Quote:
Originally Posted by publius
High voltage would be another story though. "Rubber tires" insulate at low voltages (by low voltage, I mean less than 600V which is the standard for "low voltage" in power terms, but really 1kV is the cut off -- if an insulator is good for a volt, it's usually good for a kV --- but don't bet your life on it, though, and always respect insulation voltage ratings. How long something will withstand a kV is another question) They don't do so good at 7200V, as a lineman once showed me. They had a little mishap and he showed me the arc marks on the truck tires. Hissed and popped liked crazy, he said.
|
To me only one word describes a lineman - Crazy! But I respect them immensely. One guy I know describes working on a 138KV line in the rain while "blue devils", their words, danced up their arms. They would cringe not knowing if the devils were going to arc over on to their faces or necks. They clamp their buckets to the line to put everything at the same potential. I suppose under the right circumstances, dirt, mud, who knows, you could arc across the tires. Me, the hair rises on the back of my neck just walking into a 138KV substation, but more deaths and injuries occur at lower voltages. Somehow they don't 'seem' as dangerous so electricians may get careless.
As for your ants, Delvo's suggestion is good. Fill the openings with duct seal and put gaskets on your NEMA 1 enclosures. Maybe it will help keep them out. Hopefully nothing needs ventilated - except the motors.