COURSE DESCRIPTION

During normal usage, pole top equipment is subjected to conditions such as heat, rain, lightning, and mechanical problems that can lead to equipment damage or failure. This course identifies some equipment used to prevent equipment damage or failure, and to provide coordinated protection for a distribution system. The course also explains how this equipment operates. This course explains how to repair and replace energized pole top equipment with a minimum of interruption to customers. It describes how to bypass and replace a recloser. It also shows how to inspect and repair one type of gang-operated switch, and how to bypass and replace a different type.

COURSE GOALS

• Identify some of the equipment used to provide coordinated protection for a distribution system. Explain how to replace a fuse and a damaged fused cutout. 
• Describe how reclosers are classified and how they operate. 
• Describe how to bypass and replace a recloser.
• Explain how a gang-operated switch operates.
• Describe how to inspect and repair a gang-operated switch.
• Explain how to replace a one-piece gang-operated switch.

SUBJECTS AND OBJECTIVES

Introduction to Pole Top Equipment

• Describe how fused cutouts, reclosers, and sectionalizers can be used to provide coordinated protection for a distribution system.
• Describe two examples of coordinated system protection. 

Cutouts

• Describe how fused cutouts are designed.
• Describe how to replace a fuse in a fused cutout.
• Describe how to safely replace a fused cutout

Reclosers

• Describe ways that recliners can be classified.
• Describe the operating cycles and operation of two types of recliner control mechanisms.

Reclosers Replacement

• Describe the tasks involved in safely replacing a recloser.
• Describe or demonstrate one method of safely de-energizing, rigging and replacing a three-phase electronic recloser.

Gang-Operated Switch Maintenance

• Describe the basic operation of one type of gang-operated switch.
• Identify problems typically associated with gang-operated switches.
• Describe or demonstrate how to safely inspect and troubleshoot a gang-operated switch.

Gang-Operated Switch Replacement

• Describe or demonstrate a procedure for safely replacing a gang-operated switch.