Are Flashovers More Likely After Thunderstorms?
The common impression within the utility industry is that the fiberglass standoffs are more likely to flash over shortly after thunderstorms. However, there is no specific evidence to either prove or disprove this. It is possible that the standoff failures appear to be more frequent following thunderstorms because line crews are out repairing storm damage, and thus are more frequently in a position to observe the failures during this time period. Nevertheless, there are some interesting characteristics of the post-storm time period that lend credibility to the idea that the standoff flashovers are more common in the post-storm time frame.
