Interesting start to the day...

[DeatschWerks]

So, I'm getting ready for work this morning and I notice an update by Mike Deatsch on facebook with some pictures.





A power line that runs immediately south of the DeatschWerks building fell. Don't know how, just know that it did. When it fell, it came in contact with the cast iron piping of the sewer system. That sewer system piping is in contact with the plumbing of the DW building, obviously!, and with the age of the building it still has some cast iron plumbing. That leads to this picture >



The toilet in the shop of the building is still connected with iron piping. As is the vent pipe that leads up through the roof and out. The pipe arced with the metal in the roof and started melting the roof and insulation.

One of our techs was in the bathroom at the time it happened, using the toilet in its intended manner, and he could hear the electricity flowing just inches away from him.

Thankfully, no one was hurt! Aside from being without power for a couple hours, the building and operations here are back up and running.

So...how was your morning?

-Chris

[300ZXttZMAN]

Holy crap! I must say I had a better morning than that. I'm glad know one got hurt...

My morning was just normal.. Nothing out of the ordinary

[alms24sebring]

Wow thats something to wake up to. I thought it was lava coming up from the first pic

Well, I saw a trash can on fire and starting to go up the side of a Wells Fargo pretty quickly. Luckily they put it out right before the firetruck got there and before spread to the roof. I drove by and was like.. Um, unless someone is trying to break into the vault from the back, I dont think a fire is normal.

[AZhitman]

Holy hell, Chris!

Somebody in the crapper could have had a REAL bad day!

Glad all is well - Say hi to Dave for us.

[Bubba1]

Wow, what an electifying dump.

[DJ_B_Easy]

Electricity went UP iron piping, rather than DOWN into the ground through path of least resistance? Or is turd filled iron piping that great of a conductor?

Either way, holy hell talk about close calls close to the balls.

[DeatschWerks]

Yeah, you've got me on that one.

That's the only explanation I've got for it. There is at least 250-300ft from where the live line dropped and where the bathroom is in the DW shop.

[hannibal]

I thought I had a rough morning!

Electricity isnt unidirectional. Touch a live wire to a pipe, and the whole pipe becomes electrified.

[DJ_B_Easy]

^I understand that, but the initial contact was with a pipe already in the ground. I would have thought it would have immediately discharged into the ground, which would have been path of least resistance? Isnt that the reason cold water pipes are grounded? Or at least a less intense charge up at the roof 300 ft away? I dont know, THATS SOME HOT POOP!

[float_6969]

Iron oxide (rust) isn't conductive. The outside of the pipe would have acted as an insulator, not a conductor. This would cause the electricity to find another ground path, which would have been the vent pipe, which was probably in electrical contact with the metal building, which does have a ground path.

[Gold Digger]

I can imagine the quotes now, "I needed a jump start for my morning...but I wasn't expecting this!" LOL!!!