When the phone rings after ten p.m., it's probably not good news. I had to go into work -- the North Campus -- late last night. A power hit had managed to trip a breaker on a critical piece of equipment. Going in, all I knew was that one of the important widgets had shut down and wasn't responding to remote-control restart.
It could have been any of several very bad things. I'm glad it wasn't. Sure hope this isn't a trend; in twenty-two years of power hits, that particular circuit breaker has not tripped -- and it was in one of seven identical high-power sub-widgets, three running and four spares. It might be time to find out if the manufacturer's got any replacement breakers in stock.
I think you have the right of it -- old breaker probably reaching the end of its useful life.
ReplyDeleteCBS - Circuit Breaker Sales - is my go-to for oddball and no longer made ciruit breakers, starting at the low end of 3-phase, all the way up to medium voltage distribution type stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure the upper bosses would be happy with her buying from a place called CBS. Unless I've guessed her employer wrong. Or it could be that there would be some kind of negative reaction with them coming from CBS. :)
ReplyDeleteNo one is irreplaceable.
ReplyDeleteUntil, suddenly you are. Irreplaceable, that is.
The knowledge and experience you have accumulated at your place of employment is probably irreplaceable.
A call at 10:00 PM means you are either a) the only one who knows how to fix the problem, b) you are in the closest proximity, or c) you are the least expensinsive when it comes to overtime.
I am thinking "a".
You not only know how to flip the breaker , but you know there are spares and are informing management that they should get more spares
I hope management values your contribution to their mission.
I was taught that the first thing you do is train your replacement.
Good luck with that in today's corporate culture.
Jeff, it doesn't work that way. Most stations outside of New York City, LA, San Francisco and Chicago aren't owned by the network they carry.
ReplyDeleteWeapnedmann: I'm the person who built that site in its present form -- and I'm the one who will be ordering spare breakers, too.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope that there is a monetary "atta-girl" in the pipeline for what you do above and beyond.
ReplyDelete