Watch up close and personal as Kansas City Power & Light (KCPL) crews use “hot sticks” to phase change a 34kV electric distribution line in St. Joseph, Missouri. Host Utility: KCP&L
We have the choice when working our 27.6, our highest distribution voltage to either stick it or glove it, we never wear sleeves. If it’s just a straight insulator change I prefer stick and jib, we are fortunate to use K-line insulators with K clamps. If I have to make taps I will glove it.
I have pole in my backyard. Pole was changed after Hurricane Harvey, then 2 yrs later with one 5 feet taller. They were hot sticked both times. Power never went out. These guys have brass balls I tell 'ya! Although my line is residential. I'm NOT far from Center point Hiram Clark. I thing they do training there. I have HUGE respect for lineman & ANY electrician. Question? How many loops around on the insulator or does it vary?
The amount of skirts on the insulator varies. Usually the ones that are about 6-8" are 15kv insulators in my experience. And two of those will be stacked for a 30kv rating.
When lineman do complex operations like this, do they practice the steps ahead time to make sure everything is figured out or is this considred routine enough that they just go do it.
All involved would go through training in a training area. Usually it takes years before you are allowed to do such transfers on live distribution wires. On a specific day of the transfer, before the job is started, all steps will be discussed with the whole crew. The weather, lighting and winds need to be favorable too, and area secured. If it is a more complex transfer, or many poles need to be replaced, it will be usually communicated days earlier and discussed. It is routine to an extent, but all the briefings are non-optional. Everybody has a specific tasks and order to do in general. There is always a chance of forgetting something, or doing something wrong, not checking the protection equipment, etc. In a work like this there is no space for mistakes. If your stick is dirty, if you have a microscoping hole in your gloves, or don't take care of the tensions in wires, and your movements, you are very likely dead.
Depends on the power company you work for... as you heard in the video they had 2 apprentices up there... They're just putting a few lines onto a new crossarm, (probably the last third of replacing a crossarm if I had to guess) but moving lines is something you'll have to do to get some things done so you'll end up moving lines pretty often. Thus that will be part of your training you will be very familiar with the procedure before you go up there. No need for rehearsal, you get that in training, then as an apprentice, then you do it regularly as part of your job, but in training you will drill things, especially safy procedures. This was a 34 kV live line, that's why all the safety procedures. If they didn't have to hot stick it, this could've easily been one guy (depending) with a bucket or maybe even just climbing the pole. Would've taken less time too. So it all just depends, but everything they did was standard procedure stuff. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm an electrician, not a lineman, but my dad owns the company but before he started the electrical shop, he was a lineman, my whole life, while I was growing up. (I've had a lot of exposure, asked a lot of questions, am in a related field, when to school for electrical theory, etcetera, etcetera.) But I have no personal firsthand knowledge. Cheers.
@@binaryglitch64 I can tell you’ve never done linework lol. They are doing a double circuit pole change out, not just changing a cross arm. You can glove 19.9 in class 4s for sure but it still bites you. Not to mention everything in your toolboard will bite the Shit out of you because of the induction. However, In no way would it be faster for one guy to do it and it would be completely impossible to do off hooks as you suggested. You’re not supposed to work energized 3 phase alone, especially a 34.5 line. And you sure as hell don’t work energized 34.5kv off hooks 🤦♂️
You'll go up with someone who's trained and they'll train you. They're apprentices, and that's all. Sometimes you get training in a yard, sometimes you just get through into it and do the training after.
They Do that here. I have a pole in my backyard in Houston, TX. The pole was replaced after Hurricane Harvey. Two yrs. later they gave me an even taller pole. They hot sticked it. It was amazing to watch. Power NEVER went out. These guys are pro's! balls a BIG a church bells!
@@brianpayne2478 ..You probably gloved 34.5 / 19.9 Wye. You shouldn't glove 34kv Delta (which is probably what they where working with). The reason is that if there is a fault on the circuit they are working the voltage could spike to a higher voltage than the Class 4 gloves are rated for. You don't want to take that chance.
