Being a Lineman - Episode 33

[@rickn501s]

Thanks for allowing us to follow you on an actual call from beginning to end with a very interesting video.

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks Rick! I was hoping it was going to be a bit more interesting, but a great example of a routine outage call all the same!

[@ldcooper1]

Need some tree trimming done..

[@jaymann]

Aaron's the [line]man. Great job on the fuse.

[@mxslick50]

A long time ago, (1973) when I was around 10, I watched a crew try to restore a single phase line. They patrolled, found nothing amiss, refused and closed in. Just as they were putting the stick away, the fuse let go. Scared me and my buddy a lot. (They are freakin LOUD when you are only across the street.) So, they checked the line again, again found nothing. Repeated the process. Just as they were driving away, the fuse blew again. They stopped, came back to the cutout...this time, the foreman said f-it, put in a solid blade and hold it in. (Even back then I knew this wasn't gonna end well. I knew all about the "penny in the fusebox" trick, and this was a much more dangerous version of that.) The lineman put up the solid blade, closed it in and braced as hard as he could. For about a minute, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, from down the line, we all heard a very loud and angry buzzing, the line started dancing about, then a massive explosion on top of the pole. The cutout flew open, drawing a rather large arc. The culprit? A bad lighting arrestor that shot porcelain all over the place. Ears ringing, I could just make out the foreman's smug response..."Ok, now we know what caused this, let's go fix it." Many years later, after studying power transmission and distribution systems, I realized how incredibly dangerous and stupid what that foreman did actually was. Today, that kind of cowboy attitude will get you fired (and rightfully so.) Available fault currents have risen dramatically since then, a stunt like that will most likely burn down a conductor instantly. I once told this story to another line crew about 20 years ago, the foreman said yeah they fired a crew for doing it, as they not only exploded a 50kva pole transformer, but burned three cars parked nearby, started a front lawn on fire, AND burned down several spans of wire.

[@heatherkohlwey8379]

It's not raining, snowing, sleeting or hailing on you. This is an unusual situation.😊 Those folks must not experience outages very much. It's great that you take the time to talk to the customers. Please stay safe, and God bless.

[@Bobsdecline]

😁 Thanks Heather! You're right... The weather is usually up to no good here lol. I should've left the camera rolling for the audio.... The couple was super friendly, had a great chat!

[@rantonio]

Super interesting process. Thanks for sharing.

[@Mdwells2944]

I work for an energy company in Kentucky and I work in IT supporting all the computer’s and technology. It is very interesting to see what the lineman do out in the field. We thank you for keeping our lights on and respect the major effort you all put in each day.

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

You are so kind and have such a good attitude. Not being all bent out of shape with the "concerned citizens".

[@Bobsdecline]

As long as everyone's safe! 👊🤝🍻

[@LtKernelPanic]

I wish they'd put bushings like that on the pole pig behind our house. About every 18 months I get to chuck another crispy squirrel into the woods and wait for the local lineman to drive by so I can tell him about it. At least now on the online form there's a comments section where I can put "found char-broiled squirrel at the foot of the pole."

[@Bobsdecline]

Should be mandatory for all new installs. When I respond to an older setup, if there's no bushing guard I'll just close it back in... If I ever get called back or the customer mentions that it's the second time, I'll call in for an extra guy, climb up the pole and install one. Two guys are required on site to install them, as we must go hands on the high voltage side.

[@MrJujubean]

I love Hamburger Helper! 😁

[@tonykyle2655]

You have educated me in electrical grid operations so I am more informed when I see or experience problems. Thank you,

[@coreybabcock2025]

Quoted from life on the line ( Life is a series of collected moments and experiences that we gather over the course of time. It's more about the quality of life, than the height of the climb. We are more than 1,000,000 strong, but together we act as one. We walk the line whether hurricanes, tornadoes, rain, wind or sun. Our main mission is to protect the grid, even if one of us meets our maker. We are lineman, it is what we do, the credo we chant, you are your brother's keeper." Beau Ginner)

[@ourv9603]

My cousin went to Viet Nam as a helicopter gunner. Yeah, he was one of those fools who hung out the chopper door with his .50 blasting anything that moved below. He liked it so much he signed up for a 2nd hitch. When he came home he hired onto the local power co, Edison something or other in Indianapolis. He worked for them for years & years hanging out of their choppers doing tower line work. He said it wasnt half as much fun without people shoot back at him. He's retired now. Crazy bastard. !

