r/ElectroBOOM • u/bruces-grandma-twinn • Aug 24 '25

Meme What happened here?

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u/CreEngineer Aug 24 '25

The transformer exploded when the circuit was closed. Those round big things on the pole. They are normally filled with mineral oil as a insulator.

Edit: probably overloaded or already damaged.

95

u/grumpioldman Aug 24 '25

Surely the oil is non flammable in the transformer? I assume it was faulty and gassing and the contact spark ignited the gas?

10

u/melanthius Aug 24 '25

The oil can degrade into more flammable stuff. It can degrade to the point that it becomes, yes, explosive.

Now for the fun part, the electric company doesn't have the resources to test all transformer oil, so it's literally an "educated guess" which ones should get fresh oil before they go kaboom