Working inside a Substation (138kv - 345kv) 

While every company has a different set of procedures and guidelines, I feel these 3 things are a good place to start. If ever you see something that you are not sure of ... Stop and Ask. Don't ever get yourself into a situation in which you are not familiar with the equipment you are working with. Hope you're all having a great week - 😁🍻 Cheers!

People who maintain the power grid are like snow plow drivers during winter. They make modern life possible and provide an essential service to society. Yet both groups of people quietly do it without bragging about it. Thanks for all you guys do for us.

As a layperson, I'd really enjoy a detailed substation tour. I'm kind of surprised by the amount of stuff in that building.

Great video. I just got off a gig working with Substation techs I was brought on as a inside wireman for control house terminations in a crazy 345kv yard at a steel mill in Butler indiana called steel dynamics incorporated or sdi . I Witnessed a 345kv switch open under load with a 150,000 kva transformer connected feeding the steel mill melt operation. This was the testing contractors oh fook . But was amazing to witness . A sight I will never forget. I'm a jiw from local 275 west michigan and was working out of 1393 fort wayne indiana

We had someone break into one of our substations a few years ago, to steal copper , they found his shoes , they had to shut the entire station down for 8 hours , while the investigation was done . They did find his mostly melted bolt cutters , tried to cut a high voltage cable , lot of pissed off people ,who didn't have power all day

This is the home of the Angry Pixies, do not annoy them as you are only a visitor in their domain.

Outstanding! As a recently retired Operations Manager he was perfect. My operations area was in Southern California and we had the same procedures. It’s good to see a substation and safety protocols being followed.

Call up dispatch "I'm entering the sub station" Dispatch "what for?" "Ah just a quick video tour" Dispatch "oh cool, thanks for calling"

Been a Lineman for 35 years , love the fact you are doing this ! we go from Heros to Zeros 5 days after a Hurricane My wife is Lisa , My name is Andrew FKEC Florida Keys Electric Coop[ Work Safe My Brother

A Land Surveyor here, use to survey the interior of live substations for redesign and improvements. They are no joke, one lapse of concentration and everyone is fried. Mass respect for the men and women who work on the grid.

You talking about driving under that 345kv strung between the lightning arrestor and PT brought back intense memories of my first day in substation and how creepy it was to drive that F-550 bucket right under drops just like those-lines buzzing like crazy. Jumped from my line apprenticeship to substation 5 years ago already somehow-wouldn't change a thing! These are good tips! Also, don't walk on the cable ducts as tempting as it may seem, they can rot out and you can fall in-I have before.

I enjoy your blogs; kepps me up on stuff. I retired 26 years ago from a utility in California - started out in distribution in 1959 as a Groundman, then Lineman. After twenty years, I transferred to Substations and worked as an Operator at several levels, got my Journeymans card as a Subststion Electrician. When the Company Doc put me on limited duty, I went back into operations, and retired as a control operator (dispatcher) at a district switching center. Keep up the good work.

I was a line clearance Arborist. Learned respect for the power around me.

Very cool. I work for my uncle right now repairing and rebuilding these switches, cranks, oil breaker equipment, making new contacts etc

Thank you for giving us a lot of great videos about what linemen do every day. And thank you to your company for allowing you to post them as well!

Thanks for these videos man! I’m a student electrical engineer and to me this is just gold!

Hello from Nepal, an asian country!! Your blog has been very effective tool for me to learn and see everything visually. Thanks a lot!! Keep it up bro!

Ret Master Electrician watching from DFW area ( Dallas Fort Worth Texas ) Electrician's we light up the world !!

Thanks for your videos brings back memories from retired Substation Electrician/Relay Technician Rocky Mnt. Power in Utah !

Interesting and informative video! Thank you!

I work at a NOC for a telco, and same idea with our techs they're suppose to call us when they go into any COs. Mostly so we know someone is there if we see door alarms. We have so much theft now if we don't get a call we send the cops lol. That building you were in actually reminds me a lot of a CO, kind of similar layout with the overhead cable trays and the racks of equipment.

Thanks for sharing

Great video. I've been working in 132kv upto 400kv substations in the UK for the past 16 years. A couple of observations. We have height barriers at the entrance to the substation to prevent vehicles that are too high from entering. We also have far more substantial fencing and it's electrified. It's funny that as you drove through the switch yard I spotted a GE breaker identical to what we have installed in an indoor substation in london👍👍

Everything you covered today is exactly how we would conduct our inspections, etc. whenever entering a substation. I don't know if you mentioned it but after we entered the substation relay house we would sign the log book and record a summary of what was done and other alarms or findings. Nice assortment of relay technology. Electromechanical as well as microprocessor style relays. Nice job!

