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
OTHER NEWS
Between the lines: Technology, the grid and Dawson PPD. (Part 1)
Dawson PPD’s electric distribution utility system is a complex network of wires, transformers and other equipment that delivers electricity from power plants to substations to homes and businesses. In recent years, there have been several new technologies that have been developed to improve the efficiency, reliability and security of the electric distribution system.
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