Pole Transformer Glowing Red

I've seen a lineman *appear* to glow red when heat & humidity was just right. Some techhie ought to be able to explain it-- but this guy was outlined by an 'aura' just like in the cartoons. he said he wasn't even getting a tingle-- but it was freaking us out on the ground. [I was on a telephone crew waiting for him to get done. When we did our wires on the same pole, no auras appeared-- thank you very much]

Maybe that's what they are seeing. I'm with you-- a bit skeptical that the pot can get hot enough to glow without failing.

The only transformer I ever saw glow did it 3-4 times with a huge array of sparks and loud noises. Then everything was quiet-- and quite dark. That one was caused by a tree across the main wires.

Jim

I would be suspicious of that story since most of the transformers on pole sit in an oil-like liquid.

Hank

True Hank, that kind of excessive heat would expand the oil and blow them-up quickly!

Some pole mounted transformers actually have a red indicator light on top. I've seen them on more than one transformer and I'm sure It's there as a trouble indicator so a lineman can easily see which transformer is causing problems from his service truck as he drives by.

TDD

around here they dropped the red light design after tiring of phone calls reporting red lights.

with smart meter technology transformers can likely call in reporting trouble

I want my hi-speed internet thru my electrical utility! When will it happen? Damn!

Not available to me-- but I'm sure I read about it being available someplace 5-6 years ago.

Jim

Absolutely. There is often a light on the top. It glows red when the transformer is heavily loaded.

We're supposed to get it soon (they promised it within two years). Politicians wouldn't lie, would they?

=3D=3D I had a transformer apparently damaged by lightning which "boiled" out some of its oil. It was quite hot and smoking. One 110 volt leg in the house was okay...the other one was reduced to almost nothing as parts of the transformer overheated and burnt out...finally it quit and was subsequently replaced. =3D=3D

=3D=3D

Probably never in most areas.

I think this has been posted here before, but it's a collection of "arcs and sparks". High voltage arcs, substations blowing up, lightning, other cool stuff.

The substation video is particularly impressive.

http://205.243.100.155/frames/longarc.htm Paul F.

Power line? The power company (the city, here) also owns a lot of right-of-way. They've promised to bring fiber to the house. We'll see.

Nope. It's not that uncommon now.

=3D=3D Great stuff...thanks.

If the power company changed to color of the lens to purple, they would get calls about UFO's landing on the transformers. ^_^

TDD

I had a friend who was an engineer for the power company and in charge of their communications division. He told me of their communications system that was utilizing the power lined and this was back in the

TDD

It won't! Broad band over power lines is a flawed technology that creates a radio blackout zone around the wires. Various radio users groups have successfully forced the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reexamine the entire concept. The last operating system in the United States of America went out of service a couple of years ago. Absent some major technological breakthrough that will preserve the value of the installed cellular, satellite, and aircraft communications networks it isn't coming back.

-- Tom Horne

" snipped-for-privacy@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

people sure don't think,do they?

consider the temperature a transformer would have to reach to glow red.

Maybe their transformer has those neons like the car freaks use underneath their cars......"ground effects" lights,ISTR.