[Shop-talk] Mystery of the blown transformers

[David Scheidt]

On Sat, Mar 1, 2008 at 10:01 PM, Randall <tr3driver at ca.rr.com> wrote:
> > And while the
>  > original did fail, it was around 30 years old.  That seems
>  > "nearly forever" in electrical terms.
>
>  My point of view : 30 years should be just getting started for a
>  transformer.  I have several of them in daily use that are pushing 50
>  (including the main line transformer for my house); and others that date
>  from WWII.  Not sure, but that old tube radio from my late wife's
>  grandparents might be older than that, and it still works (well did, last
>  time I fired it up).

I'm with Randall.  An AC/AC transformer is just a hunk of iron with
wire wrapped around it.  No moving parts, not much that can fail.  As
long as they don't overheat, and don't get exposed to weather, they
should last a century or three.

-- 
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com