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Standard User adhdave
(newbie) Tue 21-Jan-25 13:24:11
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What is this outside the exchange?


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I’ve always been curious why there’s a lamppost outside my local exchange with a metal basket on top instead a lamp. The blueprints for the exchange state it’s a lamppost and there’s only 1 sub level which consists of a cable chamber and a heating chamber, but someone once told me the exchange was 7 stories deep and it made me wonder if this lamppost was an air vent for the sub levels below.

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Standard User JonRennie
(knowledge is power) Tue 21-Jan-25 13:25:52
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Re: What is this outside the exchange?


[re: adhdave] [link to this post]
 
Pretty sure that's a vent for some ductwork, to prevent any pressure issues or contanimation.

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Standard User Pheasant
(eat-sleep-adslguide) Tue 21-Jan-25 13:45:08
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Re: What is this outside the exchange?


[re: adhdave] [link to this post]
 
Look like a sewer vent pipe to me.


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Standard User BuckleZ
(knowledge is power) Tue 21-Jan-25 14:05:57
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Re: What is this outside the exchange?


[re: adhdave] [link to this post]
 
It'll be down to the basement where the cables come in, visited my local exchange on work experience.

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Standard User Iniltous
(member) Tue 21-Jan-25 14:29:31
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Re: What is this outside the exchange?


[re: BuckleZ] [link to this post]
 
The building once housed pre digital exchange equipment, TXS ( Strowger ) , TXE2/4 ( electronic ) TXC ( crossbar ) or a mixture of these old technologies, before the change to TXD ( digital exchanges , System X and System Y ) these old style exchanges had battery rooms with lead acid cells that required maintenance , because of the potential build up of explosive gasses these battery rooms were vented , battery rooms effectively became redundant with the introduction of TXD exchanges as the UPS were sealed units , much smaller and housed within the exchange racks not in a separate room , the power requirements much reduced with digital technology….that’s probably the vent for the now empty battery room.

Edited by Iniltous (Tue 21-Jan-25 14:36:57)

Standard User FibreBubble
(fountain of knowledge) Tue 21-Jan-25 14:36:40
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Re: What is this outside the exchange?


[re: adhdave] [link to this post]
 
Vents any gas from the exchange manhole to stop it entering the exchange and going bang.

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Standard User Zarjaz
(eat-sleep-adslguide) Tue 21-Jan-25 17:20:40
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Re: What is this outside the exchange?


[re: FibreBubble] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by FibreBubble:
Vents any gas from the exchange manhole to stop it entering the exchange and going bang.

What FB said

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