Electrical Phase/Pole Power Question

['nuther Bob]

OK, I know what a phase is (roughly). What I am trying to understand is how power is distributed to a house.

I see a single wire on top of the pole outside my house that runs to the transformer. The transformer is grounded. Two wires, we got a circuit ! It appears that the transformer takes whatever is on the hot wire and supplies a tree wire feed for my house. I assume these are 120hot, 120hot, and a neutral ?

Are these two phases of 120v power ? Is the transformer just a center tap type of situation ? Is the neutral that feeds my house bonded to the ground wire at the transformer ?

Thanks for any insight. FWIW, I am not trying to do my own tap off the power line, just curious.

Bob

[Jack Gavin]

may answer some of your questions.

-- Jack Gavin

[jim evans]

Yes.

Yes. 180 degrees out of phase.

Yes.

Yes. And also to an earth ground at your service entry.

jim ___ Have a home upkeep question? Try my help page. It's sort of an alt.home.repair FAQ.

[George]

Close explanation, the nominal 13kv is phase to phase and ~7kv to ground. The distribution transformers you describe each see ~7kv on the primary side.

[mw]

very sorry about the 3 phase volts to grnd error.