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

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

Original poster: "Stephen Mathieson" <s.mathieson-at-charter-dot-net> 

More likely that it is desiccant and was put in the transformer to prevent
condensation.

Stephen A. Mathieson

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 9:11 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: "aquarium gravel" in pole pig? :\

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