Can’t reset my breaker..

[tmschuller]

Had to help pull this breaker yesterday.. it’s about 3’ across ..it was already de energized and no 40 cal suit but I’m really intrigued by how this works. Tech was here to test it and it checked out and they are putting it back in tonight

 

[Leo]

Since those breakers have to slam in or pull out instantly to avoid an explosion from arcing, there is a heck of a strong mechanism to load those springs, that works quite a bit of mass. Most of that mechanism that you see is to load and unload the springs.

The post WWII Allis Chamlers brand switch gear actually had a power drill installed as the motor to wind up the springs. I always got a kick out of that, looked like something a farmer would rig up to get by, but they worked fine.

I have never seen a switch gear fail in real time, But I worked on replacing the whole cabinet in a gear room that had blown. Between bent, twisted, melted and burned, I am positive I would not want be around to see it happen.

 

[Creedmoor]

Had to help pull this breaker yesterday.. it’s about 3’ across ..View attachment 373097it was already de energized and no 40 cal suit but I’m really intrigued by how this works. Tech was here to test it and it checked out and they are putting it back in tonight

No Bee suit, I'm surprised.

 

[tmschuller]

No Bee suit, I'm surprised.

It was unracked.. zero power present. I have video of it operating manually and by a remote .. it slams shut. Smaller breakers they have chicken switches to open and close

 

[Creedmoor]

It was unracked.. zero power present. I have video of it operating manually and by a remote .. it slams shut. Smaller breakers they have chicken switches to open and close

I understand that,been around big elect a long time myself.
I've just never seen anyone working on big voltage/ amperage that's not wearing a bee suit.

 

[tmschuller]

I understand that,been around big elect a long time myself.
I've just never seen anyone working on big voltage/ amperage that's not wearing a bee suit.

This was serviced by RESA. A company that does big breaker services and power house repairs. I understand completely! I am normal not involved but he vehicle broke down and didn’t get there until 10pm. I am a supervisor and expendable.. so they sent me to escort him in and out of the plant.

 

[Ark]

See if I had one of those maybe I could use my air fryer and my coffee pot at the same time

 

[Creedmoor]

See if I had one of those maybe I could use my air fryer and my coffee pot at the same time

Some of it from a foot away.

 

[racegunz]

Worked with switch gears like that all the time with no suit, you only need em if you don't follow the correct racking /de-racking procedures. I have seen one blow when energizing a 900 hp motor across the line, the cabinet contained the arc flash and debris as designed. Good practice was to stretch out as far as possible to the lever and look the other way for the units that did not have remote switches to energize. The one that blew was not a remote unit and the operator was stunned but not harmed at all. So the monkey suit not needed by proper engineering design.

 

[Creedmoor]

Worked with switch gears like that all the time with no suit, you only need em if you don't follow the correct racking /de-racking procedures. I have seen one blow when energizing a 900 hp motor across the line, the cabinet contained the arc flash and debris as designed. Good practice was to stretch out as far as possible to the lever and look the other way for the units that did not have remote switches to energize. The one that blew was not a remote unit and the operator was stunned but not harmed at all. So the monkey suit not needed by proper engineering design.

When I started in the elevator trade we walked steel with no safety harness.
And most Mechanics drank like fish during breaks and with lunch.

No one ever needs any safety gear, until one needs safety gear.

 

[racegunz]

When I started in the elevator trade we walked steel with no safety harness.
And most Mechanics drank like fish during breaks and with lunch.

No one ever needs any safety gear, until one needs safety gear.

Not saying don't wear it, just saying depending on what you are doing it's truly not needed or helpful at all. I called the blanket "suit up" approach being safety stupid. What happens when you use the blanket approach? well most technicians will just wait till no one is looking then not wear the gear.... then they start to not wear it when they actually need it. YMMV

 

[Creedmoor]

Not saying don't wear it, just saying depending on what you are doing it's truly not needed or helpful at all. I called the blanket "suit up" approach being safety stupid. What happens when you use the blanket approach? well most technicians will just wait till no one is looking then not wear the gear.... then they start to not wear it when they actually need it. YMMV

I get it.

In my years building and servicing elevators I've seen a lot.
My dad used to say, some people teach you don'ts and others teach you do's.
Most teach you don'ts.

 

[Eric66]

I understand that,been around big elect a long time myself.
I've just never seen anyone working on big voltage/ amperage that's not wearing a bee suit.

When I worked in a steel mini mill as a journeyman, we were never even offered bee suits when working on the 34.5 switchgear. Although looking back, that was about 20-25 years ago.

Our SOP was one of us would ride to the sub station with the NIPSCO guy, lock out there then he'd give us a ride back. After we had the breakers open, unracked and out we'd check it with the ticker then one of us would throw a short logging chain across the 4 bus legs just to make sure everything was grounded. Metatarsal boots, hard hat and safety glasses were the extent of our PPE, adding ear plugs and muffs when out in the melt shop and rolling mill floors during a production run.

 

[Eric66]

Not saying don't wear it, just saying depending on what you are doing it's truly not needed or helpful at all. I called the blanket "suit up" approach being safety stupid. What happens when you use the blanket approach? well most technicians will just wait till no one is looking then not wear the gear.... then they start to not wear it when they actually need it. YMMV

Unfortunately, most safety rules are made by people who have no clue how to actually do the job they're making rules for. Prime example: At the factory I work in, the safety department decided that when you open a safety gate to go in the line, ALL energy had to be removed from that work cell. AC Electrical, DC above 24V, Air Pressure, etc. This worked ok (unless you were trying to find an air leak or a shorted wire), for a while. But then we installed a new robot to replace the hoist that moved the roof panels from a stand to the install station. The hoist used hooks like fingers to pick the roof panels up, the robot used suction cups with a vacuum generator. Keep in mind, the roof stand is about 15-20 feet off the floor, where the roof is being placed is about 7-10 feet off the floor.

Anybody want to guess what a steel or aluminum car roof does when it's being held that high up in the air by a vacuum and you remove the air from the air powered vacuum generator? (Hint: It's pronounced "Flying Guillotine")

Oddly enough, the safety department made a few changes to their policy after that.