Re: Leaky Pig

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "David Rieben" <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Phil,

That seems like a strange place for oil to be leaking from!
The top of the oil level is generally 6" or so below the top
lid of the of the outer tank container. I have had a pig to
sometimes have a slight oil leak around the gasket of one
of the LOW voltage bushings if I twisted the terminal lug
a little too much, but never the TOP of the HIGH voltage
bushing! The pressure valve can sometimes leak if it becomes
faulty but will normally only spew out a little bit of oil when
the spring loaded relief valve ring is pulled. However, I have
experienced a large x-ray transformer that would leak oil
from the top unused HV port holes that were covered with
a thin piece of PE plastic with a non-air tight seal when I
tried to seal off the top mounted went hole. It seems that
as the atmospheric pressure would vary that it would ei-
ther "push" or "suck" oil to the HV port hole and would
actually appear to overflow the PE inserts and run out over
the top of the transformer. I wanted to keep the vent hole
covered as I sure didn't want trash /debris falling into the
transformer oil through the uncovered vent hole! So, I
ended up having to take a copper end cap for 1/2" copper
tubing and cut a couple of notches on the top rim of
it and placing it up-side down over the top mounted
vent hole. This kept a protective "roof" over the open
vent hole but still allowed air to flow into the vent hole
to allow equalization of the internal air pressure and prevent
the oil from getting pulled or pushed to cause the leak.
No more leaks since this modification ;^)) BTW, the "vent
hole" was originally for the insertion of the external lever
the operted an internal HV to change the output from the
transformer from one pair of HV ports to the other pair
as it had a total of 4 HV port holes.

David Rieben

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2004 5:28 PM
Subject: Leaky Pig


> Original poster: FIFTYGUY@xxxxxxx
>
> Folks-
>
>      I haven't used my pig much, but I finally figured out where it's been
> leaking from - the top of the bushings!
>      Oil actually DRIPS off the terminals at the top of bushings, runs
over
> the top, and makes a mess on the floor. I've seen it, but I can't figure
> out why. Granted, it's getting colder out here in Virginia Beach, but the
> thing came from Wisconsin and leaked all over the pallet on the way here.
I
> wouldn't think the oil level could still be high enough that thermal
> effects would squeeze it out.
>      Can transformer oil creep UP and over a surface? Or is there some
> capillary action up the internal terminal wiring? Is there some sort of
> venting/pressure equalization system on the pig that needs to be checked?
>
> -Phil LaBudde
>
>
>