Soak Period

Dear Ms. Frogy,

Is it true that Toads are actually Frogs? 

Also, what happens to the water that is in the cable once your fluid is injected? When your fluid meets the water does it chemically change into something?   One more question please.  Why is it that older injection methods leave soak bottles on for 60-90 days (and sometimes they forget to pick them up entirely) and you claim you have no soak bottles at all. Have you been in the pond too long?

Thank you

Curious in Cleveland

Dear Curious-

Yes, toads are frogs, although I am loath to admit it.  My skin is moist and beautiful and toads are so ... well let's put it this way, we don't hang out in the same places.  Frogs love water and at first, so too do Ultrinium™ 732/733 fluid and Perficio™ 011 fluid.  These fluids react with water consuming it, and then they keep the water away as they preferentially wet the polymeric cable insulation.  My colleagues at Novinium patented a new generation of catalyst technology (U.S. Patent 7,700,871) used in both the Ultrinium and Perficio fluids that eliminates the need for the unsavory soak periods.  Soak periods are undesirable for a variety of safety and economic reasons.

Perpetually wet and proud of it,

Thermo

Carus Totus Gnarus Amphibian,

With an additionl 40 years of life added to each cable you inject, is it possible to run out of injectable cable?

Sincerely,

Ready, Wiling and Cable

Dear Cable-

Perhaps you are flirting with me.  I love to converse in Latin, but in the future make sure you get your gender and declension correct.  A crude transalation of carus totus gnarus is "dear knower of all things," which you undoubtedly meant to be flattering.  But using the masculine gender did not have the desired effect.  This girl is not impressed when the grammar is messed up.

There are over two billion feet of pre-1985 vintage polymeric cables still in service in North America.  Stranded cables with strand-block, whether direct buried or in duct, can be rejuvenated for a fraction of the cost to replace.  I am going to be busy for some time, just getting caught up on that back-log.  In the mean time humans keep installing new cables and they will start to fail someday too.  My spawn will have to deal with the newer ones.

Affectionately yours,

Thermo

Fan the Strands

Dear Greatest Amphibian,

I have a question regarding a statement I heard one of your colleagues make at an ICC meeting recently.  Would you comment on the criticality that wire brushing of the conductor has when installing a connector?

Kindest regards,

JA at Xcel-lent

Dear JA-

You are indeed Xcel-lent because you are not afraid to ask the tough questions.  And I am Xub-erent, because I love to dispel myths.  When connectors are qualified to ANSI C119.4 do you think the manufacturers use old corroded conductors?  If you answered yes, stop reading here.  If you answered no, read on. More...