Power Line to my house was broken

[Phil Timmons]

Currently my red clay soil is very moist, so I have a really good ground. By summer, my soil will dry out and it wont be as good. I have a hot wire around my pasture that I had to put in three ground rods, ten feet apart, to get to work in the summer.

Every power pole has a copper wire running down the length of the pole into the ground. I'm not sure how deep they go, but there isn't a grown rod, just the bare wire stapled to the post.

Seems to me that I put in a ground rod when putting the meter base together, but it's not a good memory, so I'm not positive if there is one there or not. I have one ten foot ground rod at both of my panels at my house.

Is there a contact in TX to call and complain about this?

The ground wire generally goes to the bottom of the pole, and has a few wraps around the pole before the pole goes into the hole.

Is your wire still down?

 

[coobie]

The ground wire generally goes to the bottom of the pole, and has a few wraps around the pole before the pole goes into the hole.

Is your wire still down?

That is NOT correct information.The ground wire is usually #6 copper wire which is stapled to the pole(NOT WRAPPED) fed to driven ground rods a few feet from the pole..

 

[Phil Timmons]

That is NOT correct information.The ground wire is usually #6 copper wire which is stapled to the pole(NOT WRAPPED) fed to driven ground rods a few feet from the pole..

I am talking about it being wrapped down at the base, below grade. It was old practice here, usually called a butt-ground. Some utilities used plates, as well. Driven grounds would be spaced out along the line, or where there may be transformer or other equipment. Depends on the soil conditions.

 

[coobie]

I am talking about it being wrapped down at the base, below grade. It was old practice here, usually called a butt-ground. Some utilities used plates, as well. Driven grounds would be spaced out along the line, or where there may be transformer or other equipment. Depends on the soil conditions.

Worked in Texas doing storm work NEVER seen what you are speaking of.

 

[LouNY]

As far as I know every utility pole that has a transformer on it in this area has a copper wire runing down from the outer casing of the transformer to the base of the pole and then has a coil of the wire stapled to the bottom of the pole.

 

[LD1]

I am talking about it being wrapped down at the base, below grade. It was old practice here, usually called a butt-ground. Some utilities used plates, as well. Driven grounds would be spaced out along the line, or where there may be transformer or other equipment. Depends on the soil conditions.

Not sure where "here" is for you....

But "here" for me in central ohio....this is very common

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Friend of mine had phone lines hanging down off a polealong his road. He called and said there’s a crazy guy in the neighborhood who is going to cut it to pieces. He said they fixed it the next day.

 

[Phil Timmons]

Worked in Texas doing storm work NEVER seen what you are speaking of.

You are making ME wonder . . . .

Yeah, they still make them

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[Lineman North Florida]

Every pole I have ever set we have put a butt ground on it (being #6 copper pulled from the bud to the butt with about a 6' wrap stapled to the butt of the pole , if we are hanging a pot or lightning arrestors, cap bank etc we will also drive rods in addition to the butt ground, this is a very common practice in the South.

 

[k0ua]

Worked in Texas doing storm work NEVER seen what you are speaking of.

it is a common practice here Coobie. Every pole, before it is set has a spiral wrap on the bottom of the pole with the #6 wire. Of course it is stapled all the way down the pole and then the spiral wrap on the bottom of the pole.