Changing failing (melting) epoxy insulators?

[jmann]

Does anyone have any experience changing epoxy insulators that are melting due to tracking? We have a ton of these old first era epoxy primary insulators that are failing, the rubber is dripping onto the sidewalks. Some of them are down to the fiberglass rod and that is it. I know some guys will just get right in there and change them like nothing is wrong but I have seen them fail and go phase to ground then phase to phase, not a pretty sight and not anything I wanna be in the middle of! Our management seems to think that we should be doing these jobs hot and we have been fighting it as a safety issue. Let me know if anyone knows any work methods for doing this hot. Thanks.

[Ski_Digger]

Boy I have seen them go bad and be like mush. But, never dripping on the ground. Don't they nock the line out then? If they have gone to grd. when you have been changing them, that is a bad thing, nothing I would want to see ether. Are you cutting any grounds that are run above the Neu. to try and provent it going to ground when you are working on it?
The only other thing is make sure you use a good hoist and a linkstick on the pole side like any other time. May even want to cover the insulator up with a blanket so if a flash happens you got something infront of you. While gettting ready.
Like you said suttin it off sounds the best though
Best of luck to you
rember today is friday the 13th
Ski

[Figurehead]

We change out the butyl epoxylators and the aluminum bells in our system. The butyls melt and drip and we refer to them as marshmallows. The fiber rod's left. The Al bells are worse because they just fail without warning and leave the phase hanging by the jumper. Anyway, we replace them hot with hot hoists and sticks and do it real often. Don't have any safety issues with doing this or any specific procedures. We just do it hot aware that it may fail. Would like to know if anyone does it differently or "safer".

[PA BEN]

It's nice working in a hotstick State. You don't have your work in your face.

[jmann]

In some cases they have gone to ground and taken the line out but others are just sitting there with very little or no epoxy left. We have avoided replacing them hot so far by bringing up our safety concern, but we have a few foreman who were linemen at non-union shops and they seem to think that gettin the job done is more important than gettin it done safely. I don't know bout you guys but I like going home to see my wife and kid . We don't do alot of hot-sticking, its a 12kv system and we glove pretty much all the time. Although sticking in this situation doesn't sound as bad a gloving it. Any other input would be appreciated, thanks.

[Phoenix-7]

Does anyone have any experience changing epoxy insulators that are melting due to tracking? We have a ton of these old first era epoxy primary insulators that are failing, the rubber is dripping onto the sidewalks. Some of them are down to the fiberglass rod and that is it. I know some guys will just get right in there and change them like nothing is wrong but I have seen them fail and go phase to ground then phase to phase, not a pretty sight and not anything I wanna be in the middle of! Our management seems to think that we should be doing these jobs hot and we have been fighting it as a safety issue. Let me know if anyone knows any work methods for doing this hot. Thanks.

You are in the flash area, you do not know when the rod will go to ground.
You are better off to isolate before attempting to change those insulators.
You have a right to refuse if your life is in danger, there is always a work alternative!

[lewy]

Are these dead end or tangent pole insulators? There are a lot of different scenarios, can you cut in temp switches to isolate & change them dead? If not can you plan a big interruption & have everyone tackle them dead, I would think that if you have identified a safety concern & someone got hurt changing them management would be in some trouble.

[wtdoor67]

If it appears hazardous, then kill it out or stick it. Not to hard to stick.

[johnbellamy]

If it appears hazardous, then kill it out or stick it. Not to hard to stick.

Stickin is way to slow, way to hard to learn.

It's like bangin your head against a Fuc$kin brick wall.

[BigClive]

Keeping in mind that if the insulators are on the verge of failure, then the slightest touch could cause complete failure.

I'd say play safe and either isolate or adopt a procedure where priority is given to restraining the wire if the insulator fails during the replacement.

Unfortunately even the act of climbing the pole could vibrate a rogue insulator over the edge.