Michael H

Or.... how the POCO spent 400 bucks of our money....

Some of you had asked me to let you know how this problem got sorted out....

(pardon me, I've got a slight case of the grumps)

So, POCO had come out, removed the meter, pointed at some corrosion on the leads to the meter pan and said, "That's your problem, but not our problem..... call an electrician."

So, we called an electrician, who cleaned the corrosion on the neutral lead at the bus bar in the panel and on the neutral lead in the meter pan

(even though I explained to him that when the problem happens, there is no power between one leg of the main and the neutral, and only 120 between the two legs of the main)

{doesn't that mean that one leg of the main is down and the neutral is fine?
that was what I was trying to tell him...}

Then he charged us for 3 1/2 hours of work, and left.


Within 30 minutes, the power went out on the offending circuits (every other breaker circuit, but no breakers tripped).

So, when I get the electrician back out, he now notices that the compression fitting on the B phase at the weather mast has melted the insulation from heating up. ( I TOLD ya so!)

On the supply side of the meter, this is now the POCO's problem (again).

So, POCO comes back out,

(after some phone calls where I nearly bit my tongue off because I was trying to remain polite)


replace the compression fitting, and drive off into the sunset like heroes.

By now, everyone is in agreement that:

==The poor connection at the weather mast is what caused the problem.

==The power company should have noticed the melted insulation on the compression fitting.

==The cleaning and repairs on the corroded parts probably would have someday been neccessary anyway, even though it did not correct the problem.

So, I have attached a picture of the compression fitting, which was owned, removed and replaced at no charge bye the POCO, yet cost us $400

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InPhase277

So... in Washington, service calls are billed at better than $114/hour? How's the weather out that way?

Jupe Blue

In Portland, OR... $95 for first 1/2 hour, $90 per hour after that.

Michael H

3.5 hours = 382.50
materials = 45.14
online coupon= -30.00
tax = 37.77
435.41

Leah Frances

Hey, at least you know what the problem is. I would say that $400 for not having to see that look in your family's eyes when the power goes out, yet again is well spent. $400 for peace of mind? SOLD.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

220/221

In the electricians defense, it's hard to troubleshoot when it's not broken at the time.

That said, 3.5 hours and he didn't even look up at the weatherhead connections? He should be embarrassed.

I'd submit a claim or take the POCO to small claims court. THEY should have done a proper load test.






I did an intermittant "no power" call last week. The power came on just before I arrived. I puulled apart all the panels and did some testing.

After less than an hour, using what they told me, I figured it was a POCO "A" phase problem. I had them call POCO, left them my cell number and told them to call me as soon as it went out again.

POCO comes and allegedly does testing. They didn't pull the meter because my cut/replaced meter seal was still in place.

Next week it goes out again. I return and, in 10 minutes, determine that incoming "A" phase is gone.

POCO returns and says "yup". Underground jb splice is bad. A simple load test would have shown it.


It was in the neighborhood and a previous client so my bill was only $180 total, but still......do your jobs POCO.

WFO

Much as I hate to admit it, 220/221 is absolutely right. As a POCO employee, (and having recommended calling the POCO in the first place) this embarrases the crap out of me. My apologies!

We've had our servicemen make the same mistakes, and when it's obviously negligence on our part, we try to do the right thing with the homeowner (if he's out some money like you were). I'd suggest calling them again like 220/221 said, but you know how good my first suggestion turned out. Might not get you any more than another ulcer.

But WOW!! 3.5 hours to clean two connections and $45 worth of material? How far did the guy have to drive getting there? What were the materials?

Scuba_Dave

I spent about 6 months, numerous phone calls & E-mail trying to get a dead tree limbed that was hanging over the power lines
They sent one crew who did a partial job
Finally months later they sent a 2nd crew who did an excellent job
Then a month later sent a 3rd crew - not needed

They outsource the tree cutting, but it took them 6 months to get the task accomplished

WFO

....well....my Mom loves me, anyhow!

Michael H

You guys are right, it is tough to fix something that doesn't look to be not working......

(but that IS the reason why I asked you guys so many questions ahead of time, I wanted gather as much information as I could, because I WAS there when the malfunction was occuring)

The electrician replaced a the neutral bus bar, because of the corrosion I showed you guys a picture of, and since it wouldn't come off, he had to cut it off, so that took a while....

I had hoped that my tips would lead him to the problem in the B phase, but the POCO had said the problem was not on their side of the meter.


In the end, Leah is right, we did get off pretty cheap, the problem is fixed, and we nipped a developing problem with corrosion in the bud while it was cheap.

My thanks to you all!!!







ps 220/221 is a mr. mom reference, isn't it? "whatever it takes!"
WFO = wtf, over?

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WFO

If you're referring to my "Mom still loves me remark".....

After what the POCO did to you and Scuba Dave, as a POCO employee, I wasn't feeling the love.

A typical attempt at internet humor lost in translation

Glad you got your problem fixed though.

Michael H

No worries, dude! I was just wondering what does WFO mean?

(I was feeling pretty clever about remembering that line, "220?" "220,221... whatever it takes!")

WFO

In my motocross days, it meant "Wide F....ing Open"".
Another way of saying go fast, crash hard.

Now it means "Wide, Fat and Old".

Michael H