OT: Substation safety

Apart from blowing up. Heavy vehicles attend to replace the equipment every few years.

Reply to
zaax
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Is there access to it via a route other than through the garden? (i.e. when someone wants to get a large replacement part to it how will they need to do it?)

Possibly, but probably not in this case since we are not talking that high a voltage, and it is some distance away anyway by the sounds of it (field strength decays with distance according to an inverse square law).

You would have to assume it will. Even if you convince yourself there is no direct risk, not every potential buyer would be of the same mind. On a practical level these things can hum, and they tend to be ugly if nothing else. There may also be an added fire risk.

Nope - valid questions.

Nope, although not because of fear of EM fields necessarily.

There is the added fear that they may grow up to be the inquisitive types that like to climb over fences while ignoring the "danger of death" signs. The magnetic field may not harm them, but completing a circuit with a 11kW potential difference won't do them any good. Obviously you can't protect them from all perceived threats, and no doubt local roads will represent a far bigger one for example, but you may prefer having one less thing to worry about.

Reply to
John Rumm

Err, not as a matter of routine. Equipment *is* subject to routine maintenance, but not replacement unless it becomes faulty.

Reply to
The Wanderer

Good, Good advice so far

Others may consider it to be an advantage to be located close to the substation.

A couple of decades ago a youngster was electrocuted when he broke into a primary (higher voltages, with exposed conductors above ground) substation, somewhere on Merseyside, I think - the exact details escape me. An industry report produced after the event and taking a fresh look at s/s security recommended that close-boarded fences be replaced with a robust chain mesh type fence in areas which were judged to be prone to vandalism. The problem was adjudged to be the relative privacy afforded to kids intent on mischief by the close boarded fence.

All hv equipment in 11kv distribution substations is totally enclosed. Switchgear normally is rated for fault making but not fault breaking. It will almost certainly have removable operating handles that are designed to prevent a rapid closing and re-opening sequence, primarily as a protection for employees but as a bonus it minimises the risk to kids hell-bent on mischief.

If they did get in, they'd have to unbolt various bits of equipment or cut off locks to gain access to live equipment.

If they did, then look on it as Darwinian selection.

Reply to
The Wanderer

Apart from the EM issues close by the substation, if the average AC mains voltages near the output are measured and found to be substantially more than 230V, I hope any affected clients should be able to demand and receive compensation.

Reply to
Jim Gregory

Apparently the regs allow for 230v + 10% or -6% so anything from 216v to

253v is within the acceptable limits.

Dave

Reply to
david lang

We have one at the bottom of our 70ft long garden. No a problem at all. Tall trees prevent us from having to look at its ugly structure, and it makes no noise at all. Except for the time one summer when it was really hot and one of its cooling fans made an annoying squeeking sound. A quick call to the eleectricity supplier and an engineer was there within the hour.

As for the EMI - wait until something has at least a decent weight of evidence before bothering about it. Life is too short to worry about such things...

Reply to
Tournifreak

I live half-a-dozen doors down from one. It's gorgeous! Real 1930's Municipial Powerhouse modernist design. I wouldn't mind living inside it

(Given the amount of carelessly stacked timber around my house at present, it's probably less hazardous)

Reply to
Andy Dingley

This is substantially bigger than the OPs sub-station in the bottom of his prospective garden.

Reply to
Ed Sirett

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