[@c0rr4nh0rn]

Your channel has given me a new appreciation for the power infrastructure around us, and a new respect for the all the linesmen who are on the other side of outage calls when it is rainy, windy, and just down right unpleasant. In a case like this, is it helpful to check, around nearby poles?

[@kens.3729]

Most people have a Genuine Appreciation for the Power Company and Telephone Company because of the Dangerous Jobs you have with Storm Restoration. 👍🙏

[@gtoger]

The dinner request is super relatable.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Love the way our trades are so different (you lineman, me humble sparky) yet so similar... you take the info you have, and have to figure out what the hell the problem is. And A1 for being considerate of your neighbours re: warming up the truck

[@robertz2557]

What an awesome channel. Im a new subscriber and am really enjoying your channel. Its really cool to see what a little bit of a lineman’s job is. I liked here the radio communication back and forth as it really shows why the safety is so important in the job. I have noticed here in NY that National grid must have a similar system for the website. They normally will just put on site then if its going longer will update to repair underway. We normally will have power back before the update of resolved shows up. Thanks again for the great content.

[@glennriley4976]

Don't worry about Nabors hearing that truck. When they hear it firer up they know the power will soon be back on. You are there security blanket. Take the time to warm that diesel up. In your climate that oil thick give your truck enough time to get a little heat in it. I have a few years until I retirer being a linemen Ben a very rewarding experience for me be safe my brother.

[@devensmith1731]

best way I've learned from my apprenticeship to see whatever fuse size u need is divide whatever kva the transformer is by 3

[@Aerospace_EdC]

Hey Aaron love all the videos, it shows us how you help keep the power grid up and running, bravo !! In this video you found a bird caused an outage, I just saw a message from our police department here in NJ " There is a large power outage in the area, JCP&L is reporting they found a fish on a pole mounted transformer". I bet you never had a fish cause an outage. The supposition is a bird was carrying the fish and dropped it. Crazy right 😂

[@jakesully5402]

Great vid, Aaron !! I always enjoy watching them. I really appreciate your diligence in finding the root cause of the outage. It’s also comforting to hear your interactions with dispatch; it is very obvious by the repeat back-and-forth, it is all about safety for both you and your customers. Mad respect and appreciation for all you line workers and your entire team that keep my power on !!!

[@gregorylewis8471]

You did a great job with the stick! Nothing to apologise for! 😁😁😁

[@ntsecrets]

Well that was fun! I hope this helps the average customer understand what goes into a restoration - you can't just take chances and guess when dealing with high voltage!!

[@bertblankenstein3738]

Sometimes determining the problem is most of the work.

[@tracydiller9378]

Great video and ride along on a job that start to finish. the way you took the time to answer customers question is a job well done. Be safe and God Bless.

[@JackThelRipper]

Found the problem Capt. the reason for the outage and re-closer to trip was some sneakers hanging from the lines @7:29 lol Edit: Thanks for another great video!

[@yoafofbread]

Heard a loud bang…. Power went out…..😂😂😂

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

I wish our power Co used a better site like this. Every outage it says investigating and an hour. Then investigating and several hours. So I wait. Then decide ok. Get some batteries and inverter or get a generator on and suddenly it's back on.

[@fn0rd-f5o]

I've noticed that pole mounted transformers are usually connected with a coiled wire between the bushing and the line on the primary side. I'm curious why they do that, use a coiled or otherwise not straight piece of wire that is.

[@kens.3729]

I Love “Scalloped Potatoes” Hamburger Helper and wait until my wife goes out of town so I can pig out on it along with a pound of hamburger. Thanks! 👍🙏

[@rayannajohnson5047]

I'm a new Distribution Operator and I appreciate your videos. It is helping me gain more knowledge and understanding about my job and what lineman encounter everyday. It's a bit of a challenge for me but i'm sure i'll soon get the hang of it. Again. Thank you. :)

[@davidwestervelt6050]

That was nice to see the call all the way through. Reminded me again I need to put a pair of binoculars in my van for what we troubleshoot. I am not sure when this started with me. Do you always seem to carry some kind of food always in the truck. I seem to never know how our days will go. Something can always happen with the truck. I used to carry a can of ravioli. It became a meal on the run if you were busy. Just wondered if you had a favorite go to. Then we figured out we could make a cooler with he AC in the truck. We use a coat stuck in the glove box door to insulate the area on the floor. If the truck is running or a longer trip it keeps the drinks really cold. It really funny how you can come up with little tricks that make a great hot lunch. I have never made a can of something on the manifold yet. I am sure it will happen at some point. Stay safe out there. We have been getting hit with storms a lot lately that has been keeping us busy. It really has been a rough month. I feel now if I see a clear blue sky. I really not sure what to think of it. Got so use to the lightning and high winds. Great video.

