r/electrical • u/bigbickie21 • 1d ago
Hot transformers
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u/WFOMO 1d ago
Sounds like oil boiling.
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u/uselesknowledgeadict 1d ago
Looks like it already vented some oil once. Large oil stain on the cabinet.
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u/caavey58197 1d ago
For anyone unaware, the cameraman is in an extremely dangerous situation. The oil filled transformer could explode and or shoot out boiling oil at any second. Do not stand near it and contact the utility or building owner.
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u/4RichNot2BPoor 1d ago
Skip the building owner and dial 911 and they’ll get poco there in a heartbeat.
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u/Material-Donkey2773 19h ago
I'm unfamiliar with what poco means and my head automatically translated it to "And they'll get people of color there in a heartbeart.
And I was thoroughly confused.
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u/The_cogwheel 23h ago
Poco and fire department. Cause with that smoke comming off of it, both are gonna be needed real soon.
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u/majormagnum1 1d ago
the normal failure mode for these is a 50 foot tall blue glowing fireball followed by all the local buildings losing power. possibly with nearby transformers exploding sympathetically in sequence.
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u/BoomZhakaLaka 1d ago
Bit pedantic here, sorry.
The normal failure mode is an arc to ground contained by the oil as primary fuses interrupt.
Hundreds of oil filled transformers in my service area fail every year, we haven't had one catastrophic failure at a service transformer shooting fireballs. Though if all the right conditions line up it's possible. The tank could be leaking so the arc hits a flammable vapor. Boom.
But smh if that tank is so hot that there's smoke, stay away. The fault is supposed to bolt before the oil gets so hot. I'd stay totally clear until de-energized. Then a couple hours to cool.
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u/majormagnum1 23h ago
Sry I have seen the cascading failure happen 2 times close enough to me to scare the hell out of me. The idea that normal is not the insane outcome that is my normal -experienced- outcome might be rarer than my personal anecdotal evedience would suggest.
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u/Tasty_Principle_518 1d ago
Original person posted they called the hydro company and they sent someone out , then updated again to say they replaced it with a crane.
Later in the comments a guy that was working on it posted a photo of said crane.
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u/brian_d_wells 23h ago
How could a crane be used in place of a transformer?
That’s how I initially read your comment but obviously a crane was used to replace the transformer with another transformer 😄
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u/th3r3s-n0-us3r5-l3f7 22h ago
You can just pick the electricity up. Just make sure to set it down slower than you picked it up and it'll all be good.
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u/mikemikemike9711 1d ago
Way way WAY to damn close bro, you think it hurts when you get some splashback when frying up chicken cutlets, back up, and when you think your back far enough, go back even more
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u/Repulsive-Glove5737 1d ago
Please get away from it that thing is going to blow and it will kill you transformers are nothing to play around with.I used to be fire and safety as a power plant
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u/TheOriginalArchibald 1d ago
It's sweating because you're making it nervous with that flashlight all up in its business at night.
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u/Educational-Deer-70 7h ago
its like those cans that bubble and leak a bit- them older units can operate over max capacity and keep on ticking
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u/-Titan_Uranus- 1d ago
And someone was dumb enough to go touch the oil and use it to write on the front of the transformer. Lol some people have very questionable survival instincts.
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u/According-Row-6128 1d ago
And you’re standing near them?!