Re: Oh Sh** Moment

[Jim Rojas <jrojas@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The pump looked like it was installed in the 1940's. and it had no
idicator lights outside or inside to be found. Which is why I was still
so cautious.

Jim Rojas




Frank Olson wrote:
> Jim Rojas wrote:
>> I was working on a 440V 1500 Amp fire water pump in NYC 20+ years ago.
>> Building super swore he shut off the power. Luckily I treat it like it
>> was live anyway. My screwdriver slipped out of my hands and melted in
>> half when it hit the power terminals...all I saw was a blue flash...I
>> could not see anything but blue for hours...my fault for trusting
>> someone else like that. I was connecting relays to monitoring pump
>> run, and pump power failure for the gravity tank on the roof. I took
>> the rest of the day off... :)
>>
>> Jim Rojas
>
>
> Having seen (and worked on more than a few fire pump controllers), you
> musta been pokin' around in the wrong part of the cabinet.  In my
> experience the low voltage connections are usually at the bottom and the
> high voltage terminals are protected (and physically separated at the
> top)...  Mind you, the oldest unit I've serviced is around 18 years old.
>  Please verify for yourself that power is indeed turned off before
> working on any high voltage equipment.  I made the same mistake myself a
> number of years ago (only it wasn't a fire pump) and "trusted" a
> nincompoop electrician when he said...  "Don't worry, the power's off".