[@kc0eks]

Thanks for showing us the whole show. Always love to watch things like this I am sure it drives the techs nits

[@johnclyne6350]

I’m on call this weekend too with my MH in the driveway too. In the winter I plug my diesel in so I don’t need to idle for long before pulling out. I’m able to keep both of my personal vehicles inside. However the garage is not big enough for my line truck. I put my outside lights on at night. I secure my bins & lock the cab to keep everyone honest. Keep up the great work & keeping the lights on!

[@focus82grothm]

Great work 😊👍 Thank you for sharing the video, greetings from Norway 😊😊

[@awstott]

I've learned so much from watching your videos. Didn't know so much went into keeping the power on. Living in the big city we're all underground lines so you don't see much overhead.

[@unwired1281]

Good looking hair cut!!! 👍👍👍👊👊👊👊. 😂

[@Lanceb131]

May I request a introduction to your pup please? LOVE ANIMALS I DO! LOL

[@rodrickbourque]

Great video as usual! Thank you for your service Aaron!

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks Rod! 👊🤝

[@razzledazzle4860]

While you were initially inspecting the poles for a fault, i thought to myself "Aaron, you need a pair of binoculars!*. Then you almost immediately said "I'm going to get my binoculars out.." 😆 I need not have been concerned! Oh, and Hamburg Helper is the ultimate comfort food, isn't it? Thank you for your videos, so very interesting & educational!

[@kens.3729]

Neighbor has said to me that Power Co. Reason most of the Time is “Animal” Related. I told her same is True with Phone Co. Squirrel, Raccoon, Bird, Snake.

[@BigDaddy_MRI]

Your channel just gets better and better. Thanks for bringing us along. Great video!

[@Bobsdecline]

Appreciate that very much BiGD!

[@TheJmich2001]

Thanks for taking us along brother!

[@alasdairmunro1953]

Thanks Aaron for an interesting video. Stay safe.

[@chanceandoakleyakitas8709]

You know your stuff😂

[@dtimboggs]

Got to get home and back to the basics… Hamburger Helper😅

[@nhzxboi]

No sorrow for the blue-jay. obnoxious birds.

[@fn0rd-f5o]

@7:33 watch out for the gang bangers, you're on their turf lol.

[@throttlebottle5906]

lol, funny but that's not the USA slums area.

[@Franny_the_Fisher]

Only commenting 3:52 into video with a prediction, single phase, lots of trees around, im thinkin a maple or a pine struck the lines. Not a huge lead off either tree, but when I got called out to those calls, that was usually the culprit. Or dead ash. Let’s see how right I was. Second guess would be animal. I’ll have to find the picture of the bobcat that fried in a single phase and send it to you Aaron!

[@eggman9713]

On more than one occasion I've heard of a neighbor seeing a squirrel cause a transformer primary fuse to blow, and if the squirrel was dead, the hit on the ground jolted it back alive and it took off before the lineman could find it.

[@BlueButtonFly]

Where I live in out same country my truck will be idling for like 40 minutes it's cold enough to literally freeze oil.

[@РоманБогданов-э4в]

Клёвые ,у вас все видео приветствую с России 🇷🇺 👋🇺🇲

[@lonewolf1401]

thanks for the video always interesting

[@grabasandwich]

18:01 Captions: "It's simply a matter of refusing clothes" 😂 (I'm weird and use captions sometimes)

[@Bobsdecline]

Haha that's awesome!

[@Femur15]

I had a municipal job here in Ohio. I understand receiving “the call”.

[@linehandibew6205]

Great video brother. I always love patrolling and investigating the issue. It’s never a good feeling when you can’t find the problem. Sometimes you have to re fuse and send it in order to find the problem 😂😂

[@jeffreykornspan9053]

Thanks for your video Aaron.

[@Bobsdecline]

Always a pleasure seeing ya here Jeffrey!

[@johnhershey4010]

Love Hamburger Helper.

[@idontneedaname85]

Great video man!!!

