Tom
It is better to be safe than sorry ( or dead in this case). No one (except
the power company) knows if the drop line is triplex or not. The only way to
make sure ids ask the power company and they may for safety reasons say that
it is unsafe to have anything near the lines.
I know in my area the power company still comes thru every year or so and
trims all the tree limbs near the lines, so I would guess that they are
worried about any objects around the lines. Not all power company lines are
the same all over the country. It is better to bury the lines if possible
and not worry about it.
73
Rick
KC5AJX
> >
> > I may be swimming against the current here, but I really fail to see
> > the worry or problem with triplex drop lines.
> >
> > > I have an almost identical situation here. The power feed from the
>pole
> > > to the weather head at the house runs diagonal across the back yard of
>my
> > > tiny lot. At my place, the line is only about 10 feet above ground
>for
>a
> > > good portion of the run, and passes through the limbs of a couple of
>large
> > > maple trees on the property.
> >
> > Someone help me out with this. What is the big worry with a
> > modern triplex 240 volt drop?
> >
> > You can almost use a buzz saw on the stuff without cutting the
> > insulation. There is a bare ground conductor, and the maximum
> > voltage is only 120 volts. It's much less dangerous than the cord on
> > our everyday appliances, and no one worries about those cords
> > laying on the floor! We work with fragile extension cords all the
> > time outdoors and don't worry, and most of the time they aren't
> > even plugged into GFI outlets!
> >
> > I understand how and why the old parallel wire drops are a worry,
> > and I certainly wouldn't get near a primary line even if it was
> > insulated. But triplex low voltage drops, with insulation that is like
> > armor?? It's tough to drill through that stuff.
> >
> > Can someone please make me understand how a wire with
> > insulation that is almost impossible to cut, and with a bare ground
> > conductor, is more worrisome than a traditional line cord for
> > electrical shock?
> >
> > I've never heard of any death or injuries from contact with triplex. I
> > can't imagine how someone could cut through the insulation on the
> > line unless they had a Skill Saw in their hand.
> >
> >
> > 73, Tom W8JI
> > W8JI@contesting.com
> >
>
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