Quote:
Originally Posted by fitzmulti
If heavy rains leak into the transformer drum, they could short-circuit the coolant system responsible for keeping the copper windings from overheating. Overheating by thousands of volts can cause a transformer to blow.
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Uh,no; the transformer drums are hermetically sealed. The problem comes from high humidity and/or short circuits created by all that water which will blow the explosive fuses located at the transformer site, which explosions are often misinterpreted as "transformer fires".
A dead short on the output of a power transformer will not last long but can heat up the wiring long enough to set the wiring insulation on fire. If there is vegetation or a tree nearby, either may ignite if conditions are right though.
This from my Buddy who works for the Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City.
