alexleblanc
Scoudouc N.B
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We had a weird semi freak accident happen a few sites away from us this weekend while camping - a 25kVA transformer was overloaded (most likely from everyone using their A/C during some pretty intense heat) and it basically exploded in a mess of buring oil. most of the oil landed on a park model that was only a few weeks old and that caught fire very quickly. The fire was contained quickly due to the fact actions of a few savvy campers and nobody suffered any major injuries.
Total damage was 1 RV, 1 Transformer and lots of wiring below.
Crummy cell phone picture of the RV and the electrical Shed. (what you can't see is the hole burned through the roof of the RV.)
the guy in the yellow shorts is a buddy of mine and an electrical engineer, he said the electrical shed was wired so horribly that it probably should have caught fire beforehand!
* This post was
edited 07/03/12 01:58pm by an administrator/moderator *
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Doug4.7
Hartselle, AL, USA
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Those people who were in contact with that oil need to go to their doctors right away. That "oil" is nasty and very carcinogenic.
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NORM WADDELL
PENSACOLA FL 32514
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The first reply is accurate. Some transformers
are filled with a liquid PolyChloranatedBiphenys
(MY spelling) called PCB/s..........now
outlawed. Wash it ALL off, several times.
The power company may have more advice.
L NORMAN WADDELL
30 FOOT ALLEGRO
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WIFE AND 2 DOGS SUGAR BEAR & COCO BEAR
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alexleblanc
Scoudouc N.B
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Doug4.7 wrote:Those people who were in contact with that oil need to go to their doctors right away. That "oil" is nasty and very carcinogenic.
yeah, it was one guy and he was treated on site by an ambulance. This transformer was fairly new and not filled with the old style PCB. My engineer buddy mentioned something to that effect.
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Mafman
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Cayouche!
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Oasisbob
Portland Oregon 97266
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Did you experience a power surge or brown out around the time of the incident? Purely curious
Oasis Bob
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therink
Rochester
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The transformer oil doesn't necessarily contain PCB. If it is a newer transformer (after 1980's) odds are it is non PCB oil. It is likely mineral or vegetable oil. The utility company should be able to confirm. Most transformers are labeled non-PCB if newer.
Steve Rinker
Rochester, NY
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past-MIdirector
Michigan
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Saw a transformer go up years ago in Tucson, AZ across the street from a lighting strike. What an explosion and mess. We didn't have any damage but took them about eight hours to clean up and replace the transformer and that was back in the early 70s.
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Doug4.7
Hartselle, AL, USA
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therink wrote:The transformer oil doesn't necessarily contain PCB. If it is a newer transformer (after 1980's) odds are it is non PCB oil. It is likely mineral or vegetable oil. The utility company should be able to confirm. Most transformers are labeled non-PCB if newer. That's a good point. My "experience" with transformers is from the 1980's and we were told those oils were "nasty stuff". On one job I had, we worked removing old transformers. We had to drain them first and we were told to treat the oil like it was nuclear waste. I could never look at transformers the same again.
I have a friend who debunks "power lines cause cancer" reports (he lives near Love Canal, NY, yes THAT Love Canal) and he's come to the conclusion that much of the higher levels of cancer for people near power lines could easily be traced to being near transformers with the "nasty oil".
I'm glad they've clean that mess up since I last worked with those things.
Oh, as an interesting data point, again back in the 80's, another friend worked for the local power company during the summer (he was an EE major). He was told they ALWAYS ran the transformers OVER capacity. Someone in the company did a study and found it was cheaper to do that and have a few blow up than to pay the extra $$$ for units that lasted "forever".
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down home
south
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1997 We saw a transformer hit by a lightning bolt about 75 feet in front of us on the opposite side of the road. The explosion was enormous and ear splitting. We couldn't see anything but white. The oncoming semi just missed us. I know he couldn't see anything either.
I don't know if any oil, from it, remained from the explosion. We passed under it as the fireball was still glowing white hot.
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