spools or not

[reppy007]

Ok, lets see how you prefer them....when building a transformer bank or hanging a single overhead transformer on a pole that has a riser or has 3 risers attached to it .....do you make your connections to their wire or do you drill some holes and install forks with spools 1 foot apart.here we do it both ways but i must admit the busswork being tied at the spools...then connected to the customers wire looks much neater than the other way.

[Volcom]

We use 358 racks , 3 spool racks tails tied in looks nicer

[lewy]

We don't install open wire services anymore so if we are hooking up a transformer we attach the leads to the spun bus then hook our services up to the bus. If all the services are coming off of 1 pole we will hook up the triplex or quad to the drop leads if there is more than 1. If there is only 1 we will install the service with press on lugs right onto the transformer.

[Lineman North Florida]

I like to drop leads down out of pots or banks and tie them in on one wire racks with spools, puts you below the transformers and away from the high side of the bank in the middle of the night when you get a check service call and the pole is in the rear of.

[lewy]

I didn't think we were discussing wether the service was below or above the transformer. I never understood why a service would be above the transformer.

[Lineman North Florida]

I didn't think we were discussing wether the service was below or above the transformer. I never understood why a service would be above the transformer.

I did'nt know we were, I was referring to the fact that if the services are not made up in leads (below) the transformer bank they will be made up in PTT connectors up in the bushings in the pots up near the (high) side of the pots, therefore a man in his tools will be safetyed off below the bank if there made up in leads below the bank instead of having to climb up and safety off above the pot hangers putting him up close to the (high) side of the transformer bank to do everything from a disconnect to a check service call.

[ratbastard101]

We call it running rats. We run (usually) 4/0 THW down from the secondary bushings on the TX and tie them onto spools and then make our connections near the spools. This serves a few purposes 1. All secondary work (hook ups, disconnects, additions, removals) are made below the transformer so a worker is not within fall, reach, slip distance of the primary bushings. 2. If you make your connections to the 4/0 on the opposite side of the spool from the TX then if something catches or falls on the service wire there is less chance of the TX bushings being snatched out of the TX.

I also think it makes for neater/cleaner looking work that is also easier. We use block connectors to make our secondary connections instead of compression connectors as well for this set up.

[reppy007]

We usually have just the bolts,forks and spools....but its optional unless you have large busswork or your running some 336 or 4/0......its hard to find any racks here,but they do look good,and some use what I call half a crossarm and a steel brace,that also looks good,more work but more craftsmanship.......and yes Ive seen drops or secondarys go half way up to the transformer onto a j-hook.....and even higher....you figure.

[lewy]

We usually have just the bolts,forks and spools....but its optional unless you have large busswork or your running some 336 or 4/0......its hard to find any racks here,but they do look good,and some use what I call half a crossarm and a steel brace,that also looks good,more work but more craftsmanship.......and yes Ive seen drops or secondarys go half way up to the transformer onto a j-hook.....and even higher....you figure.

I would love to see a picture I can't imagine this looking good.