What does it do?
Drummed insulating oil from EOS is a quality assured product manufactured to the highest standards of cleanliness essential for the safe operation of oil filled transformers and switchgear.
When the drummed oil leaves EOS the water content is typically <10ppm and the breakdown voltage >60kV. How the oil is subsequently stored and handled prior to insertion into electrical equipment will have a major bearing on these properties so it is essential that drummed oil is sampled and tested using a sampling thief (visual assessment in a clear glass bottle as a minimum requirement) before use.
Contaminants such as water and fibres will usually be found at the bottom of the drum so that is where the sample should be taken from. The EOS sampling thief was designed in conjunction with the electricity supply industry specifically for this purpose and is also ideal to use for taking representative samples from the bottom of oil filled switchgear.
Things to remember
The sampling thief is made of glass, as you should not put anything into clean Insulating Oil unless you can be absolutely certain that it is visibly clean. The problem with plastic or opaque sampling thief tubes is that it is impossible to tell if they are clean on the inside before putting them in the drum. Also, plastic sampling tubes will cause scratchs which can trap dirt and contaminate otherwise clean insulating oil
The sampling thief is supplied in a rigid plastic tube to protect it from dirt, moisture and shock. If you require guidance on the use of the sample thief please contact us to arrange a toolbox talk or seminar.
