We have a high voltage / domestic voltage transformer mounted on a power pole between ours and the neighbour's property not a pretty sight to start with, but we're sort of used to it. We also have lots of possums living in the area and they use the high tension wires as their highway at night. They climb over the transformer and short out two phases and their lives. So every so often we hear a terrible bang outside and the lights go out in the street. This has happened three times in the last six months. Usually while I am watching telly or sit at the computer. Well it happened again on Friday night about a qarter into the Dr Blake mystery on the ABC. Most neighbours in these cases, congregate in the street commiserating. After a couple of hours in the darkness, the emergency crew arrived and changed the blown high voltage fuse at the transformer.
Saturday (yesterday) I sent an email off to the supply authority requesting them to do something about this transformer as we're all thoroughly sick of losing power so often.
Well, what a surprise when this morning (Sunday) another crew arrived with a huge cherry picker and they removed the dead possum on top of the transformer and double insulated the high voltage terminals.
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| Energex arrived this morning |
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| They cover the terminals while they're working on them |
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| Above their heads are the high voltage fuses the possums trip |
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| Before |
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| After |
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| Back to Normal |
So now we wait and see what happens.
