Powercutsaslines crackduetotheheat

June 1995

The summer heatwave was indirectly responsible for a loss of electricity in hundreds of Wexford homes last weekend.

Households and business premises in Crossabeg, Ferrycarrig, Screen, Curracloe, Blackwater, and Newtown were left without power at different times on Friday, Saturday, and in the early hours of Monday.

Old insulators on the area’s power lines cracked in last week’s intense heat, according to an ESB spokesman, and when moisture entered the cracks, it caused a short circuit.

The first power cut happened on Friday morning last at about 11.30 a.m. and homes were left without electricity for most of the day as ESB staff repaired the lines.

All seemed well on Friday night, but on Saturday morning, another short circuit occurred and technicians were called out again. The area was once again left without power all day long.

There was a repeat of the problem at 2 a.m. on Monday morning and homes were powerless again as staff worked throughout the night to carry out repairs.

‘ There were hairline cracks on the line and they were very difficult to detect because they dried out during the day,’ said the spokesman. ‘ The problem arose durig the night when moisture got into them.

‘We now have things under control,’ he added.