neighbor's power line is down (Bangor, Alton: power lines, motorhome, neighborhood)

[Submariner]

I heard a logging truck lock-up it's brakes, skidding. I assumed that my goats had wandered out in the road, as I had not seen them for the past couple hours. [they can wander off into the forest, so intent on eating, they never notice that they are lost until it gets dark.]

So I went out to see what had happened. I had to drive a half mile North to find the commotion.

Two houses down, their power line had broken away from the house, and it had broken off from the pole in front of their house, and it is draped across the road, blocking the South bound lane completely. The Northbound lane is able to drive down into the ditch and squeeze underneath the lines. The lines are still 'hot'.

I got a chance to talk to some of our neighbors, everyone today had been busy with their chickens or sheep, and everyone came out to see what the noise was [whose livestock was dead, or if we had some moose to divide among us real quick].

One guy had called Bangor Hydro-Electric, though he said that the dispatcher did not sound very interested.

A game warden drove by, and he tried to call it in, but his cellphone dropped the call. So he tried again with his radio. The sheriff's department is sending the Alton Volunteer Fire Department out to direct traffic.

So much excitement, Yoohoo!

The house whose powerline fell to the ground, still has power.

I have no idea then why a powerline would just drop like that.

It should be interesting to read what they put about it all, in the next week's paper.

[msina]

We had a powerline hanging asross the road in front of our house one time. A woman had hit a pole, hard enough to break it. The sound of the collision and her car horn (which was stuck on) woke us in time to be outside to see a chip truck can down the road, catch the powerline and pull the transformer down with a big explosion. Thankfully everyone was okay but it sure lit up the sky.

[Bydand]

I've seen a line that didn't have the proper amount of sag left when it was strung and the insulator it was tied to finally broke and dropped the line down. Those lines can move with the heat and cold an amazing amount and a line too tight puts a tremendous amount of stress on the insulators post.

[AlisonL]

Most likely the logging truck pulled down the wire. Happens quite often.

[Submariner]

In our area, the power line generally runs on my side of the road. Where these houses are, they are each on their own transformer, which is still on my side of the road, on bigger poles. A line goes from the transformer across the road onto a smaller pole which supports the line before it goes the final distance to the house.

This line was broken loose from the smaller pole, and loose from the eave of the house. Yet it it is still connected down low on the house, so they still have electric-service.

Had the logging truck snagged the line, I think that it would have yanked it and took it some distance down the road away from the house.

Thankfully my transformer is on my side of the road. I have a line coming from it suspended through the forest 100' to my smaller pole, where our meter and main breaker is. From there I ran the rest of our power underground, as we do not like the look of power lines in the air around our home.

We have a motorhome parked next to our meter, and plugged in there. We have had problems a few times with our land-line, and each time I must go out to plug in a phone at the pole, to troubleshoot the phone line. I feel like 'Green Acres' each time, going to use the phone at the pole.

A month ago, we had a Thunder storm, that struck one of my trees. It dropped a limb onto the power line and took out power for our entire township. Alton Volunteer Fire Department was out there directing traffic. They told me at the time that with so many power outages statewide the linemen might not get to us for four days. That day our hog realized that the power was off the electric fence lines, so it got out and decided to free-range. The line-men did show up that afternoon [thankfully] and our hog was very nice to the line-men. They enjoyed rubbing his belly and he did his tricks for them.

[Maine Writer]

Nothing like a little excitement to get the neighborhood together!

[msina]

Good Lawd Forest!! That does sound like Green Acres! Funny story, Thanks

[woxyroxme]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

The house whose powerline fell to the ground, still has power.

I have no idea then why a powerline would just drop like that.

The powerline must have pulled the weatherhead off the side of the house without breaking the electrical connection, weatherheads are typically held in place with only one screw. The "neutral" uninsulated conductor(ACSR) in overhead triplex wire is aluminum strands wrapped around a very strong, stiff steel wire as thick as a nail.

[KiddinAroundFarm]

Why am I never around when all the excitement happens? And am I assuming correctly that it was the house next to where we got the rabbits? Man, am I glad to be back posting again. Couldn't for days as my computer was very very slow.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by woxyroxme

The powerline must have pulled the weatherhead off the side of the house without breaking the electrical connection, weatherheads are typically held in place with only one screw. The "neutral" uninsulated conductor(ACSR) in overhead triplex wire is aluminum strands wrapped around a very strong, stiff steel wire as thick as a nail.

But the weatherhead doesn't take the stress of the service drop. There is usually a LARGE eye hook that is screwed into the house, and the service drop is supported by that. Central Maine Power, Bangor Hydro, and Maine Public Service are all anal about having the hook screwed into a stud and not just siding. I have only seen 2 pull out over the years and both were from massive ice build-ups during the ice storms here a few years ago. I personally also use a 3" #10 screw with a washer to a stud to secure any weatherhead I install, just as a precaution. Could be, but unlikely that the drop failed for no reason.