Pole Transformer Glowing Red

[Jim Yanik]

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in news:5aWdnQwSHorTJ7XTnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

I'd rather have wireless or fiberoptic HS Internet. no wires to conduct lightning into my home.

[notbob]

Seriously impressive, no doubt. But check out the links to Stoneridge Engineering. WOW!

I once worked at a govt lab constructing huge particle accelerators, more than one. I had no idea it was even legal to be built by civilians for commercial use. Check out these "lightning sculpures" and how they are made (8 min youtube video). Frankly, I'm beyond astonished. I gotta get me one of these things!

Again ....WOW!!

nb

[JIMMIE]

When I lived in Ga we had some transformers on our street with lights on them. Someone told me once they came on when the transformer was overheating. I can believe this because it was usually during the summer on a Sunday...all on the street would be lite up.

Jimmie

[krw]

You mean the ones under the '95 Crown Vicky with the 26" wheels?

[A. Baum]

No.

[Red]

In 2001 we were traveling way back in the boonies in very rural Utah; no cell towers anywhere; signal strength 0. As we neared a power transmission run across the landscape, signal strength slowly increased to 5 bars, then decreased back to 0 a few miles after we passed them. First time experienced power lines as a transmission source.

[Red]

My cable company advertizes that they use fiber optic cables. Truth is that they use it up to the point where it enters the neighborhood, then it switches to copper. So I'm still susceptable to lightning, but over a smaller area.

[bob haller]

I saw a pole transformer explode and catch fire one day as i drove by it. before cells phones existed i went to a pay phone and reported the situation

[Ed Pawlowski]

In the past, I've never reported power failures as dozens of others always did and power was quickly restored. I have to be more careful now. Last week my neighbor was home before me and called the power company. Good thing as there are only four houses on the particular transformer that blew. It took 6 1/2 hours from phone call to restoration. Minor inconvenience.

[George]

The new remote meters many power companies are using make a difference too.

A few months back we got up on a Saturday morning and the power went off. There are 4 homes connected to the same transformer. I could see streetlights were still on down the block. I went outside and could see the fuse on the transformer serving our houses was open. I called the power company and they said they already knew because of the meters.

The electric company truck came an hour later and he replaced the fuse and power was back.

[A. Baum]

Pulled along side the road one night to watch a building on fire. Next thing I knew the pole pig exploded. Some young chick standing in front of me fainted. I caught her before she hit the ground. Those things don't glow they just blow.

[jw]

Was this on a farm? Pole PIGS and CHICKS......

I bet that blast made you MOOve....

Sure sounds like a BAAAd situation.

The electrician probably used DUCKtape on the wires, and that caused the fire.

Did you call a doctor for that CHICK? I hope he wasn't a QUACK.

Or did you just take her home to help you count SHEEP?

[krw]

She sucked the paint right off the thing.

"Blow" is just a figure of speech.

[bob haller]

My best friend was a design engineer for distribution transformers made by Allis Chalmers. They went out of the transformer business in the 70s. In any case I will ask him if a transfomer could glow......

will let you know:)

[krw]

You can't be serious. I didn't think anyone was, in this thread. ...including the OP.

[bob haller]

As a update my best friend a retired distrubution transformer design engineer reports a transformer that gets hot enough to glow will be in flames before glowing.......

as others reported some transformers have red lights that trip on if overheated, that may have formed the basis of the red glow

[Twayne]

The red "glow" would have come from an indicator on the transformer to indicate it had a problem. I imagine they saw that reflecting off something and thought it was the transformer.

[Tekkie®]

Bob Villa posted for all of us...

Causes massive radio interference with one system and both this and another incarnation were economically disastrous.

[mkirsch1]

They're idiots. They can't tell the difference between a small red indicator light, and a glow.

[Rod Speed]

That use of heaters must have happened before.