Street lighting tapped from my power line

[midzo]

I have three-phase power. Virtually every day voltages drop to 224/181/50.

 

Meter still runs as pump and fridge on leg three try to run. They can't, not at 50 volts.

 

I went to check voltages at the pole. The same. I reported it to PEA, but have little confidence in a repair. 

 

I did notice that someone has tapped my line after the meter for street lighting. Four lights. Not even on my street. I am paying for the power.

 

Wonky wirewrap tap, no circuit breaker. 

 

Is this typical? Can I be forced to pay for street lighting? I was tempted to move the tap pre-meter, but didn't. 

 

Can I just cut it off?

[johng]

Go to PEA office with photo evidence and tell them someone is stealing your electricity ask them to fix it...
If they can't or wont then
consider cutting the wires.

[Moonlover]

7 minutes ago, johng said:

Go to PEA office with photo evidence and tell them someone is stealing your electricity ask them to fix it...
If they can't or wont then
consider cutting the wires.

Good advice, but be very weary if you decide to cut. I'm sure you will.

 

Your bigger issue though is the voltage drop. That should not be occurring, especially as low as 50volts. You should keep hammering away it PEA about that one. Again evidence is best. Try a video taken of  you checking the voltage, clearly showing the test meter reading.

 

Good luck with that one.

[midzo]

5 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

Your bigger issue though is the voltage drop. That should not be occurring, especially as low as 50volts. You should keep hammering away it PEA about that one. 

I called PEA. 

 

Engineer called back within 15 minutes.

 

He explained that there is a problem in the equipment of a large nearby farm. He's been bugging them for months to fix it, as it causes voltage drops for many subscribers.

 

His patience ended today. He cut their service. They won't be reconnected until they fix their problem.

 

First world solution! Power is now 238/238/240. Acceptable. 

 

Let's hope he follows through on the fix-before-reconnect.

[bankruatsteve]

It seems unusual that the PEA would not be concerned about this -- at least give them a try.  If not too much trouble, re-distribute some of your stuff to the "working" phase.

 

Edit:  This was going down same time as previous post.  So... never mind.

Edited July 30, 2017 by bankruatsteve

[Moonlover]

6 minutes ago, midzo said:

I called PEA. 

 

Engineer called back within 15 minutes.

 

He explained that there is a problem in the equipment of a large nearby farm. He's been bugging them for months to fix it, as it causes voltage drops for many subscribers.

 

His patience ended today. He cut their service. They won't be reconnected until they fix their problem.

 

First world solution! Power is now 238/238/240. Acceptable. 

 

Let's hope he follows through on the fix-before-reconnect.

Nice one. Great to start the 'forum day' with a success story. 

 

But also a very indicative window on Thai society. This, you say has been going on for some time and yet nothing was done until a farang comes along and starts to 'kick butt'. Very sad.

Edited July 30, 2017 by Moonlover

[johng]

Did they do anything about the street lights... ?

[midzo]

Did they do anything about the street lights... ?

I didn't mention it.

I just cut about a meter of the tap off and taped off my power lines.

A whole block will be dark tonight, but it isn't my block.

Remains to be seen if some tries to reconnect it.


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[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, midzo said:

 

I didn't mention it.

I just cut about a meter of the tap off and taped off my power lines.

A whole block will be dark tonight, but it isn't my block.

Remains to be seen if some tries to reconnect it.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

Cool stuff.

[thailand49]

Confused?  It sounds like from your post you were having two separated problems?

1. Voltage

2. Taping into you house line?

 

It sounds like you have resolved number 1, are you still having problems with 2?

 

To know for sure #2,  once the lights are turn on,  completely shut down your house, go out to the street and check you meter if it is still spinning then something is wrong?

[gandalf12]

I assume you have a business otherwise why would you need a 3 phase supply?

[eeyang wah]

On 30/07/2017 at 0:45 PM, Moonlover said:

Cool stuff.

+1

Great job!

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, gandalf12 said:

I assume you have a business otherwise why would you need a 3 phase supply?

Don't forget that the biggest single-phase supply generally available is a 15/45 (50A max) which may not be enough for a larger farang home.

 

A slack handful of decent aircons plus on-demand water heaters will certainly stress a 15/45.

 

[tandor]

..no wonder people get electrocuted...in my case i had to buy 6 fluorescent tubes or else there would be no lighting at all for 200m,..i get to share in the bill but the other residents dont chip in for the tubes...funny ole Thailand.

[gandalf12]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Don't forget that the biggest single-phase supply generally available is a 15/45 (50A max) which may not be enough for a larger farang home.

 

A slack handful of decent aircons plus on-demand water heaters will certainly stress a 15/45.

 

Agreed

[Elkski]

Did you cut the light power while live? I'm sure with good dikes and proper ladder or boots this can be done safely.  I know someone who had a light installed by whoever and it's using her power but it is also at a very small road intersection in the corner of her property.   Seems common easy way out for lights to be installed.   I wouldn't be happy to pay for a string of lights down the street but I also wouldn't admit in social media that I cut it.   I would be like.   "Funny thing,  but this morning I noticed someone had cut the light power lines a meter away from mine and tidied up the loose ends pretty well."

