My tree branch just snapped after Hurricane Harvey passed.. what is the best way to remove the branch personally because I cannot afford someone to come out and do it.
The branch has snapped, but will not come down even with the 25+ mph winds.. just need advice on how to remove it successfully without damaging the existing home power line using pictures that I cannot post here..
It's been said, but it's apparently worth reiterating:
Unless you're a trained and certified linesman, do not fuck around with or near electrical lines. These are not friendly power cables that will turn off when they detect a sudden power surge like the plugs in your house. These lines are on the other side of the circuit breakers.
If you're absolutely dead set on doing this, which is a dumb dumb dumb idea that could quite easily lead to you dying in a horribly unpleasant manner, use a wood ladder, the thickest leather gloves you've got and rubber soled shoes/boots. Distance from the line isn't going to help you, because electricity moves faster than you do so by the time you see it sparking you're already eating volts, so get close enough to the branch to move it with your hands (as opposed to trying to prod it down with a stick or something which is likely to knock the original branch into the power line).
But, once again, doing this yourself is a dumb idea that could kill you. And as it kills you, it's going to hurt like a bitch the entire time.
Source: growing up with a master electrician as a father. I watched him wire good sized buildings from the first breaker box to the last outlet cover and helped him do a lot of other stuff. But one thing I never saw him do when it came to electricity was fuck around with overhead electrical lines.
Seriously, call the fire department or call the power company. Both of these groups are better trained and equipped to clear debris from a power line than you are, regardless of what you've read on a forum or watched on youtube.
Any charge that they set up (which I don't believe they will considering the recent weather) will be substantially less than you'd see from an ambulance ride and a stay in a hospital.
Stay away and call the power company. If it falls, there's a really good chance the line won't be damaged, they're stronger than you probably think. I've seen entire trees leaning on them and there's pictures on the internet of cars hanging off of them by their wheels. They're built sturdy.
Do not in the best of times try to do this, and many times moreso when emergency services are stretched thin.
If it does break, stay extra away and call the power company again to clarify that your threatened line is now a downed line, this will make it a higher priority but it could still be a while before it's fixed, it may be a good idea to find somewhere to stay in that case.
Hevach on
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
Call the power company.
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zepherinRussian warship, go fuck yourselfRegistered Userregular
edited August 2017
It's probably free if you call the power company. They legit have people to do this, do not stand under your feed line with a rake trying to clear a branch. Or whatever nonsense you are thinking. I took an electrical safety class and it was a lot of videos of people doing this type of stuff. That's a live line. It will put 200 amps into your body. It has the potential to arc flash at 10,000 degrees lighting you on fire.
My men keep a 3 foot clearance when it comes to power lines.
I doubt you have an articulated lift to go up and over. You cannot work safely under the line, and the PPE required is a full body suit rated for 200 amp panel work. They say with electrical 1 in 100 poor practices leads to a near miss 1 in 10 near misses leads to an incident with injury and 1 in 10 incidents leads to a fatality.
Do not attempt to fix this yourself. If you feel you are in danger see if you can stay with a friend or relative until things calm down and a professional can fix the power. It's not the biggest deal in the world if your home power goes out. It *is* the biggest deal in the world if you set yourself on fire trying to play with electricity and have to have all your limbs amputated.
In case it's not clear, call the power company in regards to downed power lines or things that might break power lines. Do not attempt to deal with it yourself, ever.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
I'm in Austin, but I think the building codes w/r/to electricity are probably not too dissimilar from yours.
City power agency is responsible for everything up to your breaker box. Don't fuck with it. You probably have at least 2 120V legs wired into there and your regular load would power your A/C, washer/dryer, other appliances, lights, tv, etc.: way more than could kill you. If you called out an electrician he'd probably tell you to call the power co. Call the power company. Unfortunately you're probably SOL as they likely have bigger things to deal with right now if you haven't actually lost service.
I'm in Austin, but I think the building codes w/r/to electricity are probably not too dissimilar from yours.
City power agency is responsible for everything up to your breaker box. Don't fuck with it. You probably have at least 2 120V legs wired into there and your regular load would power your A/C, washer/dryer, other appliances, lights, tv, etc.: way more than could kill you. If you called out an electrician he'd probably tell you to call the power co. Call the power company. Unfortunately you're probably SOL as they likely have bigger things to deal with right now if you haven't actually lost service.
I'd be surprised if there was a municpality where this was not the case. If that line isn't "theirs" you could tap it and bitmine all day for free. Everything from the meter to the street is probably their property and their problem.
The only way to do this safely is to kill power to that line. The only people capable of doing this are the power company. Any other stupid half-assed diy idea you can think of has a good chance of getting you killed.
He did say it was resting on his fence and not touching the power line. Unless it's so big he couldn't move it himself, I don't see why he doesn't just use the fence as a pivot and move it himself.
of course if it's like a 8" dia. oak branch or something, yeah, call the power company
He did say it was resting on his fence and not touching the power line. Unless it's so big he couldn't move it himself, I don't see why he doesn't just use the fence as a pivot and move it himself.
of course if it's like a 8" dia. oak branch or something, yeah, call the power company
Here is a diagram
The problem is the branch could touch the powerline.
