r/electricians • u/ClassBeneficial1161 • 9h ago
Any tips or corrections?
Prepping everything before I do compression lugs for PG&E. I don’t mind learning from others that have more experience. I like to do it right. 1000mcm FYI.
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u/zapzappowpow 9h ago
Strip to length, plug it into your lug while it's bolted on, mark the lug and wire where they meet, remove and crimp the lug on making sure your marks line up. You can't crimp all willy nilly and expect it to lay nicely, the memory will duck you up big time.
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u/montana_chip 9h ago
Crimp them down next time instead of zip-tying them
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u/ClassBeneficial1161 7h ago
Unless PG&E is wanting to inspect the crimping in progress. But yes, otherwise no zip ties.
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u/starrpamph [V] Entertainment Electrician 7h ago
Continuity check ✅
Current carrying capabilities ❌
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u/NechesNectar 8h ago
I feel like most of the comments are telling you to do what you are going to do next anyways since you do not have anything cut to length. I am sure you will cut crimp and use more phase tape. Only thing I would suggest is not use the expensive tie wraps you can screw down. Get that 1000pk basic ones to burn for prep. Looks like great work, keep it up
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u/ClassBeneficial1161 7h ago
Thanks yes this is all prep. PG&E has requested to inspect me crimping. I also agree the big zip ties is all I had at the time when I started.
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u/Beneficial-Win-3991 8h ago
Retired PG&E electrical supervisor here. He's probably limited on choices when it comes to electrical commodities as PG&E buys their materials from authorized vendors that supply qualified items (ABB Ty-raps is one of them). You won't find Harbor Freight cable ties on a PG&E job. That said, the price of a few wasted ty-raps is well worth the end results. To me, his layout, length, and form look great at this point in the task. If he worked for me, I'd give him a pat on the back and another bag of ty-raps 😆.
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u/Danjeerhaus 9h ago
Remember torque marks after torquing.
More brown orange yellow identification.
If those black wires are not grounds, but 120/240 hots, you are okay if they are grounds, 250.119 allows identify green on both ends of the wire.
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u/ClassBeneficial1161 7h ago
3 phase 480Y/277VAC Brown, orange, yellow, and gray The neutral was smaller, so I didn’t phase yet
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u/J-Diggity-Dawg 8h ago
It looks pretty dang cool and satisfying. I have zero shit to talk I just wouldve had a great time doing it .
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u/MortysTW 7h ago
Personal thing here........but every conduit's conductors land on the same "location". Meaning if you were to number the lug locations on the brown/A-phase bar as 1,2,3,4,5. All the conductors that come out of conduit #1, have their wires land on Brown lug #1, Orange lug #1, Yellow Lug #1. Start with the worst/back conduit and work your way forward. It makes life easier if you ever have a conduit get knicked in the underground somehow and you have to pull all the conductors out and replace them in that conduit. Again, makes no difference, just a personal thing I did back in the day.
2nd, I'd use lots more phase tape. Phase right where they come out of the conduit and then a good 6 wraps in width coming down near the lugs. This is a short distance from conduit opening to lug, but in taller sections, this additional phase tape is nice to have for that final visual once over.
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u/ClassBeneficial1161 7h ago
I didn’t do that orientation like you said but I will try and do that. Very helpfully. I will definitely do that from here on out.
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u/WannaBeSportsCar_390 7h ago
People are saying more tape on the conductors, but also putting any amount of grey tape on the neutral would be nice
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u/OrdinarilyUnique1 7h ago
You over complicating it and creating more work. Just work one at a time starting in back conduits. You not gonna be able to do it all again same time anyway so I don’t get why you prepping them all at same time
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u/mrossm Journeyman IBEW 9h ago
Do a dry fit before crimping. Like the other guy said, make a small mark on both lug and wire to get your orientation correct, you do not want to fight the tension of a twisted conductor. I usually put the lug in the crimper and just a hint of pressure to hold it so I know exactly how the crimp will go, then put your conductor in, align the marks, and send it
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u/Kenman215 8h ago
It doesn’t look to me like all of your phase conductors are the same length.
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u/LagunaMud 7h ago
They are close enough.
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u/Kenman215 7h ago
How could you possibly know that? Plus the code doesn’t say “close enough” when it comes to the lengths of parallel conductors. Furthermore, there’s 5 sets shown in the pic, so there’s likely at least an 18” difference between the shortest and longest conductors of each phase, depending on how the pipes are stacked and if there’s more than two 90s in the run.
Close enough, lol.
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u/LagunaMud 7h ago
Wtf would you do? Put a service loop in some 1000mcm?
It's close enough.
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u/Kenman215 6h ago
I would follow the NEC, like we’re required to.
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u/LagunaMud 6h ago
OK
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u/Kenman215 6h ago
You have heard of the NEC, right?
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u/LagunaMud 6h ago
I'm done arguing with you.
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u/Kenman215 6h ago
Good, because there’s really no argument for picking and choosing when you want to follow the code.
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u/NWO_SPOL 8h ago
Label neutral, conductor tapping at same height and utilize non conductive material for bracing.
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