Thinking out loud...

[uksparks]

Hi,

whilst driving down down the motorway yesterday down the M5 or M42 can't remember which I notice they are replacing central reservation lights by the looks of it.

Anyway, just wondering, the power that feeds street lights and road signs etc, where is it fed from? I know it sounds daft but even just normal road signs in villages that have a light over them, the power for them where's it connected to? Is it metered somewhere and is it RCD protected or have a DB somewhere?

just wondering really, I have absolutely zero knowledge of this area but just thought I would like to know to satisfy my curiosity!

does anyone know?

 

[telectrix]

afaik, councils pay a set amoount for the leccy for street lights.

 

[MDJ]

Hi,

whilst driving down down the motorway yesterday down the M5 or M42 can't remember which I notice they are replacing central reservation lights by the looks of it.

Anyway, just wondering, the power that feeds street lights and road signs etc, where is it fed from? I know it sounds daft but even just normal road signs in villages that have a light over them, the power for them where's it connected to? Is it metered somewhere and is it RCD protected or have a DB somewhere?

just wondering really, I have absolutely zero knowledge of this area but just thought I would like to know to satisfy my curiosity!

does anyone know?

It is fed from transformers on poles in fields by the side of motorways.

 

[uksparks]

So do that have circuit breakers or RCDs etc then?

 

[uksparks]

Whilst on the subject, outside my mother Inlaws house, the pole is in the edge of her drive way, it's ancient and metal and rusty with holes in it at the bottom. WPD condemned it 4 years ago and said it needed urgent replacement, still it's not been done. They said if we could put the new pole slightly more on her property it would be easier to do but she refuses which is probably why it's not been done.

I would imagine it's going to be quite a job moving the pole as there's loads of phone lines just out of shot going across it, one pole is over the road in someone else's back garden and the others are 100yds either way up the road.

 

[uksparks]

Looking at it, there's 5 lines from the left, top one is just a support I think.

so the other 4, she's connected to the bottom three, is one an earth do you think? What are the others? Line? It wouldn't be a neutral would it?

 

[pepparz]

i thought they were hose pipes to supply the water needed for peoples homes? no??

 

[pepparz]

no they'd be bigger....or just one big pipe?

 

[pepparz]

sorry just thinking out loud.

 

[MDJ]

So do that have circuit breakers or RCDs etc then?

The one near junction 9 of the M5 has 3 switch fuses tapped off the overhead supply from the transformer, and the road signs around that junction are fed from the 3 switch fuses.

 

[Simonslimline]

Where my dad live its overhead PME, so a straight concentric cable taps off one of the phases and neutral, goes in to a junction box on the neighbours house. A seperate straight concentric then goes in to our house and another in to the neighbours house from the junction box. It looks similar to the picture you posted. 3 phases and the neutral at the bottom. there is a 5th wire. Is this anything to do with the PME earth?

 

[Engineer54]

Looking at it, there's 5 lines from the left, top one is just a support I think.

so the other 4, she's connected to the bottom three, is one an earth do you think? What are the others? Line? It wouldn't be a neutral would it?

General arrangement on a 5 line pole is ... Top three lines are the 3 phases the next line down can sometimes be of a smaller CSA, and be for street lighting etc. The last/bottom line the neutral or PME conductor !!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

General arrangement on a 5 line pole is ... Top three lines are the 3 phases the next line down can sometimes be of a smaller CSA, and be for street lighting etc. The last/bottom line the neutral or PME conductor !!

climb up and lick em.....find out which ones which....

 

[Guest55]

motorway lighting is supplied by underground 3 phase swa which originates from a steel feeder pillar ( cabinet ) usually at junctions and at roughly 1 mile intervals along the carriageway.
these are switched via a single photocell which switches all lights on / off simultaineously , known as group control.
the F.P. will have a 400v / 100a DNO supply which may come from an overhead pole in rural / isolated areas but often from the underground L.V. mains in urban areas or busy intersections.

no street lighting supplies are metered , a flat charge is paid by the council based on the energy efficiency of the light fittings used.

 

[Engineer54]

climb up and lick em.....find out which ones which....

No need, i know the arrangement!! ...lol!!

 

[tazz]

Warning...!!.....If you are one of the window licking members. Please don not try Mr Glennspark`s suggestion...Climbing poles is dangerous..!!

 

[telectrix]

Warning...!!.....If you are one of the window licking members. Please don not try Mr Glennspark`s suggestion...Climbing poles is dangerous..!!

bugger. i was thinking of retraining as a pole dancer.

 

[GMES]

Warning...!!.....If you are one of the window licking members. Please don not try Mr Glennspark`s suggestion...Climbing poles is dangerous..!!

What about other immigrants tazz or it just the polish that your weary of :wink5:

 

[uksparks]

Thanks for the info everyone, it's always good to know these things!