PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-624

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 624

NOVEMBER 2004
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-624 - Page 24 of 33
The remedy for cold cable is a warm shelter and careful handling. Together they
protect cable from damage and make it easier to control.
PS 624
NOV 04
45
Generators…
E
xtreme cold is brutal on field and telephone cable. Insulation turns stiff and brit-
tle. It cracks and breaks open if cables are handled too roughly. Once that happens,
moisture seeps into the wire conductors and causes a short.
Certain places on a cable are especially vulnerable to cracking in the cold. These
include field ties and splices, and kinks and crimps in the line.
Low temperatures also shrink and stiffen wire conductors, making them more
liable to break.
Not only is cold cable more likely to crack, it’s also stiff and harder to handle. A
reel of cable may even freeze into its coiled shape.
1
The generator set and the area around it
should be free of ice and snow. Pay par-
ticular attention to the fuel tank cap and
filler neck where snow and ice can
become water in your fuel.
2
Keep fuel tanks full to protect against
moisture, condensation and accumulation
of water.
3
Drain and service fuel filters frequently
to remove water and prevent freezing.
4
Keep batteries well-charged and free
from corrosion. If possible, remove the
batteries when not in use from the gener-
ator and store them in a heated area.
5
Do not bend or kink wiring that may
have become brittle in the cold. Make all
connections with care.
Here are
five things
you
can do…
Take tightly coiled cable, unwind it into bigger coils, and store it where it’s warm
before taking it out in the cold. That’ll reduce the risk of a pinch or break.
And don’t forget to handle cold cable carefully. Slow and easy is the way when
you pay out, reel in or flex cable. That helps to avoid cracking the insulation.
If you have to splice or repair cable, use cold weather tape, NSN 5970-00-723-
5413, which comes in a 108-ft roll. This tape holds fast in cold weather and can be
used without being warmed up. Most other friction and rubber tapes don’t hold as
well in extreme cold.
One more reminder: Metal connectors and receptacles shrink in the cold, making
cable connections stubborn. Here again, take care when you hook up or unhook
cables. Rough stuff just invites damage.
The same
principle goes
for cold, stiff
cable, too.
Before coiling
it,
warm it up,
if possible.
Ohh, is
my back
stiff!
mine,
too!
a warm
shelter will
loosen those
stiff joints!
MAN! THAt'S
PRETtY COld-
HEArTED!
YOU THiNK
THAT'S
COLD-
HEARTED? YOU
SHOULD SEE WHAT
WiNTER WEATHER
DOES TO MY
COMMO CABLES!
Keep your
generator on
the job during
cold weather
by giving it a
helping hand.
624.44-45(C!)
9/24/04
11:43 AM
Page 1
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