Poco?? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

woodchuck2 · 09-16-2009, 05:16 PM

How does the POCO work for you fella's in your area's as far as dis-connects/re-connects? Here we have to call in for a planner, they look at the job to verify what you plan to do is withen their specs, planner then contacts the line crew supervisor who then contacts you for the prefered date of dis-connect/re-connect. After the job is done it needs to be inspected, the inspector has to call in to the POCO with work order# to verify inspection and the line crew is sent back out to re-connect.

I spoke with the line crew two days ago on a job and again with another line crew today about their new contract. Apparently when he dust settles we Electrical Contractors can take some kind of a POCO test and if we are approved by the POCO we then sign a waiver so we can do our own dis-connects/re-connects. We would still have to call the planner but after approval we can perform the work ourselves without scheduling the line crew. All work would still need to be inspected and paperwork sent to the POCO. Do any of you fella's do you own dis-connects/re-connects?

Speedy Petey · 09-16-2009, 06:54 PM

Here in the Hudson Valley we can do disconnect/reconnects. We need a ton of insurance, even a huge amount of vehicle liability for some stupid reason, and have to take a short seminar from the POCO.
At that point we can do ONLY single meter residential taps. This is all the program will allow.

Other jobs are similar to your area. Send in a data sheet. A field guy comes out. We get a pre-release from the inspector. Then the POCO will schedule a dis/re, or new service hook up.

TxElectrician · 09-16-2009, 07:14 PM

Out of city limits all we have to do is make a call and schedule with the poco, a co-op.

They show up, disconnect the service, then return to tie it in. If it doesn't meet their specs they don't tie it in, but we've never had a problem. If the service is pole mounted, they will mount the new loop to the pole.

In town we are required to get a permit and a pre-release from the building dept.

Either way, the co-op is the best poco I have ever dealt with.

Celtic · 09-16-2009, 07:35 PM

Here [in PSE&G territory]...
we call for an ESI...inspector comes out, approvals meter pan & POA location....
they I disconnect/reconnect [after having obtained permit]
City EI will come and check panel and send the cut-in card back to the POCO.

I haven't done a service in the other POCOs' territory in over a decade...maybe Mag's knows current process?

woodchuck2 · 09-16-2009, 07:55 PM

Thanks for the replies fella's, i have been curious of things were done elsewhere. I have talked to a couple other Contractors and we are all looking forward to this. The 2 services i did this week both took me 4 weeks to get processed from start of getting the work order# to the day of dis-connect. This can be a real pain when the customer starts getting anxious and think your screwing with them or you have an emergency situation like i had last year when a customers pole broke off ground level. Even with a broken pole and their service line crossing the road the POCO didnt care and was in no hurry to help resolve the situation. How many of you guys are using bucket trucks? If this goes through i am considering going to a POCO auction to buy one of their trucks as they can be bought cheap. Thanks.

Magnettica · 09-16-2009, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celtic

Here [in PSE&G territory]...
we call for an ESI...inspector comes out, approvals meter pan & POA location....
they I disconnect/reconnect [after having obtained permit]
City EI will come and check panel and send the cut-in card back to the POCO.

I haven't done a service in the other POCOs' territory in over a decade...maybe Mag's knows current process?

Still learning here. So far I have about 6 different contact numbers from PSEG. Haven't had the pleasure of working with JCPL yet.

Celtic · 09-16-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

Still learning here. So far I have about 6 different contact numbers from PSEG.

I can give you a dozen more

Magnettica · 09-16-2009, 10:42 PM

It's crazy.

I was talking to a guy I used to go to school with tonight, he quit going but still works as an electrician.

Anyway, he was asking about how the business is going and one of things I told him about was all the crap you have to deal with it.

Inspectors, power company, tire kickers, building departments, call backs, phone calls, etc, etc,.

He said, "Yeah, I know."

No he does not know.

There's no way to know what it's like until you are thrown into the fire.

Call the firehouse cus' I'm burnin' up.

+ YouTube Video

Ponsse · 09-17-2009, 05:55 AM

In my neck of the woods we are allowed to cut and reconnect and then call the poco after completion. I just split bolt the service drop back together because the poco wants to put their own crimps on after we are done. Big counties with small populations are nice because there are less authorities to deal with and things can actually get done in a timely fashion.
I think if I had to go through all the crap that you go through I wouldn't be an electrician. I became a tradesman to be able to work for myself and be independant. I've been in an office before and dealt with all the regulations and rules and will never go back.
good luck

Bubbles · 09-17-2009, 08:34 PM

I'm in the same exact boat as Ponsse. We just cut, redo service, reconnect with romex connectors (just kidding), fire it up, call in service inspection, they release to utility. Done. We can literally get a call and do it next day and be done in 3 days total with final and new connections at drip. I can't believe all the trouble some of you go through. I'd definately quit electric if it gets that bad here. It's hard enough just to make a living.