Hello, I am from Morgantown, WV in the US and find this very interesting. Thanks for the information!

Hello from Wisconsin! Love what you do! Respect!!! Highest Voltage I've ever worked on is 24,900V. Did some stress cone connection kits (3M)... Doing Industrial electrical work now...

Awesome. Thanks for the walk thru. Haven't done high tension work but maybe some day.

very good Bob. Tks

Great video as always. Very informative. 🤛

Thanks for the tour

Many thanks for this video,i love it.Regards from the Netherlands.

Quick check n look around, if it don't look right pause to think before making your next move!!! Clearances in HV mean everything to safety as you pointed out. Enjoyed the video👍

Enjoying the videos man, it is appreciated greatly! Man working with fiber looks messy!

Hehehe good quality content m8, been watchin' u for a bit from Argentina!

Awesome, thanks for the tour. I love anything to do with Electrical

greetings from Germany!!!! Would be cool to make a tour in such a switch room together with an relay tech who explain what is doing what and how it works. Even tho it would be rather difficult to organise i think...

Excellent video for station engineers as well as service technicians. I am a retired station engineer and have been in many 345kV yards. Keep updating. Okay

Thanks man.

I love the information, thanks!watching from TN.

It was interesting to see all the switching equipment inside the substation. I'd like to see some more!

Milwaukee Wisconsin . Love your videos.

Great video. Interesting to see the wide range of relay types you have, from old EM ones to solid state to digital line relays

Nice tour. Used to do maintenance and extensions in live yards. Sober crew...no messing about touching anything but your Weiner. We took it seriously in old yards where the equipment was way too low to be near. What spooked me most was being told transformers can blow anytime and seeing the cooked aftermath. Cheers mate

👊 from Arizona! Layperson, sw engineer. I second the comments on more details on the substation equipment, as much as you are able :)

Mornin big brother. Going over filling breakers with sf6. Oh yeah baby feels good

That was dope! I'm watching from Birmingham, Alabama, US. 👊

Checking in from Boston 💪🏾

Watching from Northern California along the Pacific Ocean. Near the Oregon Border.

It always amazes me how noisy a big transformer is when it is first energized and gives out a big growl as it powers on.

Watching from Melbourne Australia by a retired HV operator that was licensed up to 220 kv..

Thanks for sharing. Viewing in E Providence, RI, USA.

Good job 👍

Many years ago, when I was training for electrical work, we had to do "practical training." For six months my buddies and I had worked at a 750kV substation, with close senior supervision, of course. I still remember that electricity in the air on those hot dry summer days. Exciting and a little scary at the same time. When too much dust accumulated on the insulators and humid air came by, look out! Those occasional flashovers were scary. Buzz buzz. 😱

Great video! I would pay money for a tour around a substation like this. You got yourself a new subscriber!

I work for my local utility as a sub tech one I love it

I used to wire those panels in that building. Thought I recognized those

Hey man! I'm watching you from Sylvania Ohio. I appreciate you sharing your time with us. Any additional time you can spare teaching us how the grid functions on a larger scale (distribution and regulation) would be super cool. I also really enjoy learning about how the equipment on the poles works and what functions they serve!

I could never work in a place like that. First, I'd be scared sh*tless 100% of the time, then I'd stil lget myself killed because one day I'd forget to turn off the power before starting my work. Respect to the people who keep our electrical system running!

1. Perimeter check starts with the gate. Make sure the ground hasn't been cut or worn through over the years. 2. Cable troughs shouldn't be depended on as a walk way. 3. great video as always.

These guys have balls of steel, they're just triple insulated & rated at 345 kv...

Duded looked like devo so I clicked. Loving the buz.

Very interesting video thank you for taking the time to show us around. 1:55 I don't know why people would honestly think that sneaking through the fence into the substation is a good idea, it's fenced for a reason!!!

Great video! Can you do a video on the equipment inside that building you was in? Thanks.

👊 Wallingford Connecticut USA. Stay safe out there

Wicked cool video, and watching from Woodstock Ontario

We have a few additional items before entering our subs in Australia, check with control centre for any known hazards such as confined spaces, asbestos or any equipment which has been deemed risky and due for replacement.

Whoa, none of the switchyards I go in are big enough to drive a truck around in! Maybe one of those toddler pedal cars - on second thoughts, that would be hard work on all that gravel.

I'm watching you from Toledo Ohio I love your videos

Would have been great to see a closer look at the equipment in the building!

