high voltage transfer station

My daughter's neighbor just sold his property to the power company. They are going to put in a high voltage transfer station. She believes it is 274 volts?, but not sure. I have a new PM that was put in may of this year (2010). I am 50 years old and very new to the PM concept. Can anyone help me with any information about being around one of these high voltage transfer stations? They are looking at her property as a buffer zone. If they put the station in, can I still visit her at her home?
thank you all so much for your kindness and it is so comforting to know such a great support group exists.
thanks again, raylene

4 Comments

High Voltage SubStation

by SMITTY - 2010-06-15 11:06:03


You can still visit your daughter. As for the electric sub-station that will be built, just stay outside the fence they will build around the facility and you will have no problem. Even if you went inside the fence the electromagnetic field present is not likely to affect your pacemaker. The high voltage (probably 10 to a 100 times higher than you estimated) going into the transformers can do lots of harm to anyone, with or without a pacemaker if they come in contact with it.

Smitty

High Voltage

by SMITTY - 2010-06-16 06:06:47


ANYONE THAT HAS CONCERN about being in close proximity to high voltage power lines, microwaves, hair dryers, operating automobile engines and anything else that can generate an electromagnetic field should stay away from them. However most of the warnings we see about things to avoid were written many years ago when pacemakers were not as well shielded as they are today and the circuit boards and transistors in them may have been more susceptible to the interferences from some devices. While a strong electromagnetic field can sometimes disturb todays pacemakers, it is not likely to damage it. That is not to say you will not feel some effects on your pacemaker, but if you do get a few feet away from the source and your pacemaker should return normal operation.

I had first hand experience of that since posting my first comment on this subject today. I was a leaving Walmart and as I entered the security gate, the person in front of me dropped a package and stopped to pick it up. As a result I had to stop for a few seconds and I was standing directly in the security gate. All of a sudden my pacemaker felt about the same as it does when they place the magnet over it during a checkup. It was enough of a surprise that it got my attention, and almost as soon as I cleared the gate the strange feeling went away. That was a first for me and I'm sure in the 10 years I have had this thing, I've been through security gates hundreds of times, but I don't think I have ever stopped in one before.

Tracey mentioned staying out of power plants. Several months ago I was on the turbine/generator floor of a 750 MW (750 million watt) generator. I was within about 25 to 30 feet of the generator and felt nothing. That time I was aware of my surroundings and on the lookout for any changes I might feel. Nothing happened. Those generators have such massive enclosures that little or none of the electromagnetic field generated escapes.

I guess the moral of this story is; yes there may be many things that can have an adverse effect on our pacemakers, but few, if any will have a lasting effect. So if you think yours is being affected by some device, don't panic, just move a few feet away and things should return to normal and no harm will have been done to you or your pacemaker. But if in doubt, see your doctor.

Smitty

ditto

by Tracey_E - 2010-06-16 07:06:01

What Smitty said, it's fine!

old

by Tracey_E - 2010-06-16 11:06:06

Sue, I'm pretty sure that's old. We need to be careful around power plants but that's about it as far as I know.

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