[midzo]

7 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

I assume you have a business otherwise why would you need a 3 phase supply?

Nope. Large private residence. Most of the larger homes nearby have three phase.

[midzo]

3 hours ago, Elkski said:

Did you cut the light power while live? I'm sure with good dikes and proper ladder or boots this can be done safely.  I know someone who had a light installed by whoever and it's using her power but it is also at a very small road intersection in the corner of her property.   Seems common easy way out for lights to be installed.   I wouldn't be happy to pay for a string of lights down the street but I also wouldn't admit in social media that I cut it.   I would be like.   "Funny thing,  but this morning I noticed someone had cut the light power lines a meter away from mine and tidied up the loose ends pretty well."

Yeah, cut 'em while hot. Boots, plastic stepstool, insulated dykes. Not so much as a  spark.

 

Not that I'm recommending others do likewise.

[midzo]

6 hours ago, Crossy said:

Don't forget that the biggest single-phase supply generally available is a 15/45 (50A max) which may not be enough for a larger farang home.

 

A slack handful of decent aircons plus on-demand water heaters will certainly stress a 15/45.

 

Probably why the home (purportedly) has a 100-amp  three phase supply.

[midzo]

9 hours ago, thailand49 said:

Confused?  It sounds like from your post you were having two separated problems?

1. Voltage

2. Taping into you house line?

 

It sounds like you have resolved number 1, are you still having problems with 2?

 

To know for sure #2,  once the lights are turn on,  completely shut down your house, go out to the street and check you meter if it is still spinning then something is wrong?

Yeah, I did bitch about two issues in one post. Sorry 'bout that.

 

No doubt about the street lights. Easy to follow the lampwire(!) tap to the photosensor to the fixture run. 

 

[Foozool]

You should contact police for tapping your power line before you cut the line.

That is stilling your electricity (no matter what the purpose was by the one who tapped the line). 

Edited August 3, 2017 by Foozool

[midzo]

22 minutes ago, Foozool said:

You should contact police for tapping your power line before you cut the line.

That is stilling your electricity (no matter what the purpose was by the one who tapped the line). 

I've been here long enough to know that calling the police is almost never the right solution to a problem.

[gandalf12]

7 hours ago, midzo said:

Nope. Large private residence. Most of the larger homes nearby have three phase.

3ph would require a very substantial load to justify it

[Crossy]

16 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

3ph would require a very substantial load to justify it

 

It's not just load. We have a single-phase 15/45. Our load rarely goes over 40A, but I sometimes wish we had gone for 3-phase.

 

My reasoning?

 

When we have a power failure it's invariably one phase that's out (unless a cement truck has taken out a pole), and, it seems, it's always our phase. So we have the genset running whilst (seemingly) the rest of the village is on mains. If we had 3-phase we would have at least 60% of stuff running and with a little jiggery-pokery with contactors could have everything running on the good phase(s).

 

You can even buy the units (in India) http://www.roshanengineeringcorporation.com/automatic-phase-changer.html

 

[StevieAus]

13 hours ago, Crossy said:

Don't forget that the biggest single-phase supply generally available is a 15/45 (50A max) which may not be enough for a larger farang home.

 

A slack handful of decent aircons plus on-demand water heaters will certainly stress a 15/45.

 

How does the cost of the cost of the three phase compare with single phase would be interested in this solution myself

[Crossy]

9 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

How does the cost of the cost of the three phase compare with single phase would be interested in this solution myself

I'm sure someone will be along with exact numbers shortly, but IIRC and assuming there's 3-phase 220v on the pole:-

• Power is about (or exactly) the same cost per unit.
• The deposit for the meter is about double.
• You will need 4 wires from meter to house rather than 2, so double that cost.

If you do go 3-phase don't get a 3-phase distribution board, get a nice meaty 3-phase incomer in its own box but then treat the installation as three single-phase installations. Doing it that way makes the addition of generator transfer switches, AVRs and phase-changers far easier (and Murphy's Law means you'll never need to do it of course).

 

[impulse]

On 7/30/2017 at 0:42 PM, midzo said:

I didn't mention it.

I just cut about a meter of the tap off and taped off my power lines.

A whole block will be dark tonight, but it isn't my block.

Remains to be seen if some tries to reconnect it.

 

 

Did you spray it down with that ultraviolet dye to see whose hands glow the next day?  Like they used to do when I was in high school to see who pulled the fire alarm right before the big test...

 

[midzo]

That is also murphy's law. When I choose a line in a supermarket, it seems my choossen line has a problem. When a choose a pump at a petrol station the person before me has problems with settling his payment, and when I choose a line at a toll boot the car in front of me drops his wallet, needs to move his car to be able to open the door, can't find his wallet, or all things what has been in it...... Yes, Mr. Murphy is mostly very right!

O’Toole’s Commentary on Murphy’s Law:

“Murphy was an optimist.”


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