Our substation which i work near have 60hz to 750vdc, I don't know the feed voltage but they are big transformers. Also in some substations there is 25HZ 5KV supply, for the step down to 220v. We then have a 400kva transformer from 220 to 110. Some cases stiil use the 220 and we feed a spider track transformer from 220v to 9-7v on the secondary. We are replacing the 25hz circuits with 100hz which are more efficient and more modern and safer. In one section we use 91.6hz, as 100hz is a harmonic to the 25hz propulsion current for the caternary. Don't know how much of that is left but it is intersting. Catenary uses, Catenary (Traction) Voltage : 12.0 kV Transmission Voltage: 138 kV 25hz. until you get on the northeast corridor. Everywhere else is 100hz traction with 91.6hz for signal power with filters for relays. we do have distances to keep from certain lines in or book, regardless of craft. The power company has acces to a meter and panel. the rest requires the power dept. One time a power company worker used a small device with lights and he put it to the beam holding up the structure for the substation, It lit up meaning stray voltage. The substations are about a mile apaprt. the mgs are further, and with very little loss i had one feeding 25hz from 25 miles away. They can even split and MG east and west!

Watching from Rochester NY region. I really enjoy your videos. I'm an IT guy working in the utility industry. Lineman seems like a great career for an intelligent techie that doesn't want spend their day behind a desk. Aaron how did you come up with Bobsdecline anyway?

Wow! Cool transmission substation! Gotta wonder if any of eastern Canada’s 735KV system reaches out to where you’re at.

"Anything you'd like to see specifically".. The Correcting things when they go wrong are the best videos. However. Lets hope they are not on demand.

I've heard of thieves stealing copper conductors and sometime taking hold of a hot one when they think the power Is off. Low voltage can cause loss of one or both hands via burns if there is no protection.

Down here in the lower 48 us narrow backs pull the controls in the trenway

In the UK, it’s illegal to only have a single person attend a sub or switch compound. You have to have a minimum of 3 people on site. Surely you are not working on your own

Can you please make a video describing all clamps and connectors in outdoor switchyard, thanks,

hello form the Uk :-)

Hi I am Dylan M and I am watching From Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

👍Natchez,Ms

Love the sound of corona discharge. :D

The the station in my town, those towers are full of raven nests. Every once in a while they go up and clean them out, and the ravens just build again lol

Hi---- Can you please show us how to use doble test set with a relay--- Thanks,

Hi from the UK. I find this stuff really interesting, although I work with much lower voltages and currents (electronics). Why do you operate single crew? I would have thought this job would need a second person for safety reasons? Thanks for posting, always good to see how things are done in other countries.

Your videos are great, really love seeing the details on how you maintain the grid and your safety first attitude. Speaking of safety, how close would you drive your vehicle to a downed (draping) live 7K volt line? I recently had one come down in a storm across my driveway, blocking me in. It was draping from the nearby pole, down to the ground. It would have been 2-3 feet from the top of my vehicle if I drove under it. The local fire department said I could drive under it, but I chose to play it safe and not do that. Curious what a professional would do in that situation.

Anyone notice the empty overhead light bulb socket inside the building at 5:14?

2:20 whats the voltage between top of the fence and earth? Of course the entire fence is grounded but the fence is like steel with a high resistance compared to copper

Working by yourself and letting dispatch know where you ae working, basically lets them know where to recover the body if you have an accident. If you worked in pairs you would at least have a chance of your coworker providing medical aid if needed.

The worldwide high voltage sound at the beginning of this video.

4:28 is that bracket supposed to be loose? I wouldn't think you could keep unused parts around like that.

👊 Wallingford Connecticut USA

speficallyn what does the dispatcher prevent from happening? like will not open the switch gear? If they open that switch gear and it arcs over what is the procedure whewn you are in the substation?

how come substations dont have any cctv feeds or remote alarm to tell the them theres a intruder ect?

I have Uninterpretable Backup power units in my house The power would fluctuate around midnight and 5am, twice a month, always at those times, and cause the units to go into alarm mode requiring a manual reset They would not auto reset I talked to the power company and they said they didn't see these incidents happening on the meter But, the checked the UPSTREAM CAP BANKS and the problem stopped after they told me they would check those What are these and what was happening that caused my UPS units to go into emergency mode every time the event happened And why was it always at those specific times, on the hour, to the minute, every time Thanks Bill

1st year substation apprentice checking in

Is there some telecom equipment in that building? Does your company also operate a fiber network? Thought I saw some stuff.

What about keeping one hand in your pocket if you don’t need two hands while inside the shack ?

0:02 I was curious and downloaded a tone generator 🔊 and strangely enough I first tried with 120 hz then 60 hz and the 120hz was (to me) exactly it and then I thought 💭 what about the 3 phases and then why 120hz (I might be the problem I don’t think it’s my tone generator)…

I'd like to see how dispatch visualizes your system and its troubles - though that might be a more secured that you have access to.

Buffalo NY!