High Voltage Power Lines

Hi-

I have some concerns about being in close proximity to high voltage power lines (400K). Is there anyone out there with any engineering and/or medical expertise that can help me. I would like to know what the possible dangers are. I saw guy named frank posted a few years back that, as an electric (electronic?) engineer he wouldn't want to be within 25 feet of them even without a pacemaker!

4 Comments

electric company

by Scott - 2013-07-25 05:07:35

Yeah. The electric company is the one putting them there. Don't seem to care too much. Just seems a little worrisome to me.

Interesting comment about...

by donr - 2013-07-25 08:07:18

...being worried.

Scott, do the power lines already exist? Are they erecting them now? How close to you are they? Is it a work or residential situation?

Of course the PoCo doesn't seem to care - they are investing a boatload of money if this is a construction project - or already have a boatload invested if it is existing. I see that you list Philadelphia as your home. This suggests that they are existing power lines, but cannot be sure - unless you live on the very outer fringes of the city & there may be big time development going on requiring new high voltage power lines.

The most important question is whether or not you have already had an effect from them.

Don

I are an E-lecktruckal Injuneir...

by donr - 2013-07-25 12:07:02

...but Not Frank. He & I agreed on the problems associated w/ power lines. Essentially non-existent if you are far enough away from them.

Far enough away is dependent on who you are & how your PM reacts to strong electromagnetic fields.

Are you talking work-related close to power lines or living close to them. Two different situations.

25 ft from a 400 KV line is pretty darned close & if you got that close, you'd most likely have problems. Only way to really find out is to try it & see what happens It will not be permanent if your PM reacts. Jut move back & the problems should go away.

Unless you have extremely low hanging lines, you should always be incident free w/ aerial lines.

I've had my PM affected by a 240 Volt water heater cable operating at 30 Amps. The magnetic dield apparently dropped my PM into its TEST mode. But I was only 3 inches from the cable. OTOH, I've draped across the transformer box in my front yard & had no problems - but that was only 19KV in a steel box.

It is generally the magnetic field that causes problems - they drop your PM into its TEST Mode. When you get into extremely high voltage transmission lines, most of the energy is in the electric fields of the line, not the magnetic, so they are less prone to affect us.

We have a member, manaman, I believe who worked in a mfgrg plant w/ 440 V systems. He may chime in w/ his experiences.
Don

Don

I wouldn't worry

by mtaylor - 2013-12-21 04:12:53

I live next to some high voltage lines, and my running route follows them for about 4 kilometers. No ICD issues or brain tumors yet!

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