Underground electrical service for cabin

[Carykong]

My electrical service from the street line is about 500'. Power company has to install a transformer to get adequate service to my home,200amp. The entire operation was performed by the power company. Cost me about $3500.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

A lot of utility company's will want to pull the service in conduit that you have installed and will supply the wire, but as has been said already it just depends on what there policys are it seems to vary regionally, and I don't know of any power company's that install copper services for residential customers only commercial and then it is there service not supplied by the power company. P.S. I would'nt have it any other way than in conduit.

 

[JB4310]

I had to install the 3" pipe 100 ft from the pole to the house and buy the wire. but now they own it, if something goes bad they replace it and not supposed to cost me any more.

This was 4/0 al, on the day they pulled mine all the linemen were admiring the new wire they were using, they said this was the first job they used it on and that the insulation was much thicker than normal. Hope so, look how they left the top of the pipe, no weather head!

Called them and they said don't worry all conduit is full of water?

JB.

 

[CurlyDave]

Called them and they said don't worry all conduit is full of water?

New conduit is not full of water, but all old conduit is full of water.

 

[timswi]

Call the utility...In these parts Duquesne Light wants only aluminum wire to mesh with theirs (at least when I built my house)...That's an expensive mistake you don't want to make.

Mine is direct bury in PVC...Wanted to protect it from the citters...My mom's neighbor, who had more money than God, built a raised garden in the shape of South Carolina, his home state,. His power ran under that thing...A most unfortunate groundhog ate through one of the legs....Result: whole yard torn apart..Including South Carolina

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I had to install the 3" pipe 100 ft from the pole to the house and buy the wire. but now they own it, if something goes bad they replace it and not supposed to cost me any more.

This was 4/0 al, on the day they pulled mine all the linemen were admiring the new wire they were using, they said this was the first job they used it on and that the insulation was much thicker than normal. Hope so, look how they left the top of the pipe, no weather head!

Called them and they said don't worry all conduit is full of water?

JB.

Most power company's put a filler in the pipe not a weatherhead on a secondary riser like you have on your pole, the ones we use is 3 part first you stuff foam down into the pipe around the wires this keeps the 2 part liquid that you mix together from running to far down into the pipe and in a few minutes it is hard, it keeps the squirrels from getting down into the pipe and helps keep the water out, we use these on everything from a 1-1/2 streetlight riser to a 6" 1000 mcm primary riser and they seem to work well.

 

[tommu56]

Most power company's put a filler in the pipe not a weatherhead on a secondary riser like you have on your pole, the ones we use is 3 part first you stuff foam down into the pipe around the wires this keeps the 2 part liquid that you mix together from running to far down into the pipe and in a few minutes it is hard, it keeps the squirrels from getting down into the pipe and helps keep the water out, we use these on everything from a 1-1/2 streetlight riser to a 6" 1000 mcm primary riser and they seem to work well.

I've never see that is it like Chico used in seal fittings for class 1/2/3 explosion proof fittings?

or more like duxseal?

tom

 

[ayelvington]

That's a pretty long run, and your losses will not be trivial. I strongly recommend that your drop a dime on a licensed electrician to do the numbers for you.

BE SURE TO BURY IT DEEP! The morons that did our house....

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I've never see that is it like Chico used in seal fittings for class 1/2/3 explosion proof fittings?

or more like duxseal? I don't know anything about Chico, but this stuff will get warm when you mix the 2 parts together and will start swelling up and will be fairly hard in a few minutes, have also used a similar product to fill woodpecker holes in poles and it has held up well, I have used duct seal before in manholes but it does'nt seem to hold up as well when exposed to the elements ie up poles but does seem to do a good job in the manholes.

tom

Tom I typed my response in your quote, I'm a better linehand than computer man.

 

[JB4310]

Most power company's put a filler in the pipe not a weatherhead on a secondary riser like you have on your pole, the ones we use is 3 part first you stuff foam down into the pipe around the wires this keeps the 2 part liquid that you mix together from running to far down into the pipe and in a few minutes it is hard, it keeps the squirrels from getting down into the pipe and helps keep the water out, we use these on everything from a 1-1/2 streetlight riser to a 6" 1000 mcm primary riser and they seem to work well.

So is the water anything to worry about? or is it more critters?
The odd thing is that other pipe with the weatherhead on it just goes down into the ground with direct burial underneath. Goes to my shop in the back.

This pole is right at the bottom of a hill so I know there could be a few feet of water in that pipe. I do drainage work, and if I thought about it I would of put a draining tee right at the lowest point. afraid to try and do anything like drill a hole in it know, don't want to damage the wire or get zapped

I've seen electrical manholes just totally flooded with water, with all the electric underground I guess it's not as bad as I think it is. My buddy has a manhole on his property in a low spot near a brook crossing, right next to a sub station, that thing pours water out the top for days after a rain, so I know it must be full all the time.

JB.