Like copper will ever go down. If its just lights, think solar.
Lots of critters that dig and burrow.
Just reread your initial post.
Darkblack, Interesting point - and one I admit I do not fully understand - but thank you for your input. I will recheck the site - to confirm the subpanel is grounded as I stated. The contractor (for the house build) told me the rough electrical - including the subpanel - there had been inspected and signed off. We had the power company install two new poles, a replacement (sufficient to handle a transformer), a next in-line pole, and then they ran their lines to the pole we put in and hooked it all up to the meter panel. I was responsible for calling in the inspection for our pole, weather head, and panel there. It has 8' two ground rods there and was inspected but I was told I needed to add a temporary GFI circuit there - outside the box. I did that, it was reinspected and signed off. I will recheck tomorrow to see if I reported everything accurately. They were also putting in wiring there for solar.Just reread your initial post.
Assuming you’re going to run a ground wire from your meter to your “sub panel “ ,I know you won’t,because you just want to get it done, but I wish you would ask your county inspector, how “appropriately grounding” your “sub panel “ doesn’t create two bonding points and create parallel current paths on the neutral and ground wires to the pole meter.
Should make for interesting conversation
Or, maybe he’s approved it without a pole to house, ground wire connection. I don’t know
Yeah, I have continued to check on all that is required - e.g., if I can put both water line and electric run in the same trench without much separation (answer is yes), and confirming depth of trenches for all, etc. And in doing this I came across the same warning tape requirement - except it is for a 6", apparently specific red tape warning potential diggers. That tape - which so far, I have only found in 1000 foot rolls - the 'detectable" kind is very expensive. I guess the "detectable" aspect explains the cost. Other tape is also red and 6" wide and a lot cheaper. I am not sure which I need yet.
I never use detectable tape on electrical trenches…..the wires themselves are already detectable.
Thanks, Peter, as I am still in the process of putting this all together, I can consider all options. As concerns the separation, as the electrical conduit will be deeper than is required for the water lines, there will be some vertical separation. A separate electrical run will come back from the subpanel to the well area (I should have and may post a diagram as that would be helpful to explain what I am facing) and that can be adjacent to the other electrical conduit - and all put in before the water line.
I thought the same - but the power company's material specifies a 6-inch-wide red caution tape 12 inches below grade and above the run. They did say 'detectable' but the brands they identify as approved are 'detectable' products.
(not legal on water for the rationale of potential contamination, but required elsewhere due to soil movement risk, at least as I understand it.)
Replying to Ponytug and grsthegreat for their posts re grounding. This is what I have: The meter (first panel/GE) has a shut off breaker and two ground rods, and my own add-in of a 20-amp breaker for a temporary 'test' circuit/outlet just below the panel box (the inspector told me to install that before he would pass it). When I installed that 20-amp breaker and outlet (outside the box) the first thing I saw was that there was only one bus. So, I checked with the guy that put the panel in - he was not certain, but he called the manufacturer of the panel and then called me and said all was fine as the ground and neutral were 'bonded' and it was supposed to be that way. So, I attached the neutral and ground to the same (and only) bus in the panel - and that was before the second inspection - which passed.
Got it, and thanks. I do recall that the subpanels - down line - need the separate busses- isolated. Appreciate your help.
Peter, it seems that the 'detectable' tape is required - and 6" wide -at least the two brands they approve apparently sell that kind of tape. I was planning on just putting in the red warning tape and only 3" wide, but unless my further reading leads me elsewhere, I think I am stuck with what they say to use. I will, however, definitely check it a bit further as I am wondering about County vs power company guidelines.I'd check on the detection tape for power, because, if it is not locally required, there is no need as @grsthegreat pointed out. I still would put down a plastic warning tape identifying power.
If double trenching is an issue, could you do a wider trench and put power on one side, and water on the other? I a just thinking ahead to potential future repairs. If your water line is to/from the well, the well control wires might help trace it in the future. (Our tanks have float switches that control the pump, but in our case the wires don't run with the pipe, which is good and bad. You can't use them to locate, but they aren't in the way when the pipe cracks or breaks.)
As we have earthquakes around here, you might want to consider an expansion fitting on the various lines, or at least laying the water pipe with squiggles to allow expansion and contraction. My understanding is that expansion fittings are not legal in some locations, and required in others.
Part of my belt and suspenders approach to underground lines is that I have seen the improbable happen, often. I lived somewhere that the burial depth for pipes was 48", below the 36" frost line. The municipal main lines were 72" or deeper. Then we had a really dry fall, with basically no snow, and the frost went 120" down in January. Yeah, it was a mess throughout the whole area. I remember the plumber hooking up a welder to our street side cutoff, and to the house piping indoors and running the welder for half an hour so to thaw the metal pipes. We kept a sink dribbling until March.
All the best,
Peter
