Energy use? Or Transformer oil for cooking?

waynefromnscanada
waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
Vandals smash electrical transformers to steal viscous fluid that's later sold as cooking oil for roadside stalls.
Loaded with deadly PCBs? Not to worry, five litres of the viscous, PCB-laden liquid sells for $60. It looks like cooking oil, but lasts much longer, users say.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/12/thieves-fry-kenya-power-grid-fast-food-2014122884728785480.html

Comments

  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Energy use? Or Transformer oil for cooking?

    I used to work at Westinghouse that made the similar transformer that was pictured. There was a lot of asbestos used as insulation in the coils wound for them. Those transformers are considered hasardious waste now when they get reclaimed. I don,t know for sure but I thought the oil used as coolant was similar to diesel fuel. We had a man fall indide a manhole on one of the large distribution transformer. They had to take him to the hospital to get all cleaned up. Solarvic