The Complete Guide to Point of Attachment Hardware

What the point of attachment is

The point of attachment (POA) is where the network's overhead service line is anchored to a building or a private pole. It is the mechanical hand-off between the network's aerial cable and the property's installation, and it has to take the full tension of the service span while keeping the cable at a compliant clearance. Every piece of hardware at the POA has a specific job, and getting the combination right is what keeps the connection safe and defect-free.

EVO Electric supplies point-of-attachment hardware to Level 2 ASP electricians and contractors from our Sydney warehouse. We do not install services — this guide explains what each item does and how to order a complete POA kit.

The core hardware at a POA

A complete point of attachment brings together a small number of items, each carrying a share of the load or making an electrical connection.

• —Attachment hook or bracket — the anchor point fixed to the wall or pole.
• —Strain clamp — grips the ABC service cable and takes the span tension.
• —Service connectors — make the electrical connection to the actives and neutral.
• —Backing plate — spreads load into the mounting surface where needed.

Hooks and brackets by mounting surface

The attachment point is chosen to suit what it fixes to. A masonry wall, a fibro wall and a pole each call for different hardware.

Match the hook to the surface: screw-in J hooks are for timber only, and steel poles use a through-bolted nut-and-bolt hook.

Strain clamps and the service cable

The strain clamp grips the aerial bundled cable (ABC) and transfers the tension of the span into the attachment point without loading the electrical connections. The clamp must suit the ABC size — commonly 25mm² on residential services — so it grips correctly and does not damage the cable.

• —Size the clamp to the ABC conductor size.
• —The clamp takes tension; the connectors do not.
• —A correctly sized clamp protects the cable insulation from crushing.

Service connectors: copper and aluminium

Service connectors make the electrical joint between the service cable and the consumer mains. Because services mix copper and aluminium conductors, the connector must suit the metals it joins — dissimilar-metal joints need connectors rated for that combination to avoid corrosion and heating at the joint.

Clearances and POA height

The POA must sit at a height that keeps the service cable clear of the ground, driveways and structures across the full span. The required clearance comes from the network's service and installation rules and varies with what the span crosses. Setting the POA too low is a common cause of rejected connections, so confirm the height before the hardware goes up.

Ordering a complete POA kit

As with poles, the classic failure is turning up with a hook but no clamp, or a clamp that does not suit the cable. Order the full kit together.

• —Mounting surface — pole material or wall type — to set the hook or bracket.
• —ABC cable size to size the strain clamp.
• —Conductor metals to choose the right service connectors.
• —Whether a meter box mounts alongside (bracket and backing plate).

Request a quote for the complete point-of-attachment hardware list and it arrives as one installable kit — hook, clamp, connectors and fixings matched to the job.

Frequently Asked Questions