NationStates Jolt Archive

I've always been a bit curious as how power lines are connected to houses while making sure that a short circuit in one house doesn't burn out the entire grid. I always just sort of assumed that there were two lines for power, one at 120V and the other at ground, and that all of the houses were attached to it in parallel, but if that were the case, and there were a short-circuit in one house, that could cause a lot of trouble.

I've also wondered why with some houses, there are lines visibly going from the telephone pole to that house, but with many others (such as every one in the street I live on), there are telephone poles with power lines across the street, but none of them are visibly connected to any of the houses at all.

Finally, what are all of the different lines for on the telephone poles? I can see there being 2 each for power and telephone and one for cable, but I've seen many more lines than that on some. What are they all for?

Ah, but you forgot the most important question: why are phone lines in the US not underground? Why are there such things as "telephone poles" in the first place? All they do is get knocked down in all those storms you guys have all the time (assuming the OP is American).

Are telephone lines (and power lines) above ground in other countries, too? Here, only the "big" power mains are above ground, all the ones actually putting the power into houses are buried in the ground. And yeah, I suck at explaining what I mean. >.<

Are telephone lines (and power lines) above ground in other countries, too? Here, only the "big" power mains are above ground, all the ones actually putting the power into houses are buried in the ground. And yeah, I suck at explaining what I mean. >.<

Not in the cities (well, in some older neighborhoods), but sending underground lines through several hundred kilometers of countryside tends to be a little expensive here.

Not in the cities (well, in some older neighborhoods), but sending underground lines through several hundred kilometers of countryside tends to be a little expensive here.
Oh, I can see that (goes for the US, too, obviously) but their towns are all criss-crossed by hundreds of silly phone lines - which then will invariably get cut by storms dropping branches or whole trees on them. Plus, it looks pretty crappy.

ETA: Although they make for highly entertaining squirrel high-wire acts, so I shouldn't complain.

Oh, I can see that (goes for the US, too, obviously) but their towns are all criss-crossed by hundreds of silly phone lines - which then will invariably get cut by storms dropping branches or whole trees on them. Plus, it looks pretty crappy.

It does. I guess it's the poorer neighborhoods that cannot afford extensive underground works. (or ones that private industry can't be bothered renovating due to lack of profit incentive) *shrugs*

Oh, I can see that (goes for the US, too, obviously) but their towns are all criss-crossed by hundreds of silly phone lines - which then will invariably get cut by storms dropping branches or whole trees on them. Plus, it looks pretty crappy.

ETA: Although they make for highly entertaining squirrel high-wire acts, so I shouldn't complain.

In most new suburban developments since the 1970s, they've been underground. And older neighborhoods are being retrofitted over time.

And in rural areas, it's not economical to bury them, as has been pointed out.

That's how they read your thoughts! :eek:

Fortunately for me, they only tried to read mine once. Caused the blackout of 1989. They blamed solar flares, of course. :p

That's how they read your thoughts! :eek:

Fortunately for me, they only tried to read mine once. Caused the blackout of 1989. They blamed solar flares, of course. :p

And how else are we going to practice to become circus performers on the high wire?

It does. I guess it's the poorer neighborhoods that cannot afford extensive underground works. (or ones that private industry can't be bothered renovating due to lack of profit incentive) *shrugs*
Hmm, I lived in a relatively well-off small/medium town, so that can't really just be it. Although, hm, maybe for some reason they simply don't change the existing phone infrastructure in residential areas and only go underground in newer developments?
But then again - I can't even remember a time when we had above-ground lines here, so why should it be so different in the US?
Maybe it's a responsibility thing - maybe the lines are upkept by the towns themselves here and by phone companies in the US, hence explaining the differences? I have no idea.
Any Americans care to shed some light on this?

Hmm, I lived in a relatively well-off small/medium town, so that can't really just be it. Although, hm, maybe for some reason they simply don't change the existing phone infrastructure in residential areas and only go underground in newer developments?
But then again - I can't even remember a time when we had above-ground lines here, so why should it be so different in the US?
Maybe it's a responsibility thing - maybe the lines are upkept by the towns themselves here and by phone companies in the US, hence explaining the differences? I have no idea.
Any Americans care to shed some light on this?

