responsibilty for ESB lines

hometruths · 04-01-2017 08:17AM #1

anybody know whose responsibility is it to keep land clear of growth/trees/branches etc around electricity lines - is it the landowner or the ESB?

kerry cow · 04-01-2017 08:22AM

Esb maintenance team and they do a excellent job

ford2600 · 04-01-2017 08:24AM

schmittel wrote: »

anybody know whose responsibility is it to keep land clear of growth/trees/branches etc around electricity lines - is it the landowner or the ESB?

Esb have dedicated maintenance crews/contractors doing that work.

If you have a problem notify them, a lot of men have died cutting trees near power lines over the years.

Electricity can arc across an air gap, you or your equipment doesn't need to touch a power line for electrocution.

hometruths · 04-01-2017 08:38AM

ford2600 wrote: »

Esb have dedicated maintenance crews/contractors doing that work.

If you have a problem notify them, a lot of men have died cutting trees near power lines over the years.

Electricity can arc across an air gap, you or your equipment doesn't need to touch a power line for electrocution.

Its a very overgrown field, and lines look close in places but a hell of a job to get in and clean up. TBH it would be suit me very well if ESB came in and sorted out the bits under the lines.

If they are too close in some places can I insist they sort it? Any links to documentation, done some googling but can only details of access, not specifics about how close growth allowed etc.

thanks

ads20101 · 04-01-2017 08:41AM

schmittel wrote: »

Its a very overgrown field, and lines look close in places but a hell of a job to get in and clean up. TBH it would be suit me very well if ESB came in and sorted out the bits under the lines.

If they are too close in some places can I insist they sort it? Any links to documentation, done some googling but can only details of access, not specifics about how close growth allowed etc.

thanks

I don't think you'll need to insist.

Just inform them and they will come over.

hometruths · 04-01-2017 08:55AM

ads20101 wrote: »

I don't think you'll need to insist.

Just inform them and they will come over.

I tried that a couple of years ago, and they came out to visit and basically said "meh, it's bad but not too bad, we'll try and sort it when it becomes a problem" - and I left it at that.

Now I want it done because I can't really deal with the rest of the field until I'm sure it is safe.

whelan2 · 04-01-2017 08:56AM

Dont they go around regularly in a helicopter and check the lines? Then any work that needs to be done is carried out by contractors

hometruths · 04-01-2017 09:27AM

The line is actually running through trees never mind close to them and at another point is lying on top of a large gorse bush!

Surely they cannot tell me this time they can sort it out in another few years?!

ford2600 · 04-01-2017 09:49AM

schmittel wrote: »

The line is actually running through trees never mind close to them and at another point is lying on top of a large gorse bush!

Surely they cannot tell me this time they can sort it out in another few years?!

Is it a low voltage line supplying a house?

They normally do a 3 year maintenance cycle in rural areas from memory. Get onto them again and insist you want it dealt with.

lookinghere · 04-01-2017 09:52AM

The esb do all that. Contact them and tell them the situation

newholland mad · 04-01-2017 10:01AM

They only routinely do the lines before the transformer. To the house side of the transformer is referred to as low voltage plus if a tree falls on that line it's only a few houses knocked out not a whole community.

hometruths · 04-01-2017 10:11AM

Yep its a low voltage line supplying two houses one of which is mine.

davidk1394 · 04-01-2017 10:33AM

whelan2 wrote: »

Dont they go around regularly in a helicopter and check the lines? Then any work that needs to be done is carried out by contractors

every few weeks during the summer they pass over our place checking the line heading for Waterford anything out of the ordinary a ground crew is out within a few hours.

Base price · 04-01-2017 01:06PM

If it was me I would contact the ESB again and tell them that you want to get the hedges/growth sorted out before nesting season begins and hedge cutting stops - 1st of March. You are afraid to do the work yourself (possible electrocution) as some of the bushes are in contact with overhead power lines. Inform them that you requested they trim the bushes/hedges 2 years previously and the situation has become exacerbated with the passage of time. You are unable to use the area for livestock for fear they also could be electrocuted.
TBH we have always found the ESB and their crews to be very helpful.

