What is a Feeder Pillar (Power Box)?
A feeder pillar (also known as a power box or feeder pillar box) is a cabinet used to house electrical equipment. Feeder pillar act as a central circuit that controls and distributes electricity to outgoing circuits downstream to the feeder pillar. This setup provides each circuit protection, along with the capacity to be easily controlled.
Similar to a junction box, feeder pillar’s protects people from coming into contact with live wires, as well as protecting wires from dust and dampness.
Feeder pillars are mounted on the street and are used to control the electrical supply to houses in a neighborhood. A feeder pillar is another word for a cutout enclosure or other electrical enclosure that is used as part of an underground electrical distribution system.
You may have inadvertently seen feeder pillars driving around without taking much notice. They are typically found near:
Airports
Highways
Rail
Retail & Leisure
Substations
Street Lighting
Temporary Generator Power Hook Ups
Feeder Pillar Components
A feeder pillar looks like a big steel wardrobe. The outer body of a feeder pillar is typically around 2 millimeters thick.
Feeder pillars are typically manufactured in aluminum sheets or electro-galvanized/galvanized steel sheets. Double-wall and single wall constructions are available in a 4/6/8 distribution. These include ammeters, selector switches, service fuses, and instrument panels with voltmeters. The design, structures, and build are suitable for all kinds of lighting applications. The entire feeder pillar unit is mounted on top of a steel base.
Traditional Feeder Pillars
The traditional feeder pillar design involved an open frame, supporting busbars, a pole-operated disconnector (isolator) for the incoming circuit and outgoing fuseways which are mounted in insulated carriers.
There are a couple of downsides to this traditional feeder pillar design:
Easy to make accidental contact with live and exposed conductors
Switching of circuits is carried out by the insertion and removal of the fuse handles (a potentially hazardous operation)
The close proximity of the terminals to adjacent and unscreened conductors make cabling a single circuit very difficult
As safety standards have increased over the years, these flaws in the traditional feeder pillar design have caused them to be phased out in favor of more modern types of feeder pillars. Although these modern types of feeder pillars are much safer than traditional designs, good safety practices should still be followed, including wearing good electrical gloves and anti-fog safety glasses.
Types of Feeder Pillars
Feeder pillar panels can come as custom manufactured or standard empty enclosures. Here are the most common feeder pillars that are available:
Rail Feeder Pillars
Rail feeder pillars are non-conductive and are available in an outdoor location or station installments. It eliminates the risk of touch voltages in electrified rail areas. These pillars can have PADS approved Network Rail equipment such as:
Switchgear
DC Immune RCD
DNO Service Hands
Isolation Transformers
CT Chamber & Member
Cut-Outs & Isolators
LV Pillars
Feeder pillars give LV power connections for single units or complex developments in the commercial and residential sectors.
LV pillars are used for utility substation, M&E building services, hazardous area industries, and renewable energy. Highway pillars are used for CCTV, traffic signals, street lighting power, motorway communications, and control and distribution.
Feeder Pillar Design Considerations
Installation
Feeder pillars are installed by professional electricians who are experienced, trained and qualified. And they must follow the local municipality’s requirements in health and safety in lighting conditions in any location.
Thus, only approved pillars from manufacturers should be installed to ensure full compliance with local authorities on electrical safety and lighting. There can be a label of approval by the right authorities on each pillar that can be installed on any premise, whether it is outside or inside the property.
The best positions should be in areas that avoid serious dangers to customers around the area. Space should be clutter-free, so the electricians can work on repair safely and easily without causing potential risk to consumers. The feeder pillar should be well lit, although if that’s not possible electricians can always wear headlamps while working.
Functionality
Feeder pillars have a distinct value of their presence in any environment to ensure that the electrical fuse is secured from the property to avoid any electrical issues.
Although the feeder might appear as a metal box storing up circuity wires, they create an important protection platform on any property. Also, they function to hold circuitry safely if there’s a need to upgrade the circuit box at the designated area.
An experienced electrician will recommend the right feeder box to hold all of the circuitry for better lighting efficiency. The right feeder helps manage a huge power supply that safely goes through the wires with the fuses labeled for easy identification. If you need help with this, a good electrical circuit tracer can assist you in quickly identify breakers and fuses and tracing wires behind walls.
Simple Minded Operation
Feeder pillars have a simple connection interface that allows for quick connection of maintenance or emergency power source. The feeders are fitted with terminals that have self-snapping fuse screws to keep the tightening torque.
The power supply for lighting and internal circuits are directly provided by the pillar. Thus, making their operation simple and easy for electricians to utilize based on their location.
Design and Robustness
A good feeder pillar should have a smooth and sleek design. It should have improved user safety via large thermostat insulated fittings. Due to its rigidity, its insulation material provides more robustness; making it able to survive harsh storms and other tough conditions. Make sure to use one of the best insulation resistance testers if you need to measure the insulation resistance.