Yes, another electrical question. Oh, and propane too.

[Diggin It]

See, I'd actually be shortening the service drop run from what it is now. To get clear of a window on the house, they set a pole out in the yard 50' or so, then ran from the main pole to this new pole and to the house in a sort of triangle. If I can get them to do this change, the run will be a little shorter than it is now.


Yellow line is the current overhead service drop. Yellow circle is the pole they put in 20 years ago. Red circle is the main line pole. Red line would be the proposed overhead. Orange circle is where I want the pole and the orange line would be buried. Footages are estimated and fudged a bit, but close enough for this diagram.

Blue box is where I'm thinking for the propane tank and the blue line would be the new copper feed, also buried. The green arrow points downhill on the steepest slope I mow and this existing pole is somewhat in the way of turning the tractor where I need to.

Generator I'm thinking of is 12Kw and is small enough to set right beside the house at whatever required clearance.

But I have no idea what they might charge, if anything. I guess I'll find that out Monday. County says if they request a pole move for road work, this utility charges 3 grand or more which I ain't about to pay. But that's for a primary, not a service drop.

 

[yanmars]

My power company wanted about $25,000 to go underground for me 10 years ago. They thought it would run $37,000 now for aerial and $50,000 for underground. The distance would not miss 1500 feet to far. Flat ground but some larger stones/rocks at times but not like bedrock or anything. I was put off at the price 10 years ago, really so now. Should consider a generator/solar or wind combo as it would only be used occasionally.
I say this as I am quite interested in your quote. Hope it is nothing like mine.

 

[mapper]

We have primary running underground to a transformer about 60' from our house and shop (separate meters).
About 10 years ago our neighbor behind us ran about 600` from the transformer to her place, she did her own ditch and conduit, don't know if the power company supplied the wire. They did charge her for the larger transformer. The transformer also serves our other neighbor's pump house and shop (200 amp). They will be building soon and putting in a drop to the house then. I don't know if a further transformer upgrade will be required at that point, that's up to the power company and I won't be charged for it.
I do wonder what the capacity of the primary feed to the transformer is though.

 

[Diggin It]

Not looking overly promising. Rep walked through it all today and said it could all be done, no problem, but there would be a charge that could be 4 figures. Tried to play the angle that it would be to their benefit to get it out from under the tree and get the pole out where a boom truck could get it from the road instead of in the middle my yard. Also that I'd already be incurring quite a bit of cost for the rest of the project. Tossed in the age and beginning of faltering abilities angle. Said he'd talk to management and see what they could come up with.

I might be able to pay something, but not what he thought it might be.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ive come across people over the years that are now on solar and wind only because power companies wanter $40,000 to bring them power. Theres one company here called northern lights that wants to charge my friend $8,000 for power. The transformer is ALREADY IN about 200 feet from proposed house. My friend said he would dig trench.....doesnt matter. 8 grand.

These companies know theres no alternative ...its either pay up or go solar. And that could be way more. What a crime.

 

[mikester]

My transformer is on a pole about 30 feet from the barn and feeds by overhead wire. I also run an underground line to the house about 300 feet away. Longer runs just means bigger cables, more line loss, and more expensive install.

Check with you Local LP supplier about regulations and setbacks. Sometimes you need to add safety barriers like bollards depending on location.

 

[rScotty]

When we built here in the Rocky Mountains 15 years ago there was a choice of either above ground or underground for about a 600 foot run. 200 amp service. We chose to put in two poles to cut the distance in half - these were less expensive than I had expected. From the last pole the lines dropped down to a transformer on the ground where they went underground the last 300 feet. The meter was on the transformer. Trenching was easy, the heavy underground wire was in large diameter heavy wall PVC tube. Cost was about $30K for all versus somewhere less than half that if we had stayed above ground the whole way. The utility did it all the work including inspections. We were happy not to have to look at wires coming across our land.

Seven years ago a flood wiped out the underground system. Floodwater swept the transformer and one of the poles away, pulling the whole underground system out of the ground. What a mess. We replaced the underground feed with a standard above ground feed and drop to the house. Cost of putting in new electrical was right at $5K.


WE WOULD NEVER GO UNDERGROUND AGAIN FOR TWO REASONS:

1. The transformer noise. With the underground system, the transformer on the ground made a constant hum. The noise wasn't loud enough that a person could hear it in town, but here in the quiet piney mountains, but we could alwyas hear it. It made a constant droning hum even though 300 feet away on a hillside. The utility said all the transformers make some noise, but in most locations there is enough background noise from wind, or traffic, or neighbors to drown out the transformer noise. Not so for us.
Believe me, if you value quiet you do NOT want that transformer close to your house.

