What’s on that pole?

What’s on that pole?

This illustration shows the basic equipment found on electric utility poles. The equipment varies according to the location and the service they provide.

• Primary wires
  • Primary wires carry 7,200 volts of electricity from a substation. That voltage is 60 times higher than the voltage that runs through your home’s electrical outlets!
• Surge arrestor
  • This protects the transformer from lightning strikes.
• Neutral wire
  • The neutral wire acts as a line back to the substation and is tied to the ground, balancing the electricity on the system.
• Secondary service drop
  • Carries 120/240-volts of electricity to consumers’ homes. It has two “hot” wires from the transformer and a bare “neutral” wire that’s connected to the ground wire on the pole.
• Ground wire
  • The ground wire connects to the neutral wire to complete the circuit inside the transformer. It also directs electricity from lightning safely into the earth.
• Telephone, cable TV, and fiber wires
  • These are typically the lowest wires on the pole.
• Insulators
  • Insulators prevent energized wires from contacting each other or the pole.

Never nail posters or other items to utility poles. These create a safety hazard for lineworkers.

Original illustration by Erin Binkley

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