[@Bobsdecline]

Thanks man! 👊🤝

[@michaelgagne1911]

Perfect others have agreed 👍 hell yes so glad you were able too do a video from start too finish great job really enjoyed it. Hope that problem with killing the birds 🐦 was taken care of want more like these when you can thanks

[@dendkmac]

Good stuff Aaron you make it look simple, good eye! Dennis from Vegas

[@collinp4607]

New subscriber here.. great channel 😁😁 have been telling all my lineman buddy's about 👌👌

[@DankDankPancake]

I’m a system operator in training and its helpful to see the life of someone on the other side of the phone. When you say the phone just rang and they didn’t elaborate, it sounds like someone ran ARCOS or an automated call and didn’t put all the information. When I do a call out, I like to provide as much relevant information as I can to let the person know what they are getting into.

[@fn0rd-f5o]

@25:00 skills. :D

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

Also as someone who has two birds in their house I'm always sad to see a feather friend fallen.

[@ramboharrisons1917]

That blue jay really electrifying end of life and you were shocked at what the problem was but good thing power is back from former lineman Jeffersonville, IN, USA

[@patmcnally6]

Glad you went t o the Show . Looking to see your Footage of it 👊👊 stay Cool

[@TimAussem]

Maybe sometime you could use a channel lock Plier 😂😂😂

[@AlanTheBeast100]

Fundy Albert, NB. Hee-hee!

[@b0rd3n]

I can only imagine the nice feeling you get once a job is done, chest pumped and all... well for the first few months pf a career anyways! From Quebec with respect!

[@chrisreynolds6331]

Another great video thanks. I was wondering do you have to be aware of a new hazard... The popular new LiFeP04 power stations that are silent and could possibly be backfeeding if the user doesn't know what they're doing?

[@nakayle]

Since that was a momentary fault they should have a recloser there that would have saved you a trip.

[@Bobsdecline]

We don't typically have reclosers on small sidelines, but we have reintroduced some trip savers on a few. They would absolutely work great in situations like this!

[@cedricpomerleau5586]

The cost of a fuse vs the cost of a recliner isn't even close though, wouldn't make sense to put them everywhere.

[@NatesRandomVideo]

Fun vid. And nothing wrong with hamburger helper!

[@zrtdave]

If you were working at the Sunnyvale trailer park Layhey woulda made a nice bluejay burger for Randy no doubt!!!😂

[@boomermatic6035]

be sure to check for ticks after walking through the jungle.

[@unwired1281]

Well when there’s an outage there’s no tv so you turn out and watch for the trouble truck! 👍👊

[@Bob.W.]

My power is out right now. The battery/inverter system is on. Plenty enough to run the lights, modem, router CPAP, etc. till tomorrow.

[@dalekrohse1871]

As with the possibility of a failed arrester is an old porcelain pin insulator with a hair line crack. Very hard to see something like that.

[@brucebryant6483]

No goodbye for the wife :)

[@cedricpomerleau5586]

Hey man! I know you usually try to hide it, but at about 6:05 we clearly see the name of your power company on your shirt ;)

[@Bobsdecline]

A few of em sneak through. Legally I can't have certain logos appear as if they're in place for advertising, intentional or subliminal messages. Many people know where I work but it must be clear that I'm speaking my own thoughts and never on behalf of the company. Also have to be careful with some copyright stuff.

[@culbyj3665]

south of You They say something Like How can You Not be Romantic about baseball.... ! 22:10 mark and onward . How can That view and replacing a fuse not be romantic!!. Beautiful Sky . Nice work . Great Vid Aaaron. Id love to ask u some quick questions about a portable generator I wanna buy. WestinghouSe 15kw peak 12kw running and Then the duromaxx 15kw peak 12kw Dual fuel... I have an Hvac unit that has an LRA of 98 . 3 ton Unit. Just wanna power that with a few lights and stuff. Maybe you could do an unofficial vid on stuff like this for home use and or interlocks to protect lineman ? BUt yeah curious what ya think My house has basically 20 amps and 10 amps on each lug when I checked with a good Klein and fluke meters on an ac clamp.. Alright Enough of that . Great video Bud.

[@bjgarbacz1]

I loled at you saying annnnddd the cutout is facing the wooodddds. 😂 And i don't think you steuggled you did fine!

