A pothead is the sealed termination at the end of a power cable where it transitions to an overhead line or apparatus, named after the compound-filled porcelain pot that seals a paper-insulated cable end. Heat-shrink and cold-shrink terminations with stress control and sheds do the same job, and crews call those potheads too. They are frequent failure points, so a burst pothead is the first suspect when an underground riser trips.
Riser pole on Elm tripped the feeder, crew found the B phase pothead split open and black.
Also heard as
- cable termination
Related terms
Tracking
Conductive carbon trail that leakage arcs through dirt and moisture gradually burn across an insulating surface.
Partial discharge
Tiny discharge in a void, on a surface or at a sharp edge that never spans the whole insulation, an early sign of decay.
Thumper
Field nickname for a surge generator that pulses a faulted cable so the fault can be heard and pinpointed.