transformer glowing red where the cables connect?

[Hobby_Man22]

Steel? There's no way it could be steel. It wouldn't last a month in use. Steel bolts may sometimes be used to hold one conductor against another, stainless steel shims may be used between aluminum and copper to prevent galvanic corrosion, and steel cores are often used in wires for strength, but the steel won't be the conductor.

Again, it doesn't take much current to get incandescence visible at night. A 1/2 watt lightbulb would be way brighter, and would draw 14 MICROamps at 7200V.

I'm out in the country where it's actually dark. It's not like the city with street lights making it so you can still see without a flashlight. You can't even see the ground without a light of some sort.

 

[Firebrick43]

I'm out in the country where it's actually dark. It's not like the city with street lights making it so you can still see without a flashlight. You can't even see the ground without a light of some sort.

I thought your property was in the city? Out of 6 FULL pages of results of hobby_man22 posts that come up when you search "permit" there are two full pages of post that clearly include "city". Several about close neighbors?

But for you to see the metal glowing it would be "AT LEAST" 900-1000 F, more likely 1100F If that was the case, it would have burnt off the paint, instead of being bright and shinny. So it didn't happen, unless it was another red light reflecting off of it.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

I thought your property was in the city? Out of 6 FULL pages of results of hobby_man22 posts that come up when you search "permit" there are two full pages of post that clearly include "city". Several about close neighbors?

But for you to see the metal glowing it would be "AT LEAST" 900-1000 F, more likely 1100F If that was the case, it would have burnt off the paint, instead of being bright and shinny. So it didn't happen, unless it was another red light reflecting off of it.

Omg. Im in city limits but I'm in the large lot area where everyone has like 2-5 acres minimum.

 

[KenC]

private poles are a thing. rare but a thing:

example:

I have that same configuration and problem at my shop. Fortunately it is owned by the utility. Have experienced that fuse failure about 4 times. Last was last week when the porcelain actually broke and it and the fuse fell to the ground as well as the porcelain insulator on the other side, where it is tapped to the line. Apparently a lightning strike as we had storms the night before I found that. Inevery case it has been the 208v leg from the second transformer leaving me with working 120/240 single phase power but no power to my sander, table saw or air compressor.

 

[jeepxj]

Steel? There's no way it could be steel. It wouldn't last a month in use. Steel bolts may sometimes be used to hold one conductor against another, stainless steel shims may be used between aluminum and copper to prevent galvanic corrosion, and steel cores are often used in wires for strength, but the steel won't be the conductor.

Again, it doesn't take much current to get incandescence visible at night. A 1/2 watt lightbulb would be way brighter, and would draw 14 MICROamps at 7200V.

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/medium-voltage-power-distribution-control-systems/cooper-power-series-transformers/oil-filled-single-phase-overhead-distribution-transformer-instructions-mn201003en.pdf

tin plated high and low voltage eyes. meaning its good for both AL and copper connections. per their specs.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

the math is fishy.

7200v to 240 is 30:1 ratio.

if the AC unit pulls 30a that would be 1a on the pole connection. highly unlikely 1a is gona make a connection point glow red.

except we dont know if this ****** only feeds his house.... could be other loads on it

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Not all that unlikely actually. All it takes is a little arcing inside to warm up some oxide crust.
The distribution circuit on my street is 13600 V. A few months ago I called in an arcing and sparking transformer connection. They're easy to see at night.

As for why this isn't all that uncommon. The transformer is going to be wound in copper. The primary is likely aluminum. Need I say more?

the transformer windings dont connect directly to the drop. they connect to a lug that is rated for aluminum and copper. so that is not the culprit.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

It's a 5 ton unit. The running current is like 28 amps. Probably pulls twice that on startup for a few seconds. Why do you think they start one before the other and not the both the condenser and air handler at once?

try 4-8x times running current not double... and its not a few seconds. its 100-200ms.... yes ive tested this with a clamp meter that is specifically designed to measure in-rush current. had a 3 ton unit that had around 18a FLA. pulled 98a on startup.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I'm out in the country where it's actually dark. It's not like the city with street lights making it so you can still see without a flashlight. You can't even see the ground without a light of some sort.

umm i live in a city and i can still see arcing connections on poles. why? because street lights shine down not up and they are well below the high voltage primary connections. this is by design.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I have that same configuration and problem at my shop. Fortunately it is owned by the utility. Have experienced that fuse failure about 4 times. Last was last week when the porcelain actually broke and it and the fuse fell to the ground as well as the porcelain insulator on the other side, where it is tapped to the line. Apparently a lightning strike as we had storms the night before I found that. In every case it has been the 208v leg from the second transformer leaving me with working 120/240 single phase power but no power to my sander, table saw or air compressor.

that leg is only 208v to neutral/ground. it is 240v to the other 2 phases.... thats why its called the hi-leg or stinger leg....