mrmike · 09-18-2009, 06:24 AM

I am not too far from woodchuck-so just to give you an example. The job was changing out an 100a FP panel with a new SQ D- When I set this up for a disconnect with the POCO-they will not give you specific time they will be there-but just leave it at "sometime in the morning". I did what I could for the first 3 hrs & POCO did not show. I got sick of waiting because I give homeowner a time frame to come back from shopping while I was doing this. I pulled the meter, finished the job before lunch & got the inpection done.
Went back at 1 pm and POCO shows up. He was Ok with it-but POCO called a week later wondering why their wasn't a call back for Re-connect after the Inspector called it in- I had a little explaining to do- & hope the Meter guy they sent didn't get in trouble.
So life will be much better if this goes thru................

woodchuck2 · 09-18-2009, 07:37 AM

Even if they give you an approx. time they are often late. The job i did Monday was supose to dis-connected at 8:30am, National Grid never showed until after 10:00am. I already had the ditch dug with the mini-ex, new line installed on the new pole and the splices on and ready. The inspector had shown up at the time i gave him, he left and came back a couple minutes after the dis-connect. I then had to hustle so the inspector could move on to his next job as now i was holding him up. It did work out however that the line crew called in to their supervisor and he authorized the re-connect before the inspector called in so the line crew would have to go back a second trip. The guys also "lost" a knife and a roll of tape in my pouch, i harassed them about "losing" an H-tap crimper too but they wouldnt go for that.

I guess i will be shelling out the $$$$ for one of those.

TxElectrician · 09-18-2009, 08:39 PM

I think I know the answers to both the following questions but I have to ask anyway.

Do y'all disconnect/reconnect hot or do you pull the fuse at the xfmr?

If you work hot, what PPE do you wear.

Around here even the poco yanks the fuse whenever possible if xfmr only feeding one or two dwellings.

Celtic · 09-18-2009, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxElectrician

I think I know the answers to both the following questions but I have to ask anyway.

Do y'all disconnect/reconnect hot or do you pull the fuse at the xfmr?

If you work hot, what PPE do you wear.

Around here even the poco yanks the fuse whenever possible if xfmr only feeding one or two dwellings.

Here....no fuses/cut outs available.
Gloves [Class 0 rubber w/leather]

Magnettica · 09-18-2009, 11:21 PM

PS sucks. I have a customer waiting for me to replace that SE riser I posted about at ET because of water damage. The meter is locked and the guy who does the Union area is on vacation his voice mail says. So uh, what if there's an emergency, wait till Monday for that too? Not to mention because this is whats really bugging me is that i COULD really use the work. Been slow the past 2 weeks. Morons...

Celtic · 09-18-2009, 11:29 PM

I forgot to have a lock removed on a service change.....doing it on a Saturday.... ? wait until monday?

Nope.

Clipped at the POA....out comes the sawzall....cut the cover a few inches above the lock...

Not saying YOU should do this.....just saying I have no problem doing it.

woodchuck2 · 09-19-2009, 10:41 AM

Ive gotten fairly good at pulling the seals apart but National Grid has changed their seals now, the seal are more brittle and they are see through so now they know if has been tampered with. Every once in a while someone will give me some new seals but its not very often as they could get in trouble. The new seals i just cut off, i have argued with a couple guys about removing the seals already as they have complained to me about it. I just told them that the meter is theirs but the socket is not, with the new digital meters there is less worry of theft of services as they cannot be turned upside down. I sure as hell am not going to wait 3-4 weeks for one of their guys to come pull a meter so i can work on the main panel. I just do the work, have it inspected and put the seal back on the best that i can or put a new one on if i have one.

Bubbles · 09-19-2009, 03:51 PM

I've heard of guys cutting the main, cutting the hots at drip, pulling the meter and line side off, putting a new meter and line side SE up, reconnect, cut lock off, put meter in, and tell pocu there was some sparking inside the panel, emergency fix/repair and let them put the new lock back at their leisure. Of course, I"ve never done this I"ve just heard stories.

Magnettica · 09-19-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celtic

I forgot to have a lock removed on a service change.....doing it on a Saturday.... ? wait until monday?

Nope.

Clipped at the POA....out comes the sawzall....cut the cover a few inches above the lock...

Not saying YOU should do this.....just saying I have no problem doing it.

No, I've done that too, but for now I just need to replace the line side of the meter with new SE.

Celtic · 09-19-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

No, I've done that too, but for now I just need to replace the line side of the meter with new SE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

.... Been slow the past 2 weeks.

Sounds like an emergency to me....