Power outages in Ratoath

Floppybits

I have noticed over the last while there have been numerous power outages in Ratoath, you are looking at probably one every two weeks. Im not sure if it is all parts of Ratoath or certain areas. Is there are reason for this? Is there are problem with supplying power to the area?

Dubh Geannain

Good question. I don't know the reason but I came home a couple of times and my DVD player was blaring after switching off and on again.

I haven't noticed any ESB works going on in the area but then again I don't know where the nearest substation is.

Ratoath is badly serviced at the best of times anyway. The spell of dry weather pushed the water supply to the limit with the pressure dropping right off. As for the primary school, I see they added another storey to the prefabs :rolleyes:

Local development plan how are ya.

Chiorino

When we first moved about five years ago they used to happen quite often but then there was still a lot of building going on then and I was led to believe that it was down to pressure on the grid. These latest ones have been the first in a good while though. I do remember something coming in the door about the new interconnector which will pass fairly close to the village. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

LarWright

Bit of a bump on this, but anybody know why power outages seem to be occurring a few times every month!

I can't think off hand the previous times, but in the last week....
Monday night just gone (11 Oct) it went out at about 7.40 for 10 mins
Last night (14th), about 8.30 went out for 10 mins, came back for 30 secs and went out again for 10 mins...

**Note to self, change cooker hob to Gas!!

I'm actually getting quite annoyed, ESB Networks advise it as being a "major outage in the area of Dunshaughlin & Ratoath". Quite heavily populated satellite towns in fairness, not some 1 horse town in Ballygobackwards!

Just The One

Last night was a joke. Dunshaughlin/Ratoath areas had no power from about 8.30ish. It kept coming and going. When it came back it would only be for a second and that was it.

It is the second time this week! The ESB keep saying there is a major problem in the area... well no S**t Sherlock.

What is the problem exactly? and how long is it going to keep happening? Feels like we are back in teh 80s with all the power outages.

Dostoevsky

Floppybits wrote: »

I have noticed over the last while there have been numerous power outages in Ratoath, you are looking at probably one every two weeks. Im not sure if it is all parts of Ratoath or certain areas. Is there are reason for this? Is there are problem with supplying power to the area?

And Domhnach Seachnaill!


Well, two weeks ago it was off as my new next-door neighbours decided to grow cannibas - €150,000 worth, according to your man on RTÉ - on the property they were renting from my old next-door neighbour. I know this was the cause of the shutdown as the ESB lad was fixing the supply when I returned home that evening and he told me about what my new neighbours were up to.

It was off last Monday night also; I arrived home from work at 11pm and the place was in darkness. It is definitely beyond a joke now. The ESB girl that I rang last Monday said she had received many other complaints about this continuous disruption of our supply.

In fact, on 23 September last I started this thread about this very same problem.

Dubh Geannain

It does't bother me too much, but I'm going to have to invest in some more candles soon due to the frequency of the outages.

Wait till it happens while I'm cooking dinner though then I'll probably be a little more pi$$ed off.

I'd imagine it's a hell of a lot more inconvenient if you have kids though.

Hammer Archer

Hmm I mustn't be on the same line as the rest of ye because I don't usually get power cuts.
But I think it's simply down to the fact that Ratoath isn't equipped for c.10,000 people living here. I don't want to sound like an auld fella (i'm only 22) but I remember when there were only around five or six hundred people living here and only one estate. In the last 10 years or so, the population exploded and the basic services weren't improved sufficiently.

Floppybits

I started the thread a while back and since then there seems to be a powercut every couples of weeks. There has been no communication from the ESB as to what they are doing to improve the service.

On a good note got a letter from upc to say they are upgrading their services in the area, which will mean that tv, broadband and phone will be available from them. Finally will be able to get rid of Eircoms rubbish broadband and get in some decent broadband.

Dubh Geannain

Two more this week.

One in the Tuesday morning bout 8:15 and one Wednesday evening about 5:30. Really good timing. :rolleyes:

Dostoevsky

The electricity was gone for three days last week.

In fairness, there were around 10 ESB lads (do girls do this job at all?) around the place for the duration. They were cutting tree branches which were, or could, threaten the ESB supply over the winter. We got the service back in the evening time when they went home. With the ESB supply went the connection to the internet, which bothered me more.

They must have had awful eyesight in the old days depending on the light from candles.

Dubh Geannain

One from 3:30 to about 4:30 this morning. I was thinking about emptying my freezer outside to keep the stuff frozen.

Hammer Archer

Dubh Geannain wrote: »

One from 3:30 to about 4:30 this morning. I was thinking about emptying my freezer outside to keep the stuff frozen.

To be fair there was a huge thunderstorm last night.

Dubh Geannain

Hammer Archer wrote: »

To be fair there was a huge thunderstorm last night.

Yep and the lights went out to coincide with the brightest flash I saw. It was my presumption that the thunderstorm had caused it and I said to OH at that stage no to be surprised if it didn't come back until after the early morning. So I was plesantly surprised when it returned an hour later.

I'm just noting there was an outage for the record really, and to be fair I wouldn't have held a grudge about a power outage today after last night's storm.

Floppybits

I actually emailed the FF and FG Councillors for the area after the power outage in the morning last week to ask why is this happening? I haven't received any reply from the FF guy but Regina Doherty (FG) got back to me with an email from the ESB explaining what is being done to fix the problem.

Dear Councillor,

We in ESB Networks are acutely aware of the concern of our customers in the
Rathoath and Dunshaughlin areas, and regret any inconvenience that recent
outages have caused to our customers. The steps being taken to improve the
network performance in the area are outlined below and may be of interest to
you and your constituents.
The network feeding the Rathoath area is long and feeds a large number of
customers, the steps being taken to improve the network performance in the
area are as follows:
. A new power line is currently under construction which will
reinforce the entire area, it is anticipated that this line will be
completed by the end of 2010.
. A second new power line is at an advanced stage of design, wayleave
and access issues are being agreed presently with many of the landowners
involved. This will provide further reinforcement for the area and is
scheduled for construction in 2011.
. A patrol and programme of timber cutting of all the overhead power
lines, approximately 55km, is underway.

Dubh Geannain

I'm not sure I fully understand their last point.

Are they cutting down and replacing old Timber power lines?