Cooperative Living August 2019 - 25
YourBusiness | by Paul Wesslund, Contributing Writer
Underground Power and the Big Green Box
E
lectricity might flow into your neighborhood over your head
or under your feet. It's easy to spot wires on top of those
wooden poles and figure out how electricity gets delivered by
overhead lines. But there's also a way to deduce that you've got
underground lines - look for green metal boxes about the size
of a mini-fridge sitting in people's front yards.
They're called pad-mounted transformers and they do the same
thing as those gray cans up on top of the poles - step down
higher-voltage electricity so it's more useful and safer for your home.
The major difference is a pad-mounted transformer connects to
underground power lines.
No one's exactly sure what share of power lines in the U.S. are
underground, but one industry study estimated 18 percent. To a
lot of people, underground lines look better. But they're more
expensive to install. A lot more. As much as five or 10 times the
cost, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
While falling trees and cars crashing into poles can knock out
above-ground power lines, underground problems can be more
difficult to pinpoint and correct.
The big green boxes that connect power lines look surprisingly
simple inside - wires come in and go out through the transformer.
Now that you know what they are, you don't have to go looking
inside, and you shouldn't. Those locked boxes are routing a lot of
electricity, so only expert lineworkers should be near the equipment.
Never use pad-mounted transformers as benches while waiting
for the school bus, and kids should never play on or near them.
Don't plant landscaping around pad-mounted transformers
because our crews may need to get to them, and roots can
interfere with the underground wires. Never dig near a padmounted
transformer -- remember to dial 811 for any outdoor
projects that require digging.
Whether you're around underground or overhead utility equipment,
the same safety rules apply - stay away from power lines.
Pad-mounted transformers route large amounts of electricity and you should avoid them. Only professional lineworkers and crews should
be near them.
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Cooperative Living August 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living August 2019
Cooperative Living August 2019 - 1
Cooperative Living August 2019 - 2
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