The US is a more far-flung place than most countries.

Many US states are larger than most European countries.

The population density in rural areas of the US is a fraction of the population density in rural areas of Europe.

It's an economics thing. In more recent decades, more wire has been put underground. But only as money allows.

In most new suburban developments since the 1970s, they've been underground. And older neighborhoods are being retrofitted over time.

And in rural areas, it's not economical to bury them, as has been pointed out.
Oh, okay.

Hmm, that was a surprisingly easy and kinda self-evident answer. :)

I simply didn't know that they had actually started to put them underground decades ago - maybe I only ever noticed the ones above ground and thought that was the way it was everywhere. Ah, the follies of generalization!

Oh, okay.

Hmm, that was a surprisingly easy and kinda self-evident answer. :)

I simply didn't know that they had actually started to put them underground decades ago - maybe I only ever noticed the ones above ground and thought that was the way it was everywhere. Ah, the follies of generalization!

Drive from the center of Washington DC. and go outward slowly through the suburbs, until you get to rural Virginia. You'll see the pattern, especially when you compare older housing areas and newer ones.

Don't worry, the US powerline tangle has NOTHING on the mess going on in Japan.

So far I have been told this is due to earthquakes, but I'm starting to think the Japanese just like looking at powerlines.

The US is a more far-flung place than most countries.

Many US states are larger than most European countries.

The population density in rural areas of the US is a fraction of the population density in rural areas of Europe.

It's an economics thing. In more recent decades, more wire has been put underground. But only as money allows.
Oh, again, I never wondered about rural places, because like Kanabia said it would obviously be stupid to bury thousands of miles of lines running through empty lands.

I was talking strictly about towns/cities. But by now I read your earlier reply, so I'm good. :)

And how else are we going to practice to become circus performers on the high wire?

Indeed, good point. :)

So, is anyone going to answer my original questions?

Isn't it because firstly we use automatic circuit breakers and fuses for any flow of power that goes beyond a certain level, and secondly that because of the way transformers work, a lot of the electricity we use is actually not really connected to the mains supply at all?

how power lines are connected to houses while making sure that a short circuit in one house doesn't burn out the entire grid
Your answer would be the miracle of Executioner's Current, less commonly known as AC power.

I've also wondered why with some houses, there are lines visibly going from the telephone pole to that house, but with many others (such as every one in the street I live on), there are telephone poles with power lines across the street, but none of them are visibly connected to any of the houses at all.
Some houses have ground lines, others don't.

Finally, what are all of the different lines for on the telephone poles? I can see there being 2 each for power and telephone and one for cable, but I've seen many more lines than that on some. What are they all for?
Probably emergency lines, lines with higher and lower output, redundencies.

Ah yes, it didn't even occur to me that there are two completely separate circuits within the transformer, one of which is connected to the power line and the other to your house.

Usually there is a transformer on a nearby pole that takes high voltage electricity and supplies it to several houses. The transformer can take more current flow than the meter at your house can withouth damage. No matter how badly you short circuit the electricity in your house the meter will fry before you ruin the transformer which supplies you and a few neighbors.

Hmm, I lived in a relatively well-off small/medium town, so that can't really just be it. Although, hm, maybe for some reason they simply don't change the existing phone infrastructure in residential areas and only go underground in newer developments?
But then again - I can't even remember a time when we had above-ground lines here, so why should it be so different in the US?
Maybe it's a responsibility thing - maybe the lines are upkept by the towns themselves here and by phone companies in the US, hence explaining the differences? I have no idea.
Any Americans care to shed some light on this?

In Australia, the old infrastructure was above ground. As new areas are developed, or existing areas upgraded, it goes underground. I work for company that does phone installations for rural areas, and it's almost exclusively underground phone & power now.

So, is anyone going to answer my original questions?

No. :)