I think something other than the transformer was damaged, and an insurance adjuster is trying to say the damage was not caused by hail because the nearby transformer wasn't damaged.
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Pad-Mounted Transformer Question
- Thread starter adjusterbrett
- Start date
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
I asked that question back in post #11, and was ignored by the op.I think something other than the transformer was damaged, and an insurance adjuster is trying to say the damage was not caused by hail because the nearby transformer wasn't damaged.
Those transformers are made with 12-14 guage steel, with stainless as an option. Usually for coastal areas, but they can be stainless anywhere. I ordered one in stainless for one that was in a dog lot because a dog cocking a leg up daily will ruin the bolt/lock assembly.Not mine to play with - besides a 2" ball bearing and a 2" hail stone are quite different in their energy transfer at impact. Although - for the record - I doubt it would indent it - things are pretty tough - not seen too many damaged, even in tornados. This is a FIRST for me - and I am just trying to do the right thing - you and I know those things are built like brick sh&%house - but try explaining that so someone who stares at a computer screen and simply out of touch with the mechanics of the world... BTW - if I drop a 2" bearing onto builder grade aluminum siding (019) - it would absolutely destroy it. The differential in material resilience to impact is like racing a 5 ton service truck (with boom and welder) to a Ferrari - so I too cannot believe I'm having to track this down - but the person I need to convince claims they have never seen one of those green boxes - so I'm left to this wild goose chase (LOL).
ive been dealing with these transformers now for 35+ years. I ran storms for years. I have never saw one damaged by hail. Hell, I've seen an oak tree that fell on one that dented the cover just enough so we had to change the cover only. This was ~16” diameter oak.
in a hurricane with flooding I have seen these units floated up and turned front side down. We straightened it up and threw the fuse in. Held fine. The elbows are required to be waterproof 6’ deep.
Hail that damages a padmount transformer will destroy ALL shingle roofs and MOST if not all 26-24 guage metal roofs.
This idiot doesn’t realize these things are made tough enough to hold together with lawnmowers running into them, cars bumping them, etc. Ive seen them knocked off the pads with a car backing into it with no damage. It cut the ug cable in half as it slid over about 6’, but the transformer was fine and is still in service today, about 15 years later.
i can contact a rep tomorrow to verify, but I don’t think there is a utility padmount made with an aluminum enclosure.
get him out there with a piece of roofing material, and hit both with a hammer. Shingle will have a hole. metal roof will have a dent. That padmount will have to be hit pretty dang hard with a big hammer to dent it. A ball peen will dent it only IF you can swing it hard enough.
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