[R-390] Some progress

[Barry Hauser]

Joe wrote ...
> How long has it been since the bolts in your
> panel and meter socket were tightened? Are they tight enough to pass
> enough current to trip the breaker? Got any "blue" terminals? Melted
> plastic?  Smoke trails up the siding?

Is this a job for an electrician -- or the power co.? There are two
front-end power cutoffs I'm aware of -- The kind of meter that pulls out
where the power co.technically has to come to break and replace the seal (to
avoid stolen electrons).  The other is the main breaker or cartridge fuses,
depending.  But it sounds like the tightening of some of this stuff is ahead
of all that and best left to a pro, or the power co., especially the "up the
pole" part of it.

Of course, you 'lectricians are fond of replacing outlets and switches
without flipping the breaker 'cause you're immune or something.  (Does your
carrier meter peg with the '390A off when you walk by?)

So ... I guess the question is:  What do we say to the power co. to get them
to come over and check it out?  At home, as far as I know, the last time
this was done was when we upgraded the service -- in '86.  At the office, it
was done last year when we had the main fusebox (three-phase) replaced --
because one of the contacts burnt up -- probable due to looseness.  It's on
the same wall where the 18-wheelers pass by on their way to camp overnight
or make a U-turn.  Also not far from where the dumpster guy likes to set the
thing down hard.  Not to mention the LIRR commuter trains barreling by at 70
mph. rattling things enough to loosen the flourescent tubes.  Arghh.

Are there some magic words like "I think I hear crackling noises!"  Somehow
I suspect if I just tell 'em some electrician I know told me to have it
checked won't be enough  Then -- how to sneak up on 'em to find out if your
ground is really a ground?  This is Lawn Guy-Land, east of Brooklyn.  Just
insisting won't work -- you need a good story here to get around the phone
reps. Needs to be motivating enough to get the power co. guy without
attracting the volunteer fire guys with swinging axes.

Barry






>
> If its not moving, GROUND IT!!,.......... does your
> service actually HAVE a ground?