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Pad Mounted and Pole Mounted Transformers Compared
The choice is made by the distribution system, not by preference. Underground service gets a pad-mount, overhead service gets a pole mount.
| Pad mounted | Pole mounted | |
|---|---|---|
| Mounting | Concrete pad at grade | Bracketed to a distribution pole |
| Service type | Underground, in a duct bank | Overhead, on a crossarm |
| Enclosure | Locked tamper resistant steel cabinet | Open, live parts at height |
| Public safety | Safe at ground level, hence the locked cabinet | Kept safe by being out of reach |
| Typical ratings | 45 to 2500 kVA three phase | 10 to 167 kVA single phase mostly |
| Cost | Higher, plus pad and trenching | Lower, plus the pole |
| Aesthetics | Out of sight, why developments prefer it | Visible |
Which you actually need
New commercial development is almost always underground, which means pad-mounted. If a utility is quoting you a pole mount on a commercial job, the question to ask is whether the service is overhead, because that changes the whole civil scope.
Working from a specification that uses one of these terms loosely? Send it over and we will tell you which equipment it is actually calling for, before you order the wrong thing. Get a quote or call 786 220 2801.