They get to do a field of work that everyone can't do and everyone won't do. I never made it into power line work because I had a family and people with other plans for my life. They made sure if I ever end came close, ohhhhh man people made sure I LOST LOST LOST something. It's fuckin funny, humans, they make sure you lose lose lose and hurt if you don't want to stay with them for life because they had grand plans for you to be around, and it would destroy them if you went for work in the field you wanted to do. So they made sure I lost big time if I did it. You do have to have support from family and friends to do this work. On my behalf, nobody wanted me to be the guy who got that wonderful feeling of getting a call at 1 am and a neighborhoods power is out, and I'm the guy who will go turn it on. For some reason, god damn, for some reason, the only support I had was from someone who wants to laugh and feel wayyyy on top of because their kid is crawling under a fucking house. It'll kill me til the day I'm dead that I got sober, got deadset on going into power work so I didn't have some boring fucking job so some people feel they're on the same level as me. Let's face it , I did communication linework and it tests your confidence at times such as climbing a 100 foot tall interstate crossing with the old school safety not a bucksqueeze. It can turn someone into a very confident person who tests their capabilities. Unfortunately I came from a minister and Sunday school teacher and damn if they were going to possibly go thru losing a kid. I've noticed in my family they like a person to LOSE something they love to do so that person is sunken into hell, a perfect little target to fuck with and laugh at. I've never been around a guy who has the mentality that work just isn't work and money isn't just money. I've the father who for some reason didn't want to see a son who smiled about life. Instead my life was about my father and mother getting even with their kid and making sure the guy doesn't smile about life. I had a mother saying I was going to work for VERIZON and a father just laughing, taking his little idiot on a wild goose chase. I worked aloft on poles, worked for bell Atlantic as a service tech, worked where a lineman got killed by 19900 volts and motherfuckers are amused with me having to crawl under houses , or what the fuck ever for money. It must be nice to have support when you want to get into this work. The most depressing thing in this world is just that, working in buckets, big toys, even getting a call at the end if the day about a coworker getting struck and killed. Then, ordinary shit so everyone can say " yeah, how do you like what I have to do for work", and then wanting ya hammered because you're not sucking cock all thankful and joyful. Then people want payback at ya because while you're at your lowest crawling under a house, they don't get to brighten your day and turn it all around by being the one who can make ya laugh and fuck with ya while you're sunken. Man, the shit I get for just exbeing a fucking guy that isn't the sunken family member for everyon Rde to fuck with while he's down. Damn. I'll just say whew. Family made damn sure if I didn't follow their lead, whew, it ruined their plans for my life, so my life's ruined too. Man. Y'all guys who work at a utility or coop or good contractor thank God you got that skill with that pay.
Good stuff, I subscribed.
We have the choice when working our 27.6, our highest distribution voltage to either stick it or glove it, we never wear sleeves. If it’s just a straight insulator change I prefer stick and jib, we are fortunate to use K-line insulators with K clamps. If I have to make taps I will glove it.
Cool insulators on transmission side. I have one like that for 46kv.
Never seen 34.5 sticked , we glove it where I’m at.
Yeah this is funny lol
Is it 19.9 phase to ground or 34 phase to ground we used to glove 19.9 34.5 in Virginia for dominion when I was a contractor.?
I have pole in my backyard. Pole was changed after Hurricane Harvey, then 2 yrs later with one 5 feet taller. They were hot sticked both times. Power never went out. These guys have brass balls I tell 'ya! Although my line is residential. I'm NOT far from Center point Hiram Clark. I thing they do training there. I have HUGE respect for lineman & ANY electrician. Question? How many loops around on the insulator or does it vary?
Poles where I live are never replaced unless they fall and power is off almost every time there’s wind or rain
The amount of skirts on the insulator varies. Usually the ones that are about 6-8" are 15kv insulators in my experience. And two of those will be stacked for a 30kv rating.
The insulators on the old pole look so small for 34kV!
5Dale65 yep, pin type insulator is way to short for 34kV line. I wondering how many times they got power failures due to flashover
@@imadewn I’ve one like that for 46kv.
I wanna do this when I graduate
AccessDenied you don't need a degree, bud. Just go apply for an apprenticeship
Did you do it? You make good money?
@@n-0-1 nah I’m a firefighter now
@@fatpromdate I meant high school
We never hot sticked 34kv, in Jersey/Pennsylvania. At least, not in my local. We usually worked it dead, or, if we couldn’t, in rubber gloves.
Brian Payne hot sticking is so delicate
I gloved 34 .5 for twelve years
When lineman do complex operations like this, do they practice the steps ahead time to make sure everything is figured out or is this considred routine enough that they just go do it.
All involved would go through training in a training area. Usually it takes years before you are allowed to do such transfers on live distribution wires. On a specific day of the transfer, before the job is started, all steps will be discussed with the whole crew. The weather, lighting and winds need to be favorable too, and area secured. If it is a more complex transfer, or many poles need to be replaced, it will be usually communicated days earlier and discussed. It is routine to an extent, but all the briefings are non-optional. Everybody has a specific tasks and order to do in general. There is always a chance of forgetting something, or doing something wrong, not checking the protection equipment, etc. In a work like this there is no space for mistakes. If your stick is dirty, if you have a microscoping hole in your gloves, or don't take care of the tensions in wires, and your movements, you are very likely dead.
Depends on the power company you work for... as you heard in the video they had 2 apprentices up there...
They're just putting a few lines onto a new crossarm, (probably the last third of replacing a crossarm if I had to guess) but moving lines is something you'll have to do to get some things done so you'll end up moving lines pretty often. Thus that will be part of your training you will be very familiar with the procedure before you go up there. No need for rehearsal, you get that in training, then as an apprentice, then you do it regularly as part of your job, but in training you will drill things, especially safy procedures. This was a 34 kV live line, that's why all the safety procedures. If they didn't have to hot stick it, this could've easily been one guy (depending) with a bucket or maybe even just climbing the pole. Would've taken less time too. So it all just depends, but everything they did was standard procedure stuff.
FULL DISCLOSURE:
I'm an electrician, not a lineman, but my dad owns the company but before he started the electrical shop, he was a lineman, my whole life, while I was growing up. (I've had a lot of exposure, asked a lot of questions, am in a related field, when to school for electrical theory, etcetera, etcetera.) But I have no personal firsthand knowledge.
