Pad mounting for transformers
- Thread starter rriley
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
It's not uncommon to put them on a pad for no better reason than ease of maintenance. With the transformer on a pad, you could sweep, mop, or buff the surrounding floor, without hitting the side of the transformer. There is a name for such a pad, but I don't recall it at the moment. It's something like, "maintenance pad."
I believe the term is a housekeeping pad.
The only other item that would a possible issue, is to make sure the transformer has some kind of vibration dampner system for the internal frame. See the 110.3 (B) attachment, that comes with.
The only other item that would a possible issue, is to make sure the transformer has some kind of vibration dampner system for the internal frame. See the 110.3 (B) attachment, that comes with.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
That's it. Thank you.Rockyd said:
kingpb
Senior Member
- Location
- SE USA as far as you can go
- Occupation
- Engineer, Registered
Be careful that it is not intended to also be an isolation pad or required for structural support of the weight (check structural drawings).
It would not be such a good thing to have people on the floor telling the Owner that stuff keeps vibrating off their desk.
It would not be such a good thing to have people on the floor telling the Owner that stuff keeps vibrating off their desk.
Transformer on Pad
Transformer on Pad
A metal pad might be required if the transformer is on a wooden floor or at least that is one interpretation of NEC.
In an instance of a concrete factory floor and a sprinkler system overhead I have mounted a dry transformer on 4x4 wooden sleepers that stuck 6 inches past the back of the transformer both to enforce spacing from the wall and to double the bottom ventilation space. The reason for NOT solidly mounting to the floor is so that a forklift truck driver will have a harder time killing the transformer. Since the floor was concrete and there was a sprinkler system overhead and the heat transfer vertically up is about 2 times vertically down, I figured that wood would work. The inspectors never said anything about the wooden sleepers but I suspect that in a commercial building without a sprinkler system I would be required to use steel or aluminum sleepers.
Mike Cole
Transformer on Pad
A metal pad might be required if the transformer is on a wooden floor or at least that is one interpretation of NEC.
In an instance of a concrete factory floor and a sprinkler system overhead I have mounted a dry transformer on 4x4 wooden sleepers that stuck 6 inches past the back of the transformer both to enforce spacing from the wall and to double the bottom ventilation space. The reason for NOT solidly mounting to the floor is so that a forklift truck driver will have a harder time killing the transformer. Since the floor was concrete and there was a sprinkler system overhead and the heat transfer vertically up is about 2 times vertically down, I figured that wood would work. The inspectors never said anything about the wooden sleepers but I suspect that in a commercial building without a sprinkler system I would be required to use steel or aluminum sleepers.
Mike Cole
- Status