How we tap on 69kv/138kv live lines - energizing mobile sub 

GO BUCKS!

GA power?

I'm in! Long Beach Island, NJ

I'm in! Mill City, Oregon USA. John Klein Always love what you do Aaron! Thanks for the demonstrational video! 👊👍Excited for my upcoming Lineman apprenticeship!!!:)

Im in NewYork USA

I'm in. Connecticut, USA

I'm in. I work on Category I-III and in my newest area of responsibility, having comfortable stuff instead of the 8cal/cm² coveralls that make me look like a flying squirrel would be awesome. Wichita, KS

I live in Rockville MD

Mp or AEP?

I'm in

Washing insulators energized is safe, as long as you follow the requirements. I used an Altec insulator washing rig and the guns had a special nozzle to break up the water stream, it also had 450 PSI at the gun and I forget the flow rate. Using two guns we'd go through 1100 gallons in about 25 min of operation. There was a minimum distance you needed to be to maintain enough clearance based on voltage to be sure the water couldn't conduct back to you. There are minimum water resistance requirements too that varies based on the voltage of the equipment. When using it on live 138kV the minimum resistivity was 900 Ohms/cm, if I remember correctly, it's been over ten years since I used it. The city water we had measured 1100 Ohm/cm, which was within spec, but to be extra safe we would get demineralized water a neighboring utility had for gas turbine generators (GE SPRINT System) and that water would measure greater than 20,000 Ohm/cm! They would have tanks with about 250,000 gallons or so of demineralized water that was processed from the city water. When washing you start at the bottom and go up quick to get it wet, then work your way back down cleaning it. In the substation we would use two guns at the same time from about 90 degrees from each other. Yeah, the first time you see someone do it you're like huh?? Then when you go and do it the first few times there is a little pucker factor. Any other questions? I've only used it in substations, not out on the lines. It wasn't fun, it's a real workout holding on to that gun! Glad the tank only held 1,100 gallons and it went quick.

Don't die 🤘🏻

Proper training and PPE. You can either use an insulated pole to work on the line that is long enough to avoid the potential for arcing, or work on one phase and stay in constant electrical contact with it. As long as you don't create an arc from line to line or line to ground, there's plenty of potential there but no flow of electricity as you're either working with a tool at the end of a long insulator, or you are at the same potential as the wire. Same thing with household current. As long as you're insulated from the earth, touching the hot wire will not shock you because you're not a current path. Touch both the hot and neutral/2 hot wires, or touch the hot while your body is at the same potential as ground, zap. Major difference is that the length of a possible arc increases with voltage, so the mad lads (and lasses) rely on the increased spacing of higher voltage transmission lines to not become a ball of plasma. I work on commercial/industrial electric after the transformer, and while I know why these things work, they still scare the hell out of me. A 480V arc on a conveyor panel is fireworks enough. I'm sure these fine utility workers can explain it better, but the main thing is to prevent the *flow* of current through your person. When you're working on one line, you and it are (ideally!) at the same voltage so there's no flow despite the potential for flow.

@Alan MacRae where in NH? North? South?