Changing failing (melting) epoxy insulators?

[tramp67]

Changing them out on a dry day shouldn't be much of an issue. You say it's a 12kv system, 7200 to ground. You can lay a hot phase on a dry arm momentarily without any problem, here you have a fiberglass rod for insulation between the conductor and the arm. Those epoxilators are fiberglass rods that have the mechanical and dielectric strength to support the energized conductors at the rated voltage and load. The gummy goo on there is a watershed skirt to prevent flashover from contamination and moisture. If they didn't flash over in the last rainstorm, they will be fine on a dry day. Most contaminants are fairly good insulators when dry. Hotsticking is all about trusting the dielectric quality of a foam filled fiberglass rod these days - not many people buying wood sticks anymore.
I'm sure some of you will think I'm nuts, but you gotta know what you are working with, and experience lets you know how the stuff behaves.

[Phoenix-7]

Changing them out on a dry day shouldn't be much of an issue. You say it's a 12kv system, 7200 to ground. You can lay a hot phase on a dry arm momentarily without any problem, here you have a fiberglass rod for insulation between the conductor and the arm. Those epoxilators are fiberglass rods that have the mechanical and dielectric strength to support the energized conductors at the rated voltage and load. The gummy goo on there is a watershed skirt to prevent flashover from contamination and moisture. If they didn't flash over in the last rainstorm, they will be fine on a dry day. Most contaminants are fairly good insulators when dry. Hotsticking is all about trusting the dielectric quality of a foam filled fiberglass rod these days - not many people buying wood sticks anymore.
I'm sure some of you will think I'm nuts, but you gotta know what you are working with, and experience lets you know how the stuff behaves.

Would you do this with 27 KV? Not I, isolate and rubber glove it in less than 25% of hotsticking time

[wtdoor67]

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

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

Yeah John, you're right. Sticking is way to hard for most linemen. Build a shoo fly or take a midnite outage. Wait, there's Swampsuck. Just glove it off the pole you wimps.

[Edge]

well if your gonna glove it from the stick remember to take a piece of #6 and bend it up nice and tight and hang it from your belt so you can put nuts and washers on it...

for 7.2 or 14.4 I think I gotta agree with Tramp67 on a good dry day it would prolly be an easy chgeout with a bucket other wise dump the line or mac it out cut it in a float on both sides (basically change the construction from inline to a double deadend) and change it dead with out having an outage

for what it's worth

Edge

[Figurehead]

Changing bells this way is pretty quick. Granted this dudes "short" sticking and there isn't much cover.

[Phoenix-7]

Changing bells this way is pretty quick. Granted this dudes "short" sticking and there isn't much cover.

Yes, you are right not much cover-up, by the looks of it, the line personel are only three feet from primary.
What are the lineman supposed to do when it starts arcing or flashes over, DUCK.
Looks like a death wish!

[wtdoor67]

Putting the old handline to good use also.

[Capt Bly]

Epoxilators I`ve seen fail, was because they were stored out side. in a box that collected rain water.A unsuspecting crew put them up, in the 230, they lasted about three months.First time responder to this web sight, feels good. I was here , as a regular 8 years ago. Hi! to all my fellow line hands!!

[tramp67]

Would you do this with 27 KV? Not I, isolate and rubber glove it in less than 25% of hotsticking time

Sorry I wasn't real clear in this part of my post. I was referring to the fact that epoxilators are basically a fiberglass rod with skirts, and the rod all by itself has all the dielectric strength you need for the voltage the insulator is designed for. If you can trust the insulating quality of a hotstick, then why wouldn't you be able to trust the insulating quality of a epoxilator without the skirts left on it? The only issue would be surface contaminants on the gummy skirts, or watersheds, that would mostly be a cause for concern when the deteriorated insulator is wet.
When do most flashovers occur on porcelain insulators? When they first get wet, before they get washed off by the rain. The big difference between them and the epoxilators is that the skirts melt and burn on a epoxilator when they flash over.
Personally, I would never stick it if I can glove it.

[mainline]

On 12KV we would cover up, use a link stick and a jack, and change the bell using gloves. On 19.9 we would rig it the same as the guys in the picture, we would just use twice as much coverup. Why is there such a pissing match about sticking versus gloving? They are both valid work methods, Who gives a shit what method you use as long as it is done safely? They both have there pluses and minuses. Do what you do and respect the other guy. Remember we are on the same side.