How Power Poles Work Electric power distribution poles may or may not have all of the equipment shown below. It depends on what service they provide and where they are located. Insulators are made of porcelain or a composite and prevent energized wires from contacting each other Primary Wires run on or the pole. top. Each usually carries thousands of volts of electricity from a substation. Lightning Arrestors protect the transformer from lightning strikes. A Crossarm holds power lines, allowing required clearances Transformer Fuse between lines. protects the transformer and will sometimes make a noise when something shorts it out. Transformers convert higher voltage electricity from primary wires to lower A Neutral Conductor voltage for use by customers. provides a return path for electric current to the source and is connected to ground. A Secondary Service Drop carries 120/240-volts A Guy Wire helps of electricity to the end user. stabilize a pole. They also It has two “hot” wires from are connected to the pole’s the transformer and a ground wire. bare neutral conductor. A Pole Ground Wire Telephone and Cable runs the length of the pole TV Lines are typically the and connects to the neutral lowest wires on a pole. conductor. It also directs electricity from lightning safely into the earth. A head-high Birthmark shows the size of the pole, as well as where and when it was made. Vegetation around poles is trimmed to avoid interference with the electric system. A 40-foot Power Pole is installed six feet into the ground. .