The other approach: Surrey to replace all copper wiring to curb metal theft. - Polidicks

[img]http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/cms/binary/6838359.jpg?size=620x400s[/img][img]http://www.vancouversun.com/news/cms/binary/9549608.jpg?size=620x400s[/img] [quote]The City of Surrey, B.C., says it will replace all copper wire connecting its streetlights in order to curtail an epidemic of metal theft. City Coun. Barinder Rasode says Surrey has spent $3.5 million over the past two years on repairing damage from copper wire theft. That total does not account for policing costs, staff time that could be spent elsewhere, or the inconvenience of blackouts caused by theft. Now the city is planning to spend $9 million on replacing all copper wire in its streetlights with a compound alloy that is 90 per cent less valuable. Moreover, the insulation that will cover the new alloy will be nearly impossible to burn off without damaging the metal, making it useless to thieves.[/quote] [quote]"Copper theft has become quite easy, and they have turned it into a bit of a science. So we just wanted to be able to pull out the rug from under the thieves and say this is no longer happening in Surrey."[/quote] [url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/surrey-spending-9m-to-replace-copper-wire-in-streetlights-1.2550645]**SOURCE**[/url] I still wonder why people try to live in Surrey. If it isn't the suburbia it's the antisocial immigrant neighbors and if you aren't shot catching a train at Gateway its anything you own and isn't welded (because bolting it down isn't enough) to a concrete base being stolen.

might i ask what they want to replace it with though, aluminum wires are horrible and not nearly as durable, and will still get ripped off [editline]26th February 2014[/editline] [quote]compound alloy that is 90 per cent less valuable[/quote] ah so it is like aluminum wiring

[QUOTE=Sableye;44061447]might i ask what they want to replace it with though, aluminum wires are horrible and not nearly as durable, and will still get ripped off [editline]26th February 2014[/editline] ah so it is like aluminum wiring[/QUOTE] GOLD oh wait.

Isn't the valuability connected to its conductivity? I could've sworn copper was valuable primarily because of the electronics industry

[QUOTE=ElectricSquid;44061482]Isn't the valuability connected to its conductivity? I could've sworn copper was valuable primarily because of the electronics industry[/QUOTE] Although in some cases, Copper can be replaced. This is one of them. In high voltage & high current cables buried in the ground, the conducting metal is often some cheap yet efficient aluminum alloy.

Aluminum wiring is shit, conducts heat poorly, and is a safety hazard indoors. I can just imagine how shit it would be when always burning out and having to repair it all the time

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;44063455]Who the hell steals copper from street lights?[/QUOTE] People who want money.

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;44063455]Who the hell steals copper from street lights?[/QUOTE] Copper can get you a lot of dosh. People steal it from anywhere, including graveyards.

[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;44063478]Copper can get you a lot of dosh. People steal it from anywhere, including graveyards.[/QUOTE] now that is inviting bad juju

why don't they wind another wire around/inside the insulation of the normal wires thats the opposite polarity of the wire it surrounds. Death is a great deterrent I say

[QUOTE=viperfan7;44063840]why don't they wind another wire around/inside the insulation of the normal wires thats the opposite polarity of the wire it surrounds. Death is a great deterrent I say[/QUOTE] Considering they have already been trying to steal copper from high power wiring, it really isn't.

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;44063455]Who the hell steals copper from street lights?[/QUOTE] You think that is bad? We used to have people where I used to work try to steal copper out of power transformers and shit and electrocute themselves to death.

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;44063455]Who the hell steals copper from street lights?[/QUOTE] Lots of people. Streets light wiring is probably the easiest to steal besides wiring from an abandoned building. Three tools needed to steal blocks worth of #6-10 copper. Surprised more places don't go to aluminium or.overhead.

