Are Your Electrical Transformers Prepared for Tropical Season?
Does your commercial operation run around the clock, as you have to maintain production levels to keep up with demand? If so, you may also need to operate high-powered machinery without delay and will need to ensure that these machines receive the right amount of energy with consistency. You may think that you have taken as many steps as possible to reduce your risks so that you can avoid any downtime, but you may not have taken into account extreme weather. As cyclone season is rapidly approaching, why do you need to look carefully at your outside transformers, to make sure that they weather any storm?
Prepared for Everything
As your operation is particularly complicated and the utility companies have provided you with your own dedicated supply, you might have to maintain one or more transformers on-site as part of the process. Typically, these are very reliable and are designed to work in mixed weather conditions, but the extreme forces created by a tropical cyclone can be another matter.
Adequate Protection?
An electrical transformer is essentially made up of a series of coiled-over wires. As these wires are in close proximity, they need to be insulated to prevent electricity from passing between them inadvertently. This insulation is usually installed in adequate quantities to take into account degradation.
Furthermore, each unit is designed with humidity in mind and will often be protected by an air dryer to repel as much water as possible. This is especially important as it doesn't take much water for a major problem to develop.
What's at Risk?
If it's been some time since a significant storm passed through the area, then you may not be prepared for what's about to happen. The insulation that surrounds the electrical coils may have worn down to such a state that it won't provide sufficient protection.
In the worst-case scenario, a major short circuit could take place. When this happens, it may ignite the oil that protects the coil structure, and this can result in a significant explosion. This type of event may happen at the height of the storm when wind-driven rain is a major issue, and it can quickly plunge your operation into darkness.
Time for an Upgrade
With so much at stake, you should consider upgrading your transformers. Talk to a supplier who can provide you with units that are rated to work well during an intense cyclone. After all, you never know when the next big one will hit.