Bass Reeves · 09-01-2017 07:28PM

It looks like an I sulated cable. This is black in colour and both live and neutral are enclosed inside. A few years ago the were due to replace a pole feeding the farm. I managed to contact the crew doing it locally and pointed out that power line was low across entrance to yard. Even thought the new poles were higher they still put up a single insulated cable. At a guess it is 2 metres higher than previous open wire configuration.

hometruths · 08-02-2017 04:13PM

Update - eventually ESB came out, only to tell me it was an eircom line not electricity!

Got the distinct impression from ESB guy that eircom were not great at maintaining their lines and it might be a trickier job getting them to sort it. Have called them and told them about it so we'll see what happens.

Anybody had experience in dealing with eircom in this situation? i.e do they have the same responsibility as ESB to ensure access and maintenance etc?

zetecescort · 08-02-2017 07:32PM

http://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2057413090/1#post95067732

kk.man · 08-02-2017 07:56PM

Put it in writing...and state...you have a corporate responsibility plus health and safety....then you will see them act

Bass Reeves · 08-02-2017 08:14PM

In general eircom run all lines along at side of road. There is no health and safety issue with there lines as they only carry a low DC voltage. AFAIK in there case it is the farmer's responsibility to maintain roadside hedges. If there are lines across fields not sure who has responsibility as this would involve a way-leave agreement.

whelan2 · 08-02-2017 08:16PM

Is there not a customer charter where id you report a wire down or dangerous to eircom that they have so many days to fix it?

hometruths · 15-02-2017 11:48AM

Update: called eir and they had a technician out within two days.

Only problem was he ignored my repeated requests to let me know when he was coming so I could meet him at field.

He looked over the hedge, diagnosed what he thought was the problem, called me later to say "Sure that's an old line you can do what like, pull it out for all we care."

Knowing full well it was not an old line I double checked was he referring to the line running across telegraph poles at top of field?

"Ah, I didn't see any telegraph poles!"

Halfwit. I should not have bothered double checking and just gone ahead and pulled them out. Line does not serve my telephone line. It goes to a pretty unfriendly neighbour's house!

sea12 · 15-02-2017 08:49PM

schmittel wrote: »

Update: called eir and they had a technician out within two days.

Only problem was he ignored my repeated requests to let me know when he was coming so I could meet him at field.

He looked over the hedge, diagnosed what he thought was the problem, called me later to say "Sure that's an old line you can do what like, pull it out for all we care."

Knowing full well it was an old line I double checked was he referring to the line running across telegraph poles at top of field?

"Ah, I didn't see any telegraph poles!"

Halfwit. I should not have bothered double checking and just gone ahead and pulled them out. Line does not serve my telephone line. It goes to a pretty unfriendly neighbour's house!

Had a similar situation a couple of years ago. Very low line running about 10 ft inside the perimeter. Couldn't get tractor to dat side of it. Rang them s couple if times and eventually they came out. Rand me to say they were replacing pole. Luckily my dad was there and told home to go down to them. They were in wrong place a bit down the road. Had it sorted on 30 mins but took a few weeks to get that far. I'd say keep onto them and you will get it sorted

Mac Taylor · 16-02-2017 10:16PM

Had a contractor from eircom pass our way today cutting the trees touching the lines. Long story short the fcuked the tree tops into the nearby fields knocking out the electric fence and knocked walls luckily nothing got out but I spent well over 90mins sorting out the mess.
There is now also the problem with the branches that did not fall and are hanging onto other branches waiting to fall.
I am fuming to put it mildly. Took photos and will ring eircom in the morning. Rant over:mad:

Victor · 16-02-2017 10:33PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Dont they go around regularly in a helicopter and check the lines? Then any work that needs to be done is carried out by contractors

Only with high-voltage lines.

They have 190,000 km of lines (compared to about 95,000 km of public roads) - they would need a lot of helicopters to do that.

ganmo · 16-02-2017 11:19PM

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Had a contractor from eircom pass our way today cutting the trees touching the lines. Long story short the fcuked the tree tops into the nearby fields knocking out the electric fence and knocked walls luckily nothing got out but I spent well over 90mins sorting out the mess.
There is now also the problem with the branches that did not fall and are hanging onto other branches waiting to fall.
I am fuming to put it mildly. Took photos and will ring eircom in the morning. Rant over:mad:

Eircom never do anything right.
They'll try and pass it off as the contractor's fault.

responsibilty for ESB lines

Comments