One for the Electricians

[Brent]

I have a well and a 5000 gal storage tank across the dirt driveway from each other. Friday I rode one of the horses between the two and she went balistic. I couldn't see anything that might of spooked her. Sunday I led two other horses up to load them into the trailer and they both blew up in the same spot. The power line, the kind you can bury direct without conduit, for the low level alarm and pump on and off censors runs across the driveway from the pump house to the tank in that location. Even though everything is working, is it possible to have a power leak that they could feel and I couldn't? I'm in So. California and we only get rain this time of year and we have had plenty in the last three weeks.

[Bigdog]

Brent, yes it is possible. Animals are much more sensitive to this than we are. You could try walking barefoot in the same area to see if you can feel it but I think I would rely on the horses sensitivity.

[beaconlight]

Big Dog is absolutely right. We have had people and pets killed like that in NYC in the past year. The first thing I thought of was the bare foot thing. I wouldn't try it for safety reasons. Dairy farmers have milking problems caused by stray electric currents caused by bad grounds and corrosion. Take this as a wake up call. You could turn the electric off and then lead a horse over. If no trouble encountered there is your answer. The problem was most likely caused by an incorrectly insulated splice or rock damage when the wire was buried.

bill

[cowboy]

Hi Brent

My grandpa was a line man. He told me when you have a line down on a pole you had to keep your feet together and kinda suffle up to it. It you took a regular step the difference between you and the ground could get you electricuted power going up one leg and down the other. Also as you know horses hear much better than us I do not know if the pipe is pressurised but they may be hearing a hiss from a leaking pipe. Or sounds assoicated with a electrical problems.

Billy

[Eugene]

Contact one of the better electricians in your area. He can put an amp probe on the circuit and see if you have an underground short. Perhaps your electric utility will come out and check out the situation.

If there is a short from the cable to wet ground it's costing you money in your electric bill. And quite possibly creating a dangerous situation.

Eugene

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Brent. those sensors are normally low voltage, so probalby not hazardous, but if they cable insulateion is bad, the voltage cna be enough for a horse or other animal to fel it and make them skittish.

[Brent]

The problem is solved! I didn't notice at first that there is a second line in conduit running from the pump house to the storage tank right where the horses went ballistic. Turns out about a week ago I ran power to the tractor shed and in doing so I guess I managed to skin the hot wire when putting the cover back on the junction box. It was shorting against the box and drawing 11.5 amps when everything was turned off. The main power pannel is in the well house and that is where all the grounds terminate. That trickle of current made its way up to the conduit running under the driveway. My neighbor is an electrician and he came over and checked everything out for me. No more current draw and I led another horse across with no problem. Good thing I have four horses, the other three won't go anywhere near that spot. As soon as I can I'm going to replace the direct buried line and the one in ridged with lines run in plastic.

[Bigdog]

Glad to hear your problem is fixed Brent. Those things can be a real bugger to find sometimes.

[beaconlight]

Good thing it is fixed before some one got hurt. Burried wires carry their associated bag of problems.

Bill