Kinds of most frequent faults happened on overhead distribution system are the single line-to-ground fault, the line-to-line fault and the two line-to-ground fault. Occasionally, the three line-to-ground fault and the disconnection of a wire are happened in severe conditions. In this study, the single line-to-ground fault, the line-to-line fault, two line-to-ground fault on three-phase four-wire overhead distribution system were experimentally simulated and characteristics of total leakage current of distribution arrester caused by these faults were investigated. Also, the changing aspect of total leakage current of distribution arrester caused by voltage variation was investigated. In a consequence, abnormal voltages caused by voltage variation, the line-to-line fault, the two line-to-ground fault have a little effect on total leakage current of ZnO arrester. But abnormal voltages caused by the single line-to-ground fault have an important effect on total leakage current of ZnO arrester.