I am an electrician. I work at a power plant. I am the trainer for high voltage work and equipment grounding. Even though it's a low voltage line and not currently touching the branch, do not attempt anything yourself. It's not worth the risk of death, blindness, loss of limb, or other crippling damage.
And it is a very real risk. I'm sure this situation has already resolved one way or another and I hope the OP is all right.
ah see I had imagined the branch was detached from the tree and the heavier part was on the fence. The same situation had happened at my house a couple years back and I just pivoted the branch so it was no longer over the power line, then pulled it back away and cut it up
Sorry guys.. been busy looking for assistance from those coming to Houston to help out because the Electric Co is way to busy right now. Nobody has yet to respond except y'all. Just want it taken down and I will chop it up. But the branch snapped and the remaining part of the branch is safely attached to the tree..Also, been going back to work and catching up.. But am definitely not touching anything. But thanks for the advice on all..
Glad you're leaving it alone
For everyone else saying it's the power company's problem you are 110% correct.
EVERYTHING up to your meter on your house is theirs. It's this way everywhere in the world.
My dad is also a master electrician and I've seen him do some seriously shady shit with electricity but never ever touch anything with overhead lines including the drop to your house.
I got to go out to a call with him during a windstorm and we found a compromised cable that had basically half a tree on it and was "disconnected" but even still we stayed in the truck and waited 3 hours for the "power gods" (what he called BC Hydro) to arrive and say "yeah it's safe".
Posts
And if it does move the three feet and contact the wire, it's going to be dangerous. Call the power company.
Unless you're a trained and certified linesman, do not fuck around with or near electrical lines. These are not friendly power cables that will turn off when they detect a sudden power surge like the plugs in your house. These lines are on the other side of the circuit breakers.
If you're absolutely dead set on doing this, which is a dumb dumb dumb idea that could quite easily lead to you dying in a horribly unpleasant manner, use a wood ladder, the thickest leather gloves you've got and rubber soled shoes/boots. Distance from the line isn't going to help you, because electricity moves faster than you do so by the time you see it sparking you're already eating volts, so get close enough to the branch to move it with your hands (as opposed to trying to prod it down with a stick or something which is likely to knock the original branch into the power line).
But, once again, doing this yourself is a dumb idea that could kill you. And as it kills you, it's going to hurt like a bitch the entire time.
Source: growing up with a master electrician as a father. I watched him wire good sized buildings from the first breaker box to the last outlet cover and helped him do a lot of other stuff. But one thing I never saw him do when it came to electricity was fuck around with overhead electrical lines.
Seriously, call the fire department or call the power company. Both of these groups are better trained and equipped to clear debris from a power line than you are, regardless of what you've read on a forum or watched on youtube.
Any charge that they set up (which I don't believe they will considering the recent weather) will be substantially less than you'd see from an ambulance ride and a stay in a hospital.
Do not in the best of times try to do this, and many times moreso when emergency services are stretched thin.
If it does break, stay extra away and call the power company again to clarify that your threatened line is now a downed line, this will make it a higher priority but it could still be a while before it's fixed, it may be a good idea to find somewhere to stay in that case.
My men keep a 3 foot clearance when it comes to power lines.
I doubt you have an articulated lift to go up and over. You cannot work safely under the line, and the PPE required is a full body suit rated for 200 amp panel work. They say with electrical 1 in 100 poor practices leads to a near miss 1 in 10 near misses leads to an incident with injury and 1 in 10 incidents leads to a fatality.
City power agency is responsible for everything up to your breaker box. Don't fuck with it. You probably have at least 2 120V legs wired into there and your regular load would power your A/C, washer/dryer, other appliances, lights, tv, etc.: way more than could kill you. If you called out an electrician he'd probably tell you to call the power co. Call the power company. Unfortunately you're probably SOL as they likely have bigger things to deal with right now if you haven't actually lost service.
I'd be surprised if there was a municpality where this was not the case. If that line isn't "theirs" you could tap it and bitmine all day for free. Everything from the meter to the street is probably their property and their problem.
CALL THE POWER COMPANY!!!!
of course if it's like a 8" dia. oak branch or something, yeah, call the power company
Here is a diagram
The problem is the branch could touch the powerline.
which will result in the following.
spoiled because it is shocking.
And it is a very real risk. I'm sure this situation has already resolved one way or another and I hope the OP is all right.
ah see I had imagined the branch was detached from the tree and the heavier part was on the fence. The same situation had happened at my house a couple years back and I just pivoted the branch so it was no longer over the power line, then pulled it back away and cut it up
For everyone else saying it's the power company's problem you are 110% correct.
EVERYTHING up to your meter on your house is theirs. It's this way everywhere in the world.
My dad is also a master electrician and I've seen him do some seriously shady shit with electricity but never ever touch anything with overhead lines including the drop to your house.
I got to go out to a call with him during a windstorm and we found a compromised cable that had basically half a tree on it and was "disconnected" but even still we stayed in the truck and waited 3 hours for the "power gods" (what he called BC Hydro) to arrive and say "yeah it's safe".
Yay you are alive!