Use of the Shunts Detecting Equipment for the Identification of Illegal Power Outlets

Abstract

C. A. Electricidad de Valencia (ELEVAL) has 116.000 customers of whom 43% are served in underground mains, the majority of residential type. The company has been able to inspect more than 50% of its underground mains, finding a great incidence or electrical fraud by means of unauthorized connections to the energy main, hidden by means of perforations in sidewalks and walls. To locate these clandestine derivations techniques and strategies have been implemented to speed the search, however it has been necessary to implement specialized tools to make the task easier. The lines detector has been one of the most effective tools used in the identification of illegal connections, managing to reduce in more than 50 %, the time of detection and, in more than 80% the cost due to this concept. A comparison of the results of the use of this equipment is shown.