# Power line safety debate **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [March 10, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950 "2011-03-10T07:35:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/1 "2011-03-10T07:35:35Z")
So one of my coworkers was just explaining a DIY fix he did at his house that has me concerned. Figured I’d ask NYSpeed’s opinion. Problem: The line running from the pole to his house sways in high winds (he’s on the lake) and makes a lot of noise right where it connects to his house. Opposite that connection on the inside of the house is his newborn’s room so the noise is a big problem. His DIY Solution: Take two 15’ dock lines (basically cotton ropes), tie them together, and toss them over the power line. Pull them slightly taught and tie them off to his gas meter so it stops the line from swaying. My issue: While cotton doesn’t conduct electricity, it does absorb water, and water does conduct electricity. To make matters worse he’s now made a path to ground through a metal object full of explosive natural gas. His logic: The line is coated so it’s not an exposed conductor. My logic: The power company spends lots of money putting out warnings about using ladders around your power line, so obviously they don’t have a whole lot of faith in that coating as a 100% effective insulator. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/2 "2011-03-10T07:42:41Z")
I wouldn’t fuck with it. I’d call a licensed electrician. I am an AVID DIYer, and even I wouldn’t touch that. ---
**Author:** ![TradersBASE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tradersbase/32/5321_2.png) [@TradersBASE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TradersBASE)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/3 "2011-03-10T07:44:49Z")
I’m no electrician but your logic seems pretty sound to me. I don’t think the gas meter is a real concern for ignition but it just seems like a dopey idea to me in any event. Why not call the power company and ask them to tighten it up some? In for others input. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/4 "2011-03-10T07:48:56Z")
> [@TradersBASE](#): > > Why not call the power company and ask them to tighten it up some? ^ That was my advice. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/5 "2011-03-10T07:50:19Z")
Why doesn’t he just put a piece of rubber on the side of the house where it hits, to deaden the noise? ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/6 "2011-03-10T07:51:20Z")
That’s an absolutely terrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/7 "2011-03-10T07:52:07Z")
Sounds like it’s not hitting the house. The noise is the ceramic mount shifting back and forth in it’s holder. Which when he said that I said: “You know why that’s ceramic right? So it won’t conduct electricity”. ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/8 "2011-03-10T07:53:21Z")
I can’t fucking believe someone would think that’s a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/9 "2011-03-10T07:54:58Z")
Good lord. This is why some people just shouldn’t work on their own house. LOL this one has me smashing my keyboard. The wire isn’t squeaking, the anchor on his house is. If it’s squeaking that means its loose, and he’s now added additional load on the already loose anchor by pretensioning the wire. He’s going to wake up to the wire laying in his yard. As far as grounding the power line to his gas line with a wet rope, yeah that’s fucking retarded. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/10 "2011-03-10T07:55:11Z")
please ask him for a picture so that i can post it on [http://thereifixedit.com](http://thereifixedit.com) ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/11 "2011-03-10T07:57:13Z")
Then darwin awards when a transient lights off his gas line and burns his house down. ---
**Author:** ![08GT500](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/08gt500/32/5417_2.png) [@08GT500](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/08GT500)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/12 "2011-03-10T08:13:05Z")
:lol: srsly? This definitely sounds like a horrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![tpgsr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tpgsr/32/7374_2.png) [@tpgsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/tpgsr)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/13 "2011-03-10T08:15:00Z")
I am pretty speechless. Tell him to undo the rope before someone fucking dies. This is a massive fire hazard in more ways than one. If he is adamant about fixing it DIY, then get a new porcelain insulator, and instead of passing the wire through it, he can tension the wire some by using one of these: ![http://www.binet.lv/go.pl?IMG=36570611O2116](http://www.binet.lv/go.pl?IMG=36570611O2116) Then hooking this to the insulator on the house. He will have to create a drip loop so that any rain water can not run down the inside of the insulation on the se cable attached to the house. ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/14 "2011-03-10T08:21:44Z")
Hey, sounds like the first to go in the fire will be the baby… That may not be a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Muckman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@Muckman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Muckman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/15 "2011-03-10T08:23:06Z")
Tying off to the gas meter is the best part of his plan. If the wire breaks free from the house it will take out the gas line with it. ---
**Author:** ![TradersBASE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tradersbase/32/5321_2.png) [@TradersBASE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TradersBASE)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/16 "2011-03-10T08:25:58Z")
> [@Muckman](#): > > Tying off to the gas meter is the best part of his plan. If the wire breaks free from the house it will take out the gas line with it. Yeah maybe he just bumped his insurance policy up and is looking for a payday? LOL ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/17 "2011-03-10T08:31:56Z")
Anything that involves the powerlines and DYI is fucking stupid unless you are a licensed electrician. [https://youtu.be/bTZkH52Dwjc](https://youtu.be/bTZkH52Dwjc) ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/18 "2011-03-10T08:45:13Z")
Power lines into your house are aluminum right? ---
**Author:** ![juicedz4](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/juicedz4/32/5051_2.png) [@juicedz4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/juicedz4)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/19 "2011-03-10T08:52:25Z")
Time to bury the line. F that above ground nonsense. Dan ---
**Author:** ![tpgsr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tpgsr/32/7374_2.png) [@tpgsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/tpgsr)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950/20 "2011-03-10T08:53:18Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > Power lines into your house are aluminum right? Yes [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/power-line-safety-debate/209950.md?page=2)