 

[rlitman]

...tin plated high and low voltage eyes. meaning its good for both AL and copper connections. per their specs.

Please don't mis-read my comment to blame utilities for not being aware of bi-metallic connections. They absolutely use the right rated equipment. Stuff happens even when you do things completely by the book, and utility equipment is subjected to all sorts of harsh weather and contamination such as bird droppings and smog.

Here's an example. Not the transformer bushing, but the fuse contacts are certainly plated as well. Look closely at the top of the cut out, as it's only a few pixels that my phone could pick up in night mode from across the street. For the record, it was visibly orange (not blue or green as you'd expect from arcing in air with our without copper included) as can be seen, and it pulsed quite a bit before it winked out.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The transformer is going to be wound in copper.

Not necessarily. Aluminum wound transformers are lighter and put less strain on the pole.

 

[KenC]

that leg is only 208v to neutral/ground. it is 240v to the other 2 phases.... thats why its called the hi-leg or stinger leg....

I know, just used that to differentiate it from the other two which are 120 n-g, Actually mine is normally close to 216-218.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

try 4-8x times running current not double... and its not a few seconds. its 100-200ms.... yes ive tested this with a clamp meter that is specifically designed to measure in-rush current. had a 3 ton unit that had around 18a FLA. pulled 98a on startup.

Okay so with that being said do you think a few yellow sparks would be normal when it starts up? I don't see it with anything else. I've even had the air compressor in the shop running at the same time so that's like a steady 60 amp draw there.

 

[rlitman]

Okay so with that being said do you think a few yellow sparks would be normal when it starts up? I don't see it with anything else. I've even had the air compressor in the shop running at the same time so that's like a steady 60 amp draw there.

NO. Sparks there are not normal. It's a sign of a problem that needs hands-on repair. Period. Not an emergency, but a commonplace issue the utility should know about.
Around here, utilities will occasionally send out trucks with FLIR cameras to search for stuff like this, but I couldn't guess as to how often.

 

[csp]

Okay so with that being said do you think a few yellow sparks would be normal when it starts up?

99% of the comments suggesting you call the POCO are based upon the mention of the presence of sparks. In other words, no, there should be no sparks of any type in any electrical connection point!


:shakeshead in disbelief at this guy calling others "8 year olds":

 

[BillK]

Okay so with that being said do you think a few yellow sparks would be normal when it starts up?

How many times and how many people have to tell you that NO NO NO !!!! Sparks of any type at any time are not normal in an electrical system of any type.

Geeeeeeze

 

[mark#3]

I would think of a loose wire connection 1st, then check the load on the secondary.He didn't specify which side/primary, secondary?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Okay so with that being said do you think a few yellow sparks would be normal when it starts up? I don't see it with anything else. I've even had the air compressor in the shop running at the same time so that's like a steady 60 amp draw there.

sparks coming from the transformer? no thats not normal. CALL THE POCO ALREADY

 

[rlitman]

sparks coming from the transformer? no thats not normal. CALL THE POCO ALREADY

Look, lots of people have differing views on "normal". Some years back, I happened upon several gross nice looking pens in cardboard presentation boxes (I think they were ment to be promotional items that never got engraved). Spreading the wealth, I gave a few cases of these to a friend. The cases were falling apart, and several boxed pens fell out into the street as he was unloading his car. The next day a neighbor asked what was in the box. She said she was worried it could be a bomb and was about to call the police.

Another story. Squirrels managed to get into my attic once. One figured out a way to get into the house. As my wife was chasing it around with a broom, and it used our cat as a jump off point (the cat wasn't phased at all), my 10 year old son happily said to her "Oh good, it's a squirrel. I thought I was hallucinating that earlier". As if telling us that he thought he was hallucinating wasn't worth mentioning.

People sometimes just need a smack upside the head to be brought back to reality.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I would think of a loose wire connection 1st, then check the load on the secondary.He didn't specify which side/primary, secondary?

He mentioned in his 1st post that they were on the top so that would indicate the primary. The secondary lugs are on the sides of the transformer.

 

[mark#3]

Yes, I skip words sometimes when reading, even pages, part of reading too fast sometimes.I was a lineman for 30+ years.Makes me think you are a lineman.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

He mentioned in his 1st post that they were on the top so that would indicate the primary. The secondary lugs are on the sides of the transformer.

They are on the side but at the very top. Not like on the lid part but like an inch below it on the side.

 

[jeepxj]

They are on the side but at the very top. Not like on the lid part but like an inch below it on the side.

good lord.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Have you called the utility yet....or is this thread taking all your time and "brainpower"

 

[NUTTSGT]

This was supposed to be a simple question. I asked are the lugs on the transformer supposed to get yellow/orange for a few seconds when a high amperage item kicks on. The answer was no apparently. End of story. No I'm not sending pics and in fact I looked at it today from the ground and the lugs still have grey shiny paint on them.

Yes, end of story.