Have you ever wondered what’s on an electric utility pole? Let’s go over the basics.
First and most importantly, utility poles are packed with electrical devices, so stay away from them.
The equipment and devices up there vary from pole to pole, but think of a utility pole as a layer cake, with the electric equipment at the top. Most noticeable of course are the wires, supported by the crossarms and/or insulators. At the highest levels, they could be high-voltage transmission wires carrying power long distances. More often what you’re looking at are medium-voltage distribution lines carrying power into neighborhoods. Beneath those may be service wires with stepped-down power ready to be used in a home or business.
It’s important to remember that those are bare wires, which is why you hear regular warnings to stay away if a storm knocks power lines to the ground. That’s also why the wires are attached to insulators that keep them from being in contact with the wood, steel, or other supporting materials.
Just below the electric lines hangs a variety of electric equipment. The big metal cans are transformers that convert high voltages to low voltages. Devices that look like stacks of big gray donuts could be protective lightning arrestors (or “reclosers”) that act like a fuse or circuit breaker, shutting down the line when they detect a problem. Collections of what look like metal cereal boxes are “capacitors” that help improve the efficiency of power flow and regulate voltage. Other switches and regulators monitor and adjust the flow of electricity as energy use changes throughout the day.
Some of the lines you see might be ground wires that carry static electricity (such as lightning) into the earth or balance the flow of power and help ensure safe operation of the system, or they could be guy wires to keep the pole straight.
The lowest layer carries non-electric lines: cable TV, telephone, internet, and traffic light controllers. There’s one more layer—any of those lines might go under the ground to get to a house or meet up with other underground lines.
SAFETY FIRST
Signs, balloons, decorations, and other materials on utility poles are more than just an unpleasant eyesore. These items can be dangerous and even life threatening to the professionals who maintain our vital lines of electricity, communication, and other services.
The clamped safety boots used by lineworkers to climb poles are vulnerable to becoming snagged on staples and nails embedded in posts. Foreign objects can also tear utility workers’ protective clothing. They can also injure workers despite the safety gear they wear to avoid contact with rough surfaces.
Posting items to power poles can also be a public safety hazard. The materials posted on the poles not only distract people as they drive, but they also degrade the quality, effectiveness, and stability of the wood. Posting items to utility poles is usually a violation of local ordinances as well.
It is also just as important to avoid tampering with or disrupting the guy wires that surround utility poles. Please inform children not to play or swing on them, and maintain your distance when performing yard work. If you see the poles or guy wires are disrupted in some way, please call your local electric co-op.
Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.