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Blew a transformer on a new build in Austin yesterday
I was running the main feed on a new subdivision and forgot to double-check the load calc against the panel specs. Fried a 75kVA transformer in about 10 seconds, set us back half a day and cost the company $1,200. Has anyone else had a close call like that from rushing the paperwork?
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alex30715d ago
No way man, it welded itself shut? That's insane. @the_emery I've seen breakers trip but never heard of one actually fusing closed like that, must have been one hell of a current surge. I bet the utility guy had a field day cutting that mess out, probably cost a pretty penny too. My transformer just popped and smoked, but yours sounds like a real disaster.
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patriciah5115d agoMost Upvoted
Oh gosh, that reminds me of something that happened to a neighbor of mine years ago. He had an old fuse box in his basement and one day a fuse blew and when he went to replace it the whole metal casing had literally melted and dripped down inside. The electrician who came out said he'd never seen anything like it, said it looked like a candle had melted inside there. Had to replace the whole panel.
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the_emery15d ago
Oh man, that's brutal. I've totally been there with the paperwork rush. One time I was wiring up a big commercial kitchen and I skimmed the load schedule way too fast. Ended up undersizing the main breaker by a mile. When they flipped the hood exhaust and all the fryers on at once, that breaker tripped so hard it actually welded itself shut. Cost us a full day and a call out from the utility company to get it fixed. My supervisor was less than thrilled, lol. The lesson I learned the hard way is that double checking those load calcs is worth the extra five minutes even when the schedule is tight.
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