Power boxes, also known as transformers, connect the main power grid to local grids. They transform electricity through electromagnetic induction and prevent harmful levels of electricity from entering the local grid. They are typically silver or gray in color and protect internal circuits from overload.
Power box is another name for a transformer, which is the link between the main power grid and the local grid. These boxes take electricity from main lines and discharge it into systems that connect directly to homes and businesses. Some areas use round cylinders that sit atop power poles, while other areas use rectangular boxes that sit on the ground. In the United States, the cylinders are typically silver and the boxes are usually a dark green or tan. In other parts of the world, both components are typically dull silver or gray.
The mains power grid operates at a very different power level than the wires that lead into buildings. In order to create safe power levels in typical buildings, electric companies will use a power box to transform electricity from one form to another. This is done automatically inside the boxes through a process called induction.
Inside a power box is a series of coils, one connected to the mains and the other connected to the local network. These coils don’t actually touch at any point; they are only connected to their respective networks. As power flows through the main coil, it moves into the local coil via electromagnetic induction. Power moving through the coils creates a magnetic field, and that field allows power to move through the system with no physical connection.
The induction performed by the power box prevents harmful levels of electricity from entering the local grid. The local coil construction prevents most power peaks and protects the local grid from problems in the larger grid. In fact, transformers are usually designed to melt or explode rather than draw harmful electric current into the system where it could destroy the electronics and cause a fire.
In most countries, a power box is dull silver in color. This is the natural color of cold rolled steel commonly used for their outer casings. In the United States, the color silver is often used in places where components are difficult to access, such as parts of a power substation or high up on power poles. Components that are left in open areas are usually painted a gray color that helps them blend into their surroundings, such as green near grass and brown near sand.
Electrical fuses or switch boxes inside homes are sometimes called power boxes. These boxes have a similar function, protecting the internal circuits from overload, but they don’t actually transform the power. These boxes really shouldn’t even interact with the power flowing through them unless there’s a problem like a short or overload.
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