Residential end of line service pole

[Utility customer]

Should an end of line residential service pole have a copper wire ground. Utility co says no and guide wire is Is ground. Is this accurate and could a non grounded service pole cause service issues. Thanks for helping

 

[electrofelon]

I assume there is a transformer on this pole? I don't know what the NESC says, but if this an MGN distribution system, it will be grounded plenty of other places. Even If it's Delta distribution and not grounded at the pole, the secondary will be grounded by the customers served premises grounding system, well casing, or something I guarantee it. So short answer no, don't worry about it.

 

[hillbilly1]

End of line and having lightning problems? Eh? Worst place to be! We have lots of dead end lines due to being rural and mountainous! Best thing you can do is upgrade your own grounding electrode system, along with having surge suppression installed. Also have any other utilities such as phone and cable checked to make sure they are bonded to the electrical service.

 

[LarryFine]

Poles sometimes have wire baskets under the ends instead of rods as electrodes, either of which transformers should have.

I certainly can see a screw-into-the-earth guy anchor as having more surface area than either of the above electrode types.

The more important issue, in my opinion, is that there's a system neutral with the primary, and you're not on an SWER line.

 

[Hv&Lv]

NESC is kinda lax on rods.
They say two ground rods per mile.
We put one at every pole with “something” on it, be it transformer, fuse for a tap, OCR, cap bank, etc....

Many years ago while doing college work, I was a contractor for CP&L. One rod at every pole, an additional rod at the poles with something on them..

 

[Utility customer]

End of line and having lightning problems? Eh? Worst place to be! We have lots of dead end lines due to being rural and mountainous! Best thing you can do is upgrade your own grounding electrode system, along with having surge suppression installed. Also have any other utilities such as phone and cable checked to make sure they are bonded to the electrical service.

Everything is bonded. Grounded. And legit by master electrician. Issue is. Cable co and electric co blame my ‘equipment’. Lol. After 5 years.of dealing with crap internet I finally paid for their modem. Same errors. Same bs. I’ve been in the electrical/ electronics biz for 20 years. Im a former ibew member. Issue is utility pays wages... and no one will say anything against them.

 

[Utility customer]

I assume there is a transformer on this pole? I don't know what the NESC says, but if this an MGN distribution system, it will be grounded plenty of other places. Even If it's Delta distribution and not grounded at the pole, the secondary will be grounded by the customers served premises grounding system, well casing, or something I guarantee it. So short answer no, don't worry about it.

I was more worried about my ground acting as a ground for 1/2 the neighborhood... because no other neighbors have done any maintenance

 

[tom baker]

Please check and see if you have a intersystem bond, IE cable, teleco grounds should be bonded to your electrical system ground

 

[Utility customer]

Cable has intersystem bond to meter per code

 

[Utility customer]

But amp is located at the ‘mess’ transformer...

 

[Utility customer]

Utility blames cable intersystem bonding for my issues. The line has been tested numerous times for stray voltage and there Was none

 

[Utility customer]

Unless it is intermittent... but cable co advises against cable line surge protector... as it will disturb return patb

 

[electrofelon]

I was more worried about my ground acting as a ground for 1/2 the neighborhood... because no other neighbors have done any maintenance

I think you are over stressing the importance of the ground. First we have to be more specific about what this "ground" is doing. There are several possibilities:

1. its a system ground for the utility neutral/MGN
2. Its a system ground for the center tap of the secondary
3. its a ground for lightning arresters onthe transformer.

I dont see a lack of any these causing power quality issues. Honestly I see the phase "power quality" I roll my eyes. It is usually hogwash.

 

[Utility customer]

In the past... i used to go to gamers houses... they would always complain about lag and intermittent issues. There was never any signs. / Then. It got so bad that I saw Intermittent drop outs in kitchens because compressor motors put out same frequency as wifi routers... its getting seriously high tech.

 

[Utility customer]

But what if neighbors ground is bad snd cable co amp ground or tap is bad could it affect anything

 

[hillbilly1]

NESC is kinda lax on rods.
They say two ground rods per mile.
We put one at every pole with “something” on it, be it transformer, fuse for a tap, OCR, cap bank, etc....

Many years ago while doing college work, I was a contractor for CP&L. One rod at every pole, an additional rod at the poles with something on them..

Our poco doesn't use ground rods on the line runs, there is a #4 bare copper that runs the length of the pole, top to botom, on the bottom, it is coiled and fastened in place. Back many years ago when copper was in high demand, the theives would cut out as much of it as they could get. Miles of runs. The poco wouldn't know about it until they started having problems. They started replacing the missing sections with aluminum.

 

[Hv&Lv]

Our poco doesn't use ground rods on the line runs, there is a #4 bare copper that runs the length of the pole, top to botom, on the bottom, it is coiled and fastened in place.

It’s called a butt ground and is required by NESC. The NESC requires a plate now.
A ground rod is also required at other specified locations.