Locating Faults

[justanotherlocator]

Curious as to any company policy's or general rule of thumb when asked to locate when crew is in the process of thumping for a cable fault. I understand they are send sending alot of voltage through the line to determine where the fault is. Doesn't this present a danger to the tech who is trying to locate? Wouldn't that much energy make it difficult to locate other utilities as well?

[ProfessionalLocator]

Curious as to any company policy's or general rule of thumb when asked to locate when crew is in the process of thumping for a cable fault. I understand they are send sending alot of voltage through the line to determine where the fault is. Doesn't this present a danger to the tech who is trying to locate? Wouldn't that much energy make it difficult to locate other utilities as well?

I have located cable faults using a capacitive discharge unit, a thumper. They can deliver a lethal charge but most likely this current would go to ground where the fault is.

If the various utilities were just thrown into the same trench with no layer of dirt between them the thumper can burn into other cables and the voltage travel along them, Seen it happen and burned out appliances for an entire block.

Still and voltage can be transmitted along the various grounds for the other utilities as well and you can get a shock.

the most likely to fall victim to this is your transmitter due to this current going up it's leads and burning it out.



When the thumper is on my transmitter is disconnected and I wait until they shut down.

[Dave72]

When the thumper is on my transmitter is disconnected and I wait until they shut down.

I think that's good advice.

If you're being pressured into connecting onto local conductors while fault-locating is going on, then contact your occupational health and safety reps for the appropriate strategy.

That being said.. I probably wouldnt be too adverse to using a ring clamp (ie, dont disconnect or touch any grounds/bonds) to locate something.. Just stay clear of the electrical path
of the fault finding.