FUKUSHIMA BREAKING NEWS: Reactor Unit 2 In Trouble! 2-20-14

Only 1 thermometer out of 8 is now working due to human error!

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says there is just one working thermometer monitoring the temperature of melted nuclear fuel in the plant's No.2 reactor.

Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Company say they have discovered a fault in one of the 2 thermometers used to monitor the lower part of the reactor's container vessel.

They say the problem was found this week after workers accidentally caused a short circuit by delivering 250 volts of electricity instead of 100 volts during checks on the thermometers.

The company continues to pour water into the No.2 reactor to cool the melted fuel at the bottom.

A series of problems left just one of 9 thermometers working at the lower part of the pressure vessel by September 2012. The newly malfunctioning thermometer was installed later that year.

The utility's announcement came more than 24 hours after the abnormality was found on Tuesday.
Officials say they failed to immediately notice the problem since the faulty thermometer was showing a similar reading - about 20 degrees Celsius -- as the working one.

The officials say replacing the gauge is likely to take time because of high radiation levels in and around the reactor. They say a new thermometer will have to be inserted through a pipe.

Feb. 19, 2014 - Updated 22:58 UTC