[QUOTE=Heeples;44064311]Three tools needed to steal blocks worth of #6-10 copper. Surprised more places don't go to aluminium or.overhead.[/QUOTE] The problem with using aluminum is that you can't use the same junctions and taps used with copper wiring because of the aluminum oxide that forms on the surface of the wire. When the aluminum oxide eventually forms inside junctions and taps, it creates local resistance, which creates heat. It starts to spiral out of control and create more resistance from the heat and more heat from the resistance. The end game is something eventually catches on fire or melts To combat the aluminum oxide formation, the junctions and taps need to be orders of magnitude larger than the copper equivalents to increase the surface area of contact and reduce the amount of current passing through a single area. The special junctions and taps vastly increase the cost of using aluminum wiring, and still aren't full proof, but I guess it would cost way less than to have to keep stringing hundreds of yards of copper wiring multiple times a year.

Didn't we have an urbex thread where it was apparently obvious someone else had been before to steal the copper out of a live circuit breaker? Pretty sure it was an abandoned place in Vancouver to boot.

[QUOTE=GiGaBiTe;44064458]The problem with using aluminum is that you can't use the same junctions and taps used with copper wiring because of the aluminum oxide that forms on the surface of the wire. When the aluminum oxide eventually forms inside junctions and taps, it creates local resistance, which creates heat. It starts to spiral out of control and create more resistance from the heat and more heat from the resistance. The end game is something eventually catches on fire or melts To combat the aluminum oxide formation, the junctions and taps need to be orders of magnitude larger than the copper equivalents to increase the surface area of contact and reduce the amount of current passing through a single area. The special junctions and taps vastly increase the cost of using aluminum wiring, and still aren't full proof, but I guess it would cost way less than to have to keep stringing hundreds of yards of copper wiring multiple times a year.[/QUOTE] They're saying the whole thing is going to cost $9m. It costs $3m a year to repair the lines from thieves.

[QUOTE=GiGaBiTe;44064458]The problem with using aluminum is that you can't use the same junctions and taps used with copper wiring because of the aluminum oxide that forms on the surface of the wire. When the aluminum oxide eventually forms inside junctions and taps, it creates local resistance, which creates heat. It starts to spiral out of control and create more resistance from the heat and more heat from the resistance. The end game is something eventually catches on fire or melts To combat the aluminum oxide formation, the junctions and taps need to be orders of magnitude larger than the copper equivalents to increase the surface area of contact and reduce the amount of current passing through a single area. The special junctions and taps vastly increase the cost of using aluminum wiring, and still aren't full proof, but I guess it would cost way less than to have to keep stringing hundreds of yards of copper wiring multiple times a year.[/QUOTE] This is all very true. Copper to aluminum splicing is a pain in the ass, and it's pretty much going to go bad at some point no matter what steps you take. I have no idea what the infrastructure is like in Surrey, but we generally had a main feeder for a pretty significant amount of lights. That main would be the only place you need to make a copper-aluminum connection. Sounds like you've done some studying on the subject.

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;44063455]Who the hell steals copper from street lights?[/QUOTE] The same folk that pinch lead from church roofs.

[QUOTE=Thlis;44064255]Considering they have already been trying to steal copper from high power wiring, it really isn't.[/QUOTE] As it stands, cutting a high power line while properly insulated is fairly safe, as long as you don't ground yourself you'd be fine, this would make that impossible, the second you cut through it, whatever you cut it with is suddenly either welded to the wire, or explodes in your hands throwing you to the ground

surrey aka canada's little mumbai

They should replace internet copper wires with optic fiber while they're at it.

lol if only that was a problem

[QUOTE=Fourm Shark;44063455]Who the hell steals copper from street lights?[/QUOTE] Dirtbags.

[QUOTE=Johnny Guitar;44068489]surrey aka canada's little mumbai[/QUOTE] What a ridiculous over-exaggeration

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;44068661]What a ridiculous over-exaggeration[/QUOTE] Yeah, we all know that Vancouver is little China. Considering that every street sign has Chinese and English on it, most of the time just Chinese.

[QUOTE=Karmah;44062841]Aluminum wiring is shit, conducts heat poorly, and is a safety hazard indoors. I can just imagine how shit it would be when always burning out and having to repair it all the time[/QUOTE] Where the fuck do you have this from? Wiring burning out isn't going to happen when everything is done according to standards. If a wire burns up, you don't replace it, you find out who managed to royally fuck up, punish them, and rescale the wiring.