A Survey of The Problem of Insulator Contamination in The United States and Canada-Part I

Because of the growing problem caused by insulator contamination due to both industrial pollution and natural deposits, a Working Group of the Lightning and Insulator Subcommittee was formed to study the problem. The first objective was to determine the extent of the problem in the U. S. and Canada, and to determine the various kinds of contaminants and the most severe weather conditions that cause transmission line outages. A survey was conducted by sending questionnaires to 90 utilities. A total of 309 case histories were reported. This report summarizes the answers to questions regarding contaminants and insulator types. It also sheds some light on the preventive measures most frequently undertaken by the utilities and the degree of success of each action.