What Happens When A Transformer Blows？

A transformer blow is sudden and loud, reminiscent of thunder splitting the sky. You'll hear a loud bang accompanied by flickering orange or blue light, especially noticeable at night. This light typically results from a short circuit within the electrical transformer. Depending on its power, the bright light can be visible from miles away.

Blast with a very loud sound is usually the end of the event where you see the transformer blowing up. In most cases the sound is usually not of the actual transformer explosion. It is the sound of the transformer fuse that blows to prevent more catastrophic explosion of the transformer. 

There are scenarios where your actual transformer blew. When this happens it will be a complete disaster for your neighborhood. There is a series of events that can happen if a transformer blew.

If a transformer blows, it can lead to several consequences:

1. Power Outages and Blackouts

The first thing that follows the bright flash and loud bang is a widespread power outage and blackout. In a residential area with a small-capacity transformer. This power outage and blackout can be limited to a few blocks. Businesses close their doors, traffic lights freeze, and the streets become confusing, dangerous places.

In industrial installations, this event is a big deal. A high-capacity transformer blows with much louder noise and bright flashes of light. The event halts the entire industrial installation. Nothing that needs electricity works, and the entire facility is idle until the transformer is replaced.

2. Potential Fire and Electrical Hazard

If the fuse of the transformer blows, then there is hardly any chance that there will be any fire or electrical hazard in the affected area. If it is the actual electrical transformer that exploded then there will certainly be fire and electrical hazards in the affected area.

The fire hazard is usually from burning wires. Electric transformer wires start to burn when they face more electrical charges much higher than their capacity. The heat product due to electric current makes them catch fire. 

The heat buildup inside the transformer due to poor oil conditions can also produce short circuits in the core region/winding of the transformer. This is where the transformer explodes with a huge ball of fire. 

An electrical hazard is from the electrical wires that feed the power transformer. If these fires break and wall on the ground then this can create serious electrical hazards. There is absolutely nothing you can do on your own to remove these hazards. All you can do is call the emergency department so professionals can do the work.

3. Potential Damage to Electrical Devices

A blown transformer can send a sudden power fluctuation or power surge to the connected industrial and residential installations. If your industrial and residential installation does not have any protection mechanism to protect electrical equipment like electrical breakers. 

Then this surge can easily damage the electric device that was connected and operational when the transformer blowing up. Devices with batteries especially lithium-ion batteries can explode due to this surge thus creating a separate emergency situation and fire hazard.

4. Potential Damage of Property

In the worst-case scenario, a higher-capacity transformer can explode in your neighborhood. The explosion will be big enough to send a shockwave that can break the glass windows of nearby houses. This explosion can also send a lot of small metal pieces flying into the surrounding causing serious damage to your property. 

Other than this, the transformer has oil that works as a coolant to transfer heat from the transformer winding to the outer body. Before an explosion, heat in the transformer winding is of such high intensity that this oil can start a fire or burn any surface on which it falls during the explosion.

5. Effects on Local Services

If your area transformer blew along with its base. Then this might be a few days of work before your utility company fully restores the connection. This greatly affects your local infrastructure and businesses as there will be no electricity for your home or any of the public places.

Public places like hospitals might have alternative power sources like gasoline generators but in residential areas internet, phones, communication, and other items running on electricity will be out of work for a while.  You can get the work going using battery power utilities or rely on your renewable systems like solar systems whose transformer will be working fine.

All Potential Factors That Can Make A Transformer To Blow

There are several factors including both human error and environmental factors that can potentially cause a transformer blow. There can be one or a combination of any of the following factors that can cause the transformer to blow.

1. Capacity failure

Each transformer you see has a specific voltage regulating capacity and it is installed to handle that specific range of voltage only. If your industrial or residential installation puts greater load on the transformer than its capacity. Then greater the load you put, greater are the changes that your transformer core winding may fail due to heat. 

2. Maintenance Issue

Similar to every electrical device, transformers also need regular maintenance or at least inspection. Your utility company must do regular inspections to look for signs of wear and tear on the transformer body, electrical connections, and wiring. Any sign damaged on the body, loose connection or worn out wire should be taken seriously and maintained on priority basis. 

3. Sudden Power Fluctuation

If your transformer is subjected to a sudden power surge from either a grid station or from any industrial installation. Then there is a fair chance that this sudden power fluctuation can give you a blown transformer. This does not mean the explosion of transformer into pieces, but surely it can blow off some of its fuses and cut off the power supply.

4. Short Circuit in Transformer Wire

There are two types of short circuits that can happen with your transformer. One is the short circuit in the winding of the transformer and the second is in either input wires or output wires. Both types of short circuit are dangerous, producing a lot of sparking and flashing but short circuits in winding can cause transformer explosion while the other one only causes fuse to blow.

5. End of Transformer Life

All transformers have a specific useful life. Their wire, oil, fuse, and windings have a specific life. If your transformer is being used way beyond its useful life. Then there are high chances of accidents with even the smallest of external factors. It is your utility company's duty to do regular transformer inspections and replace the transformer at the end of its life.

6. Environmental Factor

High temperatures in summer, lightning strikes in thunderstorms, and flooding are among the main environmental factors that can cause your transformer to blow. Accidents caused by my animals can also be considered part of this factor. The transformer blowouts by animals are the highest among all the factors mentioned above.

Preventative Measures: Can Future Failures Be Avoided?

The transformer explosion is usually sudden and all the unexpected to you but not for your utility company. Transformer explosions are not something that cannot be controlled and prevented. Although it's not possible to eliminate it, there are some concrete steps that will help reduce it.

The first step in this regard will be to use the latest tech to monitor and control several parameters of the transformer. Your utility must invest in transformers that have sensors and monitors to sense, monitor, measure, and display real-time data about current, voltage, transformer temperature, and oil conditions. If a transformer is overworked or overheating, warnings are triggered, and technicians can step in before a failure occurs.

The second step in this regard will be the quality of the product. Your industrial or residential installations always have an electric transformer that is designed and manufactured by a well-reputed company. A company that has a proven record in this field. Use of proper design, quality material, and standard manufacturing process will ensure your safety.

Preventative measures are constantly at play to ensure such failures are less frequent. Regular maintenance is key. Your utility company technicians should inspect transformers, power lines, and surrounding infrastructure for signs of wear and tear. They should look for rust, cracks, or loose connections, addressing these issues before they become full-scale failures.

Why Choose Daelim Transformer?

At Daelim Transformer, we understand the critical role transformers play in your infrastructure. As a trusted partner in the industry, we provide top-quality transformers designed to withstand the rigors of operation while minimizing the risk of failure. Our state-of-the-art facility in Houston, USA, houses a comprehensive inventory, ready for immediate shipment to meet your needs. Contact us now get transformer price