| Author | Message | ||
     Just_ziptab |
This street light pole melts the snow around it's base. 28°F ambient temperature. Pole is 40°F at the base and is cooler farther up. I'm thinking there is a electrical leak of some sort in the ground. The street lamp fixture was converted to 110v LED last Summer. The city guys say they can't do nothing about it till something fails and a short would blow the fuse. WTF?  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Lots of folks pissing on the pole base? | ||
| Hootowl |
Maybe the pole is radiating the heat that it absorbs from the ground? What's the ground temperature? I can't imagine that it's an electrical issue. If the wires were touching, there'd have been a pop and either the fuse/breaker would have blown/tripped, or melted the wires. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
LEDs can't run on 120v directly, they are DC and need to be given a current-regulated supply. I can't see the picture you posted here at work. (blocked B.S. rules) Is the pole hollow with a power supply inside? | ||
| Hootowl |
I don't see a photo either, if there is one. | ||
| Hootowl |
I do on my phone. Strange. It's not just the ground around the pole, it's the sidewalk too. Now that is odd. Somebody salt it? | ||
| Etennuly |
What about a leaking water pipe? | ||
| Doz |
Put your tongue on it | ||
| Ratbuell |
There's a photo, looks like a wood pole to me. Possible ground (as in electrical ground) heat? | ||
| Just_ziptab |
It's an old steel street light pole and the power conductors are inside the pole. It is dedicated pole for the street light only. The light fixture is clearly Id'd as 110V LED, so the DC conversion must be in the lamp unit. Conductors are all underground. No salt,the actual cement is warm and melting the snow. No water is bubbling up,so probably not a water main leak.The snow is 28°F,the concrete gets warmer,the closer I get to the pole where it is 40°F. I grazed the pole with the back of my hand and did not get "a buzz". https://scontent.fdsm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/28685845_10208627243358851_5514648994866790400_n.jpg?_nc_eui2=v1%3AAeGzOVv3xCIw62c_lTQRFqFsq0DthJaN4dCwkxXBrKVYqpdG8iwriyRvEn2aUVhN22SifERAgjPlh0fMJrQKdj5D0mROg3yIkV5eEKvWw3c3mQ&oh=a93be3c1275d0ae8e7f25281602779ab&oe=5B39584A (Message edited by just_ziptab on March 07, 2018) | ||
| Greg_e |
LED arrays like they would have installed can operate on 110 volt supplies, there are several ways they do this. Numerous control chips for this application. | ||
| Hootowl |
If the ground wire running to the pole isn't connected to the pole (or there is no ground), and the hot wire, or even the common, is touching the pole, it could be leaking current to earth. The resistance in the ground would create heat, but you wouldn't necessarily be able to feel any voltage at the pole. | ||
| Hootowl |
Put one lead of an AC volt meter on the pole, and the other lead on the wet sidewalk. See what it says. | ||
| Ebutch |
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| Strokizator |
All the trees and wooden power poles here have a ring of exposed soil around them. I think it is heat from the sun that provides the warmth. Sun bouncing off the snow can add to the effect. Odd, but on a sunny 15° day I'll have meltwater on my south-facing deck. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Strokizator....Snowfall, well into the evening is melting. None of the other poles on the same side of the street are melting snow. I think it's electrical bugaboo of some sort............ | ||
| Greg_e |
You should see if you can get a shock off it. Since you notified them of a problem, if you get shocked you could get some money from them. |
