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Power outages in San Antonio?


callejera

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I heard a transformer blow at 9am, since then power has been brownout levels, 90-100v instead of the usual 110-130 in Chapala, some reported no power in Las Redes, not sure where there is and isnt power, clouds and rain made solar panels of little help

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2 hours ago, Dostortas said:

Power is back.  I saw the CFE guys working on the transformer, they said they just replaced a part that was blown on the transformer and that power should be fine from now on.  Thank you CFE!!!  Happy last day of September everyone!!!

That 'part' is usually the fuse that sits outside the transformer?  I would love to have the concession for CFE fuses in Mexico!

 

 

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The transformer near my house in Ajijic, has fuses that are simply big breaker switches, that don't need to be replaced but reconnected with a long pole reaching up to them held by the CFE repairman. So there is nothing to replace. The very large fuse or breaker switch simply has to be reconnected or turned back on.

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The way most of these work, is that when the fuse blows, the holder swings down by gravity, making it easy to spot, and to replace the cartridge, and pop it back into place, using a long non-conductive (usually fiberglass) pole that does both things in the hands of a trained tech.

The grey rod here is the fuse, and you can see the swivel hinge at the bottom.

high-voltage-fuse-250x250.jpg

 

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Well, i think it was something worse than a fuse. I live down next to the Lake in SAT and 2 or 3 this morning I was woken up by some very loud popping noises and then out my bedroom window there were very bright sparks flying all over from the street. All my electric was out and this is unusual since there are 2 separate circuits in my house and usually only one is gone. At about 10 I was preparing to go to Sunrise for breakfast since with no luz you are pretty much not in the real world anymore...all of a sudden I heard my printer come to life in the office. I was amazed that it was fixed so soon...I was ready for at least a full day and night in the dark. Viva México!

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1 hour ago, johanson said:

The transformer near my house in Ajijic, has fuses that are simply big breaker switches, that don't need to be replaced but reconnected with a long pole reaching up to them held by the CFE repairman. So there is nothing to replace. The very large fuse or breaker switch simply has to be reconnected or turned back on.

Many times Pete they do need to be replaced, but mostly as you say  move back with a long bamboo pole. For a long time at the Request Club various fuses would pop because the horses or cow would run against the poles

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Now, Tuesday evening and yet ANOTHER power outage in SAT? What's going on? The weather is fair. My cleaning lady told me this morning that word on the street is the power was out because some muchachos--her word for young hoodlums--had cut the guy wires supporting the transformer box. The gardener agreed, saying "se caje, it fell".  She says they are doing it for jollies. If this is the case I would think CFE would put some kind of protection around the box or maybe even a rigged, live line to give the guys a taser touch, bit of a jolly there... Then again, it may be just be a fault in the transformer, possibly a short within the transformer itself. Probably cheaper for CFE to pay the technicians OT to continually fix it than it is to buy a new transformer.

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The ones on our transformer are more like circuit breakers.  They use a pole but they just swing it back up and reconnect.  No internal fuse change.

They just overhauled the system in SE Ajijic and into La Floresta.  Time will tell as to whether the rather dismal reliability has been improved.  I'm keeping my generator.  :)

 

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The street transformers on my street are the same as Mainecoons explained, So far I have never seen CFE do anything more than swing that breaker back up and close it, using a long pole. I have never seen CFE replace any part of the breaker as the video shows.

However Go Solar knows much more than I do about the subject and I shall watch more closely in the future to see how often they have to replace that part that sometimes fails when the breaker opens up, turning the power off.

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