Riser

[Ian Gills]

The 50 year old riser on my 50 year old house is deteriorating. I am hiring a licensed electrician to replace it.

I am relatively new to the US and have noted a lack of fuses along transmission lines.

My question is this. If my riser, which goes up the side of my house via the meter, were to deteriorate to the point that it would short, what would happen?

A big flash, a fire? Both?

Is the only safety device the transfomer (which would blow) a mile away?

Why aren't houses with deteriorated risers burning down at the rate of dozens?

[Greg Fretwell]

Service conductors are not fused. The primary protection should protect the transformer but as long as it is OK the service conductors will keep arcing and sparking. I saw one in the Keys boil all of the water out of a puddle it fell in and start melting the asphalt paving before FPL got there and pulled the primary fuse.