[@Bobsdecline]

🤣🤣😬

[@bjgarbacz1]

​@Bobsdecline love the channel man! I went to electrical engineering school to design systems for the local power company, needed up sticking with my landscaping company but still love electrical and electricity

[@Bobsdecline]

Oh nice! And appreciate the comments! 🤝

[@jfbeam]

Practice makes perfect. 🙂

[@jaydee6361]

What did you do before you became a lineman? I worked for a company Asplundh and we did power line clearance for the power company here. Alot of the guys went onto be linemen after being in the trees for a bit. Just curious if you or any of the guys by you worked in tree work prior to going thru the courses. Either way, i just found your channel and its awesome

[@CajunShrek]

Unfortunately that squirrel 🐿️ wont be able to enjoy their roasted 🥜 s

[@rupe53]

I can't tell you how many times I patrolled a line while working for my generator company. Heck, I was going to a call anyway so might as well look up while driving. I already knew how to get through the phone tree to get a person on the line so might as well give them the pole number where I saw a problem.

[@Bobsdecline]

Love it when people do that! Ya can always tell when someone knows exactly what they're talking about too!

[@nekosarantango865]

Great video and glad you well! If you ever get the chance can you explain how load break cutouts work and how amppack(sic?) compare to normal tap clamps?

[@throttlebottle5906]

an short term idling truck that restores utilities sure wouldn't get any complaints from me, as long as they don't idle them the whole night/days/weeks on end(thinking locomotives).

[@TheChipmunk2008]

And re: your thing about educating people around a situation... i am like that with my internet access... if it is out and i have no effing idea why, i am freaking out. If it's out and my ISP are keeping me up to date... i am interested in the procedure \

[@tucobenedicto109]

I was driving this weekend, and I saw a line truck like yours. Single rear axle. On the highway Towing a power company Jeep. Only saw the driver. Didn't know if there was a boss or supervisor with him. Have you ever seen or done this? What might be the reason? Unless driving to another depot?

[@darkpixel2k]

I don't know... a fried bluejay might be educational to kids on the dangers of electricity... 😂

[@Bobsdecline]

Really tho! 😮

[@lz8r63]

Nothing wrong with hamburger helper!

[@Bobsdecline]

I hadn't had it in years and one day, a few months ago, my son asked to try it when we were at the grocery store. Forgot how delicious it was lol!

[@glennmcgurrin8397]

It sounds like your outage tracking is a lot better than where I am, ours updates every 15 minutes, has mostly useless time of restoration estimates, and while sometimes it shows good representation of the area affected sometimes it really rewlly doesn't. Not that long ago the main three phase line that goes near my house and powers an entire small historic town center I live just outside of went out and I know several places reported it, but over an hour into the outage the tracker either wasn't showing the outage at all or was showing it as affecting 4 people more than a mile away, instead of the 100+ (I don't know the number, probably less than a thousand but definitely over a hundred) it actually affected. This is an area with smart meters as well so beyond the reports they should have had a very good map of the issue you would think through that.

[@Aaron-is9xo]

company should invest in drones to search. Be a great asset.

[@glennmcgurrin8397]

What would happen if that customer you checked the meter at needed it pulled for any reason (upgrades, replacement, work on the electrical panel, disconnect, etc.). I assume you would have to cut down that bush or make them do it? If you do it is the customer billed for that work? There definitely wasn't the required working space near that meter, I'm guessing the bush came after the meter as an ill informed attempt to hide it to make things look nicer.

[@dvone4124]

You might suggest that Milwaukee design a portable vulture to find the dead animals for you, and a remote control beaver to deal with vegetation. 🥸

[@overkillaudioinc]

YES My GF totally does not understand why i like Hamburger Helper and refuses to make it LOL

[@kg4muc]

Been tempted to raise up and work it with a shotgun stick since you found the culprit. Good video. My favorite hamburger helper is the tomato and basil 😊

[@DFPercush]

I like the stroganoff

[@basshead2003]

Beef taco for me with an extra half package of Old El Paso taco seasoning mixed in. 😋

[@FishFind3000]

Do you work on any “single wire earth return” systems, that single phase line kinda looked like a SWER. How common are they and what issues or disadvantages are there vs it’s benefits?

[@dylanoakes9557]

The line in this video has a multigrounded neutral thats common with the low voltage neutral in the triplex cable

[@nhzxboi]

Hehe. Don't idle your truck. I just got a new Harley Low Rider...thinking of getting the Neighbor-hater exhaust. Lol. Thing about the truck idling is it just plain stinks(smells bad).

[@FosterFarmsOk]

so how many pairs of shoes have you had to remove from the lines? There are few at 7:30 LOL

[@Bobsdecline]

Lol strange thing is, most that I remove are really nice shoes! Brand new pair of Nike the other day lol

[@FosterFarmsOk]

@@Bobsdecline haha. That's wild.