Cheers.
@@binaryglitch64 I can tell you’ve never done linework lol. They are doing a double circuit pole change out, not just changing a cross arm. You can glove 19.9 in class 4s for sure but it still bites you. Not to mention everything in your toolboard will bite the Shit out of you because of the induction. However, In no way would it be faster for one guy to do it and it would be completely impossible to do off hooks as you suggested. You’re not supposed to work energized 3 phase alone, especially a 34.5 line. And you sure as hell don’t work energized 34.5kv off hooks 🤦♂️
You'll go up with someone who's trained and they'll train you. They're apprentices, and that's all. Sometimes you get training in a yard, sometimes you just get through into it and do the training after.
Just glove it. We glove it all the time
must be nice having all that good equipment send some to texas p[lease !!!
Having the 2nd highest gdp of all states, i think you can pay for your own junk.
They Do that here. I have a pole in my backyard in Houston, TX. The pole was replaced after Hurricane Harvey. Two yrs. later they gave me an even taller pole. They hot sticked it. It was amazing to watch. Power NEVER went out. These guys are pro's! balls a BIG a church bells!
1:52 "epoxylator" what is that?
Just the manufacturer of the insulator's name for a soft polymer covered fiberglass insulator.
i have rubber gloved 34.5 KV
Harold Spencer same here. I thought it was odd, they were sticking it.
@@brianpayne2478 ..You probably gloved 34.5 / 19.9 Wye. You shouldn't glove 34kv Delta (which is probably what they where working with). The reason is that if there is a fault on the circuit they are working the voltage could spike to a higher voltage than the Class 4 gloves are rated for. You don't want to take that chance.
Dude you meant to say line sleeves not line blankets
same difference, we call them rubber blankets up here in canada when we do hotline work
Various companies call them differently. I have seen many weird names for them depending on a region.
Guts
hi im wokr Electricals
They get to do a field of work that everyone can't do and everyone won't do. I never made it into power line work because I had a family and people with other plans for my life. They made sure if I ever end came close, ohhhhh man people made sure I LOST LOST LOST something. It's fuckin funny, humans, they make sure you lose lose lose and hurt if you don't want to stay with them for life because they had grand plans for you to be around, and it would destroy them if you went for work in the field you wanted to do. So they made sure I lost big time if I did it. You do have to have support from family and friends to do this work. On my behalf, nobody wanted me to be the guy who got that wonderful feeling of getting a call at 1 am and a neighborhoods power is out, and I'm the guy who will go turn it on. For some reason, god damn, for some reason, the only support I had was from someone who wants to laugh and feel wayyyy on top of because their kid is crawling under a fucking house. It'll kill me til the day I'm dead that I got sober, got deadset on going into power work so I didn't have some boring fucking job so some people feel they're on the same level as me. Let's face it , I did communication linework and it tests your confidence at times such as climbing a 100 foot tall interstate crossing with the old school safety not a bucksqueeze. It can turn someone into a very confident person who tests their capabilities. Unfortunately I came from a minister and Sunday school teacher and damn if they were going to possibly go thru losing a kid. I've noticed in my family they like a person to LOSE something they love to do so that person is sunken into hell, a perfect little target to fuck with and laugh at. I've never been around a guy who has the mentality that work just isn't work and money isn't just money. I've the father who for some reason didn't want to see a son who smiled about life. Instead my life was about my father and mother getting even with their kid and making sure the guy doesn't smile about life. I had a mother saying I was going to work for VERIZON and a father just laughing, taking his little idiot on a wild goose chase. I worked aloft on poles, worked for bell Atlantic as a service tech, worked where a lineman got killed by 19900 volts and motherfuckers are amused with me having to crawl under houses , or what the fuck ever for money. It must be nice to have support when you want to get into this work. The most depressing thing in this world is just that, working in buckets, big toys, even getting a call at the end if the day about a coworker getting struck and killed. Then, ordinary shit so everyone can say " yeah, how do you like what I have to do for work", and then wanting ya hammered because you're not sucking cock all thankful and joyful. Then people want payback at ya because while you're at your lowest crawling under a house, they don't get to brighten your day and turn it all around by being the one who can make ya laugh and fuck with ya while you're sunken. Man, the shit I get for just exbeing a fucking guy that isn't the sunken family member for everyon Rde to fuck with while he's down. Damn. I'll just say whew. Family made damn sure if I didn't follow their lead, whew, it ruined their plans for my life, so my life's ruined too. Man. Y'all guys who work at a utility or coop or good contractor thank God you got that skill with that pay.
Why didn't they have their gloves an sleeves on? They make us wear them on anything over 600 volts.
Who is "They" ?
iz diz fl4t in ur opinion?? just wanna make mine 'bout dat
n.. being a lineman (great job btw) do u think its fl4t or r0und??
curtis snow the line men
34kv Hot stick or dead.
curtis snow because the gloves and sleeves are not rated for 34kv
they need rubber gloves and sleeves
Why?
This utility doesn't require you to wear gloves and sleeves when hot sticking
Who wants a body massage?