If you fill it, it will leak.

For as long as anyone can remember, oil and gas insulated substation equipment have leaked their contents. Whether from deteriorated gaskets, cracked welds, loose fasteners or the use of incompatible materials, fluids and gasses have found a way out of their containers. The results of a leak can manifest itself in various ways; from equipment failure to the environmental consequences of an oil spill.

In the past, most leaks have been addressed by removing the offending equipment from service, replacing the defective item or making the required repairs. In today’s deregulated environment, removing equipment from service is becoming both more difficult and more costly. Additionally, new work rules, including fall protection and confined space entry requirements, place additional burden on the workforce. Several manufacturers have offered leak repair kits for use by utility workers. Use of these epoxy-based patching materials has had varying degrees of success.

There is now a viable alternative to the DIY kits and other resource intensive repair methods. Several companies are now offering leak repair services for insulating oil, SF6 gas and steam leaks. United Illuminating, a regional distribution utility in Connecticut, has had success in using these companies for leaks on oil-filled circuit breakers, transformers of all types and equipment bushings.

Tony Picagli, of UI, and Jim Hackett, of Colt Atlantic Services, will discuss the types of repairs made, methodologies employed and the success (or failure) of the repairs in a session to be held on Oct. 3 at the Circuit Breaker Conference.

Tony Picagli is a principal electric system maintenance engineer at United Illuminating (New Haven, Connecticut). His work at UI concentrates on circuit breakers of all classes, gas-insulated substations and standby battery systems. Tony is active on several Doble Engineering client committees and has been an IEEE member for over 30 years. He earned both his BSEE and MBA at The University of New Haven and is a registered professional engineer in Connecticut.

Jim Hackett was discharged from the Army in 1976. In 1977 he began his career in on-line leak sealing working as a field service technician. Over the next 30 years Jim held several positions in this industry including, field service technician, operations supervisor, sales, branch manager and executive vice president. Jim is currently the power services division manager for Colt Atlantic Services, Inc. This division is 100% dedicated to repairing leaks, under pressure, on electrical equipment only.