Re: "aquarium gravel" in pole pig? :\

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Paul Marshall" <klugmann-at-hotmail-dot-com> 

It may be just something to absorbe remaining oil





Paul S. Marshall





>From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: "aquarium gravel" in pole pig? :\
>Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 12:13:57 -0700
>
>Original poster: Crow Leader <tesla-at-lists.symmetric-dot-net>
>
>On Tue, 10 Feb 2004, Tesla list wrote:
>
> > Original poster: "J. Aaron Holmes" <jaholmes-at-silicon-arcana-dot-com>
> >
> > Got a couple new [to me] pole pigs the other day.
> > 15kVA -at- 14.4kV.  One's a Westinghouse, the other an
> > RTE.  Both are presently empty of oil.  I popped the
> > lid on the RTE today, and I see what looks like white
> > aquarium gravel in the bottom of the can and some on
> > the top of the transformer (I know that's not actually
> > what it is, of course).  Anybody have any idea what it
> > is?  Both units were certified working by the utility
> > I purchased them from, and I've called my contact
>
>This sounds suspect. Why were they pulled from service and sold if they're
>tip-top? I don't have an exact date, but I think it was sometime in the
>80's when RTE was absorbed and the name went away.
>
>Skipping ahead, there are quite a few posts suggesting that maybe it's
>silica gel, to remove water from the oil.
>
>If there is water in the oil, the transforer is already destroyed. Silica
>gel is not the solution. If I slop pop all over my laptop, then dust it
>off with silica gel, it's not closer to being fixed or good again.
>
>
>KEN