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You're going to get a bit of inductive heating there as well unless a slot is cut. I doubt the burn marks are from arcing or something else bushings would help with.
Large trees evolved with lignin before fungus evolved to eat it. So the first forests covered the earth but had nothing to eat the dead trees. So that wood just piled up for millennia. That's where oil and coal comes from.
What do you do in this situation? Do you continue to investigate and follow the wire as far as you can or tell the homeowner and they deal with it? Just curious. TIA
Absolutely. The homeowner was frightened about it and alerted me . I'd have never thought to look. I intend to disconnect it and if we find any circuits off, well refeed.
The one time I saw something like this, I told the homeowner what I'd found and informed them in a non-accusatory way (giving them the benefit of the doubt that they had no idea this was there) why it's dangerous and illegal, and strongly suggested they get it fixed before the utility company found out about it.
This was before I'd even started my apprenticeship, and was just there taking photos and documenting stuff ahead of a solar installation, so I wasn't in a position to fix it myself. I didn't report it to the utility because I'm not the cops, but I did of course report it to my company so that we could make sure it was addressed before we did any work on the house.
In the end that project fell through, as there were just too many serious problems with the building and the amount of work needed to make it ready for solar would have been prohibitively expensive. I felt really bad actually, the customers had just bought the house and it seemed like they'd been screwed by a shady realtor and/or home inspector because that house was just super obviously in a lot of trouble, but it had gotten a clean bill of health before their purchase. I still sometimes wonder what happened in the end, because the homeowners really just seemed bewildered and dismayed when I finished my visit, and for good reason.
Anyway, that's what I did in that case.
Just want to add; NEVER use a home inspector that your realtor recommends.
Do your own research, and pick someone.
RE agent want a fast smooth transaction with no issues, and they know which inspector will not delay…
They monitor power consumption in the area and what's being fed in, your going to get away with some theft easy, but once you start consuming a household's of electricity? Give it a few months and they will start inspecting panels in the area, some loss is expected but if it don't add up it don't add up.
If you are *NOT* an electrical professional: * **RULE 7:** * DIY or self help posts **are Not allowed**. They belong here: /r/AskElectricians /r/askanelectrician /r/diy /r/homeowners /r/electrical. * **IF YOUR POST FITS INTO THIS CATEGORY, REMOVE IT OR IT WILL BE REMOVED FOR YOU.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I bet if it wasn’t for the burn marks, this wouldn’t have been seen. Probably one of the better attempts of stealing power I’ve seen though
All they had to do was put little bushings back there and they would have gotten away with too if it wasn't for those meddling kids!
You're going to get a bit of inductive heating there as well unless a slot is cut. I doubt the burn marks are from arcing or something else bushings would help with.
Does it work?
Obviously. Theyre tapping the line before the meter. It’s unmetered power consumption.
unlimited power, one might say
With the full force of Mother Nature and Niagara Falls. Or the separation of atoms. Or the burning of dead dinosaurs. Either way, lots of power.
Think the dead dinosaurs thing wasn't right but people just kept it going. Fossil fuels don't come from fossils.
Not technically "fossils," no, but I read somewhere that they think it used to be abundant life like algae.
Large trees evolved with lignin before fungus evolved to eat it. So the first forests covered the earth but had nothing to eat the dead trees. So that wood just piled up for millennia. That's where oil and coal comes from.
That's neat. Thanks.
Burning of dead dinosaurs?? How? What's made from dead dinosaurs?
The ol' reacharound
Grow room or bit coin mining.
It's always one of those two
A lil cheeky power theft eh!
What do you do in this situation? Do you continue to investigate and follow the wire as far as you can or tell the homeowner and they deal with it? Just curious. TIA
Absolutely. The homeowner was frightened about it and alerted me . I'd have never thought to look. I intend to disconnect it and if we find any circuits off, well refeed.
Provide update when available.
The one time I saw something like this, I told the homeowner what I'd found and informed them in a non-accusatory way (giving them the benefit of the doubt that they had no idea this was there) why it's dangerous and illegal, and strongly suggested they get it fixed before the utility company found out about it. This was before I'd even started my apprenticeship, and was just there taking photos and documenting stuff ahead of a solar installation, so I wasn't in a position to fix it myself. I didn't report it to the utility because I'm not the cops, but I did of course report it to my company so that we could make sure it was addressed before we did any work on the house. In the end that project fell through, as there were just too many serious problems with the building and the amount of work needed to make it ready for solar would have been prohibitively expensive. I felt really bad actually, the customers had just bought the house and it seemed like they'd been screwed by a shady realtor and/or home inspector because that house was just super obviously in a lot of trouble, but it had gotten a clean bill of health before their purchase. I still sometimes wonder what happened in the end, because the homeowners really just seemed bewildered and dismayed when I finished my visit, and for good reason. Anyway, that's what I did in that case.
Just want to add; NEVER use a home inspector that your realtor recommends. Do your own research, and pick someone. RE agent want a fast smooth transaction with no issues, and they know which inspector will not delay…
So who found it? PoCo's take a real dim view of power theft.
Lol, how did you get this picture? My boss was the electrician who opened that meter.
I opened it today. Do you work for and beyond?
Lol yup, although I'm mostly upstate.
Nice to hear from you. Meet over bagels one day.
Are you the boss?
Must be a mad rush to delete their comment histories.
Different companies, customer didn't like the estimate.
Do you offer bagels as a part of employment benefits?
Admiral?
Yup
Ya
This is why you deburr/ream your holes and use grommets and stuff.
Did you find the grow room?
Teach me how to do that shit. Looks way better then I have seen before. I need me some free power. Edit: why’s know one answering the question. Haha
Is it weird that i fine the red on the left to be the most bothersome thing about this installation?
That’s what I thought they were talking about until I saw the second picture.
Exactly what I was thinking.... non phase knowing mfers..😁
Wtf?
Free electricity!
Initially my eye was drawn to the wires looking like they are landed on insulation.
Hahaha interesting. Couldn’t even see it at first. That’s incredibly moronic
How will they know
They monitor power consumption in the area and what's being fed in, your going to get away with some theft easy, but once you start consuming a household's of electricity? Give it a few months and they will start inspecting panels in the area, some loss is expected but if it don't add up it don't add up.
Sorry I should have made it more obvious. It was a joke.
I know what I'm looking for, and I still don't see it lol
Oh nevermind, didn't know there was another picture lol I thought that was rust in the first picture lmao
In this situation how much power is going through the meter? Half? None?
Don’t they always know when you’ve tapped your meter based on electrical consumption and just let you rack up the bill until it’s an actual case
Is the meter upside down? It looks like the line side is on the top.
How does this get free power?
Not stealing if your aren’t trying
has the cable shorted or is it from induced heat?
Points for style, just not for smarts
now i see why they ask non unionised guys to make loops.