2. The increased monthly cost. We were surprised at how high our undergound utility bills were. Not outrageous, and the same cost per kW/hr..... but still about 50% higher than we had expected. Comparing with neighbors, we seemed to be paying up to double what others were paying for similar houses. Being careful about electrical use didn't make a noticible difference. After the flood we elected to put the replacement lines overhead, not underground. Now the meter is at the house instead of at the transformer. Our monthly bill immediately dropped by 50%.

Some conclusions: In-ground electrical is expensive initially and ongoing. It can be noisy. It is more vulnerable to damage and difficult to repair. Repairs are on your dime. So is clean up. Your monthly costs may go up, but you won't know and cannot fight it because there is no way to compare.

rScotty

 

[grsthegreat]

When we built here in the Rocky Mountains 15 years ago there was a choice of either above ground or underground for about a 600 foot run. 200 amp service. We chose to put in two poles to cut the distance in half - these were less expensive than I had expected. From the last pole the lines dropped down to a transformer on the ground where they went underground the last 300 feet. The meter was on the transformer. Trenching was easy, the heavy underground wire was in large diameter heavy wall PVC tube. Cost was about $30K for all versus somewhere less than half that if we had stayed above ground the whole way. The utility did it all the work including inspections. We were happy not to have to look at wires coming across our land.

Seven years ago a flood wiped out the underground system. Floodwater swept the transformer and one of the poles away, pulling the whole underground system out of the ground. What a mess. We replaced the underground feed with a standard above ground feed and drop to the house. Cost of putting in new electrical was right at $5K.


WE WOULD NEVER GO UNDERGROUND AGAIN FOR TWO REASONS:

1. The transformer noise. With the underground system, the transformer on the ground made a constant hum. The noise wasn't loud enough that a person could hear it in town, but here in the quiet piney mountains, but we could alwyas hear it. It made a constant droning hum even though 300 feet away on a hillside. The utility said all the transformers make some noise, but in most locations there is enough background noise from wind, or traffic, or neighbors to drown out the transformer noise. Not so for us.
Believe me, if you value quiet you do NOT want that transformer close to your house.

2. The increased monthly cost. We were surprised at how high our undergound utility bills were. Not outrageous, and the same cost per kW/hr..... but still about 50% higher than we had expected. Comparing with neighbors, we seemed to be paying up to double what others were paying for similar houses. Being careful about electrical use didn't make a noticible difference. After the flood we elected to put the replacement lines overhead, not underground. Now the meter is at the house instead of at the transformer. Our monthly bill immediately dropped by 50%.

Some conclusions: In-ground electrical is expensive initially and ongoing. It can be noisy. It is more vulnerable to damage and difficult to repair. Repairs are on your dime. So is clean up. Your monthly costs may go up, but you won't know and cannot fight it because there is no way to compare.

rScotty

Man, you must gave a dogs ears. I cant hear my ground based transformer at all....even standing next to it and i live out in quiet country. Now, your meter standing 300 feet from house cost you more every month due to voltage drop values. You lost quite alot of power that never got to your house, but was lost as heat, whatever in the lines. Welcome to the works of voltage drop. This is a great example of the people that claim they ran 800 feet of wire to a fountain with #12 wire and it works just great. If they ever put a meter on that circuit they will find out what they pay for that power over 20 years time compared to properly sized wire.
With the meter on the house, your only paying for the power that actually reached your house.

 

[Diggin It]

However, none of that would apply to my situation. In my case, the plan would have been to leave the transformer on the pole and bury the 240V service drop for the 90' from the pole at the road to the meter on the house. There would be no transformer hum or increased cost due to voltage drop/increased use.

 

[rScotty]

However, none of that would apply to my situation. In my case, the plan would have been to leave the transformer on the pole and bury the 240V service drop for the 90' from the pole at the road to the meter on the house. There would be no transformer hum or increased cost due to voltage drop/increased use.

That does sound like a workable solution. Sure a lot better than our original underground installation. All it takes is some forethought; you seem to have avoided the obvious problems with underground. Basic takeaways are to keep underground short, meter on house; not pole, and transformer as far away as you can.
rScotty