Underground utilities. Pros and cons

[mdjohn1427]

Ok. Land clearing has begun. Road has been roughed in (still some work there). Planning to start work soon and a Pole Barn with living space. So Utilities. I really would rather have underground utilities. I know the cost is higher but I'd like to hear from others that have had the task of running utilities underground. I've got about 1200 ft of distance between source and site. The site appears to be free of large rocks. One creek to cross. Thoughts

 

[BobRip]

Pros.: Falling trees are less likely to damage them. Although sometime an uprooted tree root will damage lines. The pulled up roots will grab the lines.
If above ground lines are damaged on the run to the house, all the other lines in the area will be fixed first, since your lines only affect one customer. Hence underground is much less affect by storms and outages will be typically shorter.

Cons: If underground lines are damaged then they can take longer to repair.
More expensive of course.
Sometimes they just fail for no apparent reason. They can be damaged by the chemicals in the soil and rocks.

 

[Wnc3]

I like underground because:
No overhead wires to hit or see.
No worry of trees falling into them
No tree trimming
No ice issues
No poles to back into
No poles to replace, ever

The cons are:
Cost
Flood or tidal erosion extends repair time considerably as in Hurricane Ike for us.

 

[Mendonsy]

That creek to cross is the part that would worry me. If you try to go under it the lines would probably get washed away by the first big rainstorm because burying them would loosen the soil. About the only alternative is to go over the creek in conduit (possibly fastened to a bridge) and hope the water never gets high enough to bother it.

 

[WM75Guy]

Plan for your current use plus any foreseeable expansion. Five years ago I ran overhead from the street 800' down the side of our property to save cost. Aerial primary was half the cost of underground. That saved me about $4000. There are no trees so little chance of a problem. At the last pole I went underground to a pad mounted transformer by the shop that feeds the house. I used a 400 amp meter base, 225 amps to the house and split 175 amps off to the stables, as my provider charges $20/month for each meter. Just remember there is a limit to the length of the feed from the pad transformer to the meter base. Mine was just over 100' which was at the limit for my provider.

I like not having any poles in the yard or an aerial drop to the house. Much nicer and cleaner look. I wanted all my utilities to come in through the garage. Going underground allowed my to put my meter base on the garage wall with the 220 breaker box on the inside wall. Otherwise it would have been on the opposite side of the house in the master bedroom or I could have had poles across my back yard. The phone company requires their demarc within 5' of the meter base. First of the month I am having a 200 amp meter set for the shop. This time the only thing I will have to pay for is about 75' of underground from the pad to the meter base.

 

[BHD]

make a detailed map, YOU will forget, and run some the metallic marker tape just under the surface,
DO things in and orderly fashion, and do things consistently, if you go besides a building and say your 6 feet way from that building, and you have a second building to go by do another 6 footer out,

If you put in plastic pipe run a tracer wire, (one that can be hooked on to for locating), even your sewer lines,

take pictures with land marks in them that are reasonable perment,

I like straight lines if possible, but if you have water going this way and electrical going that way and gas another, with telephone another, you will have a lot of fun if you need to work on or change things,

yes the natural gas company will locate, if you have propane that is your problem, and so will telephone and some times power, but some will only go to there transfer box, and after that your on your own, (not all the time but some times),

some perement markers are not a bad Idea either, (just a coffie can filled with cement, color the concrete to locating code) at surface level,

 

[ace10]

Is there underground public utility service to your property? If so, then IMO you *always* go underground on your property. If it's aerial, then it's a decision subject to many listed previously.

 

[whistlepig]

We have have had underground electric for 15 years here with no problems. Not much help is it?

 

[ultrarunner]

I have underground that was put in back in 1978 and it was direct burial... so far there have been 3 breaks in the line the last 3 years... utility company installed it and so far has repaired it.

Last time they said they no longer service direct buried cable even if they installed it.

This is the same place that Comcast wants 14k to install cable and it would be free if I had poles like my neighbor.

On the other hand... my brother had not been in his place a week when a delivery truck backing up took out his 10 x 10 power pole in the yard serving the shop and tractor shed... right now it is propped up with 2 x 4's... thinking of going underground but there are lots of unmarked lines there now...

 

[aczlan]

If you do go underground, run everything in conduit and leave 1-2 extra conduits for future expansion (one sized so that you can pull power through it and one for telephone, cable, etc). MUCH easier to fix down the road that way and running 4 conduits wont be that much more work than running 2.

Aaron Z