that the service centers bought more than one unit so they could handle more calls with it. You need a Tommy Lift gate on a pick up to deliver it. There was some talk of building a way to carry one on a bucket truck (something you could add on when needed)

MI-Lineman
01-04-2011, 10:48 PM
Great! Another overtime killer!:rolleyes: Just locate the dam fault and fix it! Here that f$ckin thing would be left on a house for 2 or 3 years before someone finally remembered it!:(

topgroove
01-04-2011, 10:51 PM
Thanks T-Man... your the best. I printed it out and I'm gonna ask my supervisor for one:)

BigClive
01-05-2011, 06:34 AM
I have been contemplating about using more dc power for my self and I have been reading on inverters that produce a pure syn wave.

DC power???

T-Man
01-05-2011, 08:04 AM
Great! Another overtime killer!:rolleyes: Just locate the dam fault and fix it! Here that f$ckin thing would be left on a house for 2 or 3 years before someone finally remembered it!:(



MI. That's the same initial response we had till they started using the tool. Then the troubleshooters wanted the repair made so the Transformer was back in the shop available for the next cold night fault. Now like I said there are a couple units in most service centers. it took almost two years for the guys to warm up to these before they accepted them.

Lineman North Florida
01-05-2011, 11:51 AM
We have a device that is used to convert 120V to 240V at the meter socket. We use this when we have lost a phase in the service to temporarily restore service to the customer.
We made this device ourselves and I have heard it called Add-a-phase, save-a-serve, and an autotransformer. We are looking to get another one but our company has determined that we are not qualified to construct something this complicated.
Can anyone tell me what these devices would be called and what vendors sell them?

Thanks
We call em power temps and the ones we use are made by the Vonn Corporation the same bunch that makes the Sadisaver the URD primary fault finding unit that you hook up and shoot right through the transformers, I believe their out of Alabama. I imagine if your computer savvy enough you can find em, if not I will find you a phone number.

Trbl639
01-05-2011, 01:03 PM
We call em power temps and the ones we use are made by the Vonn Corporation the same bunch that makes the Sadisaver the URD primary fault finding unit that you hook up and shoot right through the transformers, I believe their out of Alabama. I imagine if your computer savvy enough you can find em, if not I will find you a phone number.

That's the ones we had if I remember right, made by Vonn........can also be used on ovhd service, as long as ya got a good neutral..........comes in handy on trouble on ovhd when you're in a one horse town on a holiday weekend and got a service running thru a tree and no truck access/no help, and ya got boocoo trees that need trimming to get to the bad spot:D

Took a couple years before we got warmed up to using them too, now I think every town has at least one and some of the bigger towns have a truck load of em!! It's heavy, but our Tmen had Material handlers, back up to the dock , roll it on the back, use the truck to unload it at the job!!

joensie
01-07-2011, 02:39 PM
Thanx T-Man, thats exactly what I was looking for. The picture looks just like the unit we made. I probly work for the large midwest utility they mention.
Top Groove, a neutral is run from the adapter into the meter socket. It must be of adequate size to carry the load. If the neutral is the bad conductor, I install a ground rod at the autotransformer in addition to the ground rod at the meter installation. The device will not work correctly if the neutral is bad in addition to a bad phase.
Highplains Drifter, I don't know if an auto transformer would purify your sine wave. I would think a capacitor would be a better bet if you are trying to take the peak off your wave.

Liledgy
01-09-2011, 12:23 PM
Com ed has had em for well over 27 years. Every barn I was at called them something different. And theirs different ways to isolate the bad phase for backfeed. Most of us took the leg off at the meter socket and put a shrink tube over the leg to keep it isolated, some crews also isolated it in the pedestal. And some others put the little booties over one of the prongs of the add of phase socket that when plugged back into meter socket would keep from backfeeding leg. It's the same booties that the meterman puts on for turn offs. Also if you have a bad nuetrel guys used to turn move one of the good phases to the neutral at both ends and then put the add a phase in. Later on by experimenting that wasn't necessary, the add a phase can be used to give a customer a good neutral too! Each barn had at least 10-15 in the toolroom. And yes some of the management took advantage of it and never fixed the faults for months at a time, sometimes we had to run temps on the ground to pick customers up. Their are different sizes for load, you can remove the socket and wire it direct to a ped. To pickup the sec. Bus. We also have had house fires where they were installed on 400 amps services. To much load. One meters with the bypass/locking jaws you can't put the cover back on so you have to put a rubber blanket over trough and safety tape it. Stupid I know.

loose neutral
01-09-2011, 02:00 PM
http://www.voncorp.com/products/servsav/15&20&m.htm