2010 Right - Kankakee Valley REMC

4 | Kankakee Valley News August 2010The Big Green BoxThey’re big. They’re often green. They generally sit on concrete,often within housing developments. Some folks don’t likethese “electrical boxes” (a common nickname for pad mounttransformers) and try to hide them with bushes, fences, or flowerbeds. But stay clear: even small additions around pad-mounttransformers createhazards.To improve aestheticsof new neighborhoods,developers often put inunderground power lines.While this eliminatesutility poles and overheadwires, it requires installingpad-mounted transformersin some front yards.Unfortunately some homeowners, concerned about curb appeal,attempt to screen pad-mount transformers from view, creatingan unsafe situation for all concerned, including Kankakee ValleyREMC lineworkers.Your cooperative realizes landscaping represents an investmentof time and money. We respect the effort and care our membersinvest in making their properties attractive. However, landscapingaround electrical equipment interferes with our ability to deliverreliable power.Kankakee Valley REMC recommends leaving at least 10 feet ofclear space in front of pad-mount transformers. Linemen repairunits while they are energized so homeowners don’t experiencean interruption in service. To ensure safety, they use an 8-footfiberglass hot stick that requires about 10 feet of “elbow room” infront of the access panel.In some cases, consumers may leave plenty of space in front ofthe transformer, but grow vegetation on the other three sides. Thisinvites other problems. For example, plant roots can interfere withits operation.Overheating is another big concern that can cause serviceinterruptions. Pad-mount transformers surrounded by vegetationor a structure may overheat and cause service interruptions whenthe air circulation around them is compromised. Allow at leastthree to four feet of space on both sides and behind the transformer.Members should also be aware that landscaping planted alongrights-of-way (strips of land owned by a member on which theco-op places poles, wires, and other equipment like pad-mounttransformers) could be damaged by co-op vehicles.Occasionally, the cooperative may need to repair a transformer,and eventually transformers must be upgraded and replaced. Toperform this work, line trucks must be driven into the right-of-wayand the transformer lifted out. Although we try to minimize theimpact, plants will be damaged if they are in the way.Always make sure you call before you dig. Because undergroundservice continues from the transformer to your home, you shouldnever dig anywhere in your yard without first calling 811 to findout where cables are buried.Is It Time For A New PairOf Shoes?When you go shopping for a pair of shoes, how do you decidewhat size to buy? Do you talk to your best friend and ask themwhat size they bought and then just go get the same size? I meanafter all, you are the same height and close to the same weight, sothat has got to mean that you wear the samesize shoe.Or maybe when you walk into the store, theclerk brings you a pair and says “I’ve beenselling shoes for a long time and by lookingat your height, I can tell you that you wear asize 8 shoe.”I’ve never had this happen and I’d be willingto bet that you haven’t either.Darrell MarksEnergy AdvisorChoosing the heating and cooling equipmentfor your house is no different. Each house isunique in the way it is constructed and needsthe equipment sized to that particular house.When a HVAC contractor is installing a system in a home, he orshe shouldn’t look at the house next door and if it is close to thesame size make an assumption that the system that is going to beinstalled will be exactly the same size. Chances are it might be butthat isn’t known for sure until a heat loss calculation is done on thehouse.A heat loss calculation is sometimes referred to as a Manual J.When doing one of these calculations, there are many things tolook at that can affect the sizing of equipment besides the overallsquare footage of the structure. The total wall and ceiling spaceis measured and the levels of insulation of each are recorded. Theamount of window space on each wall along with what type ofwindow (single pane, double-pane, whether or not there are stormwindows, etc.) is measured and noted. The amount of occupants,and also the amount of exterior doors and what they are made of isalso noted among other things.In this day and age of energy efficiency it is important to size theequipment correctly so that it runs at top efficiency. A system thatis bigger than it needs to be will actually run less efficiently dueto the fact that it will come on and then shut off quickly when thetemperature reaches the desired level. This is referred to as shortcyclingand doesn’t allow the unit to get up to full operating speedat which it runs the most efficiently.A unit that is under sized will run at top efficiency more due to thefact that it is running at top speed. The problem is that the unit isalways running which uses a lot of electricity or gas which alsoraises the fuel and electric costs.If you are getting ready to upgrade your heating and coolingsystems, make sure that the contractor that you choose does aManual J on your house so that you can feel comfortable knowingthat your house is wearing the right size shoes!