Wrong Place For A Telephone Wire

JSP

Maybe you have seen this already. I found it on another site.

Here is the background info:

A friend of mine in Colonia NJ had a new phone line put in last weekend. Check out the photo, observe the perfect placement of the drill bit going right through the electric service cable. Since the installer shorted the line upstream of the breaker panel, the only thing that stopped the fireworks was the wire burning open. I wonder how fast the meter was spinning for the 20 seconds or so when the lights were flickering in the whole neighborhood? The technician is lucky to be alive, and the homeowner is even luckier that his house didn't burn down.
I guess this could have been done by Verizon, or the cable TV company, or the satellite company. They all show up at your house with the same 2-foot long drill bit, and their technicians are all about as well trained.
PSE&G billed Verizon about $2K to fix the problem that Saturday evening. The PSE&G guy asked the Verizon guy if he would pick a lottery number for him, since his luck was so good.
We've got a feeling this picture is going to get more than 15 minutes fame, expect to see it on an Official Safety Poster soon (especially if you work for Verizon...). Think before you drill!

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Magnettica

I did that once. But I drilled from the outside in like you're supposed to. I was even luckier than this guy because I only drilled through uninsulated grounded conductor. I wound up making the repair and replacing the feeder.

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GregS

Is that an auger? Why would you use an auger through siding?

I drilled into a 14.2 a couple of weeks ago during rough-in for a new construction. House wasn't live and I only scuffed the outer sheath, but I replaced the entire 14.2 run myself and let the electrician know. He laughed and said that happens all the time with his own guys

Speedy Petey

That's a new one to me. I've never seen that pic.
All I can say is WOW!

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jproffer

You must mean something different than what I'm reading into it...but just in case, lemme get this straight...you drilled from the outside and STILL drilled thru the service cable, which was (presumably) also outside???....

Which is why I say that you MUST mean something other than what I'm reading into it. With some people, I would believe it without a doubt, but not you...

Do elaborate, please.

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Jim P.

747

The phone company did mine for free becaUse i pay for something called linebacker. They actually went over my vinyl and then through the vinyl for the phone line in the bedroom. I Don't like it because i have a crawlspace i think they could have figured a way to go up from there. So i have a telephone cable going up about 31/2 feet on side of my house.

747

concerning that meter mine isn't like that. I have a pipe that goes through the soffitt and the line from poll goes to roof. Then there is a cable that comes down from meter that attached to metal rod in ground.,

frenchsparky

All i can say someone is very lucky with this mess and i am sure this is a 100 amp service with alum wires i am supecting that is #2 AL wire and when they short out they will vaperoized quicker than copper will and also what more it was lucky that the transformer fuse kicked out pretty fast but most place it will take up to a min or so before the fuse kick out on transformer wow


that owner must be feeling lucky this time but for the person whom ran the drill really learn a hard lesson there and luckly no one hurt at that time


Merci , Marc

Magnettica

The main breaker panel was located in a finished basement, so the panel was flush mount and all that could be seen from the bsmt was the panel cover. What I did not know was that the meter did not line up with the panel and in fact the SE CABLE ran along the sill plate for about 5-6 feet. That's certainly NOT classified as nearest "point of entrance" which is what code calls for. So when I drilled through the foundation I thought I would be about 2' to the right of the panel but I wasn't. Sure enough the bit came out all charred-up but the fault current wasn't enough to blow POCO's OCPD.

Hey, %^$# happens!

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jproffer

That makes more sense now. Like I said, there are some people (not necessarily on this forum)I wouldn't put it past to drill right through the cable because it was "the easiest place to drill in"....but not you. Knew there was a story, just curious what it was.

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Jim P.

Magnettica

We all mistakes.

Wether or not we admit to them on a public forum is another story.

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Second Look

HUH, the homeowner is luckier???

Um, Alex I'll take "Burnin' Down the House" for $800 please.

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excellencee

My ex-father-in-law was a Verizon tech for years. He told me he drilled many trailer tires when he was an installer.