Underground utilities. Pros and cons

[dave1949]

I like repowell's solution, run above ground until you get within a pole or two of your house, then go underground from there. I wish I had done that in hindsight.

The service easement agreements here allow the util to control vegetation as necessary under and near the lines--including spraying. I keep things cleaned up and mowable with the bush hog under the lines. Also here, if the util does the install themselves, they will maintain the line to the transformer. If a third-party contractor does the install, line maintenance is on the owner. It will pay to read the fine print in making your choices if it is like here.

 

[k0ua]

Underground utilities have many pro's. One con is that if the utilities are using metallic conductors the risk for lightning damage is slightly higher. Lightning is both an aerial and a ground phenomenon. Lightning is of far more concern in some parts of the country than others.

 

[Wnc3]

In your case, thinking about the creek, I would run aerial across the creek and then go underground.
That will:
Save money
Eliminate the complications crossing the creek.


If you end up going all overhead with overhead transformer, you can still run your private "drops" underground to your building.
Not sure on the max distance, but somebody here does....

 

[mdjohn1427]

Thanks all for the input. Never thought about the lighting and issue underground.

 

[LD1]

Not sure the max distance, but 1200' is likely too far for running secondary underground.

If it were mine, I like the suggestion of running the primary overhead to a transformer that is within a few hundred feet of the structure. THen drop to the meter and go underground for the secondary.

Contact your electric company. They will have an engineer on staff (usually) that can come out and give you your options, prices, and pros and cons of YOUR area.

And not sure how it works in your area, but my electric company owns everything up to the meter. So that means any issues up to that point is their responsibility and their $$$ to fix. Anything after the meter is on me. If that is how it is for you, you want the meter as close to your house as you can.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Here, Above ground is provided by utility at no charge. Connection point must be less than 100 feet from transformer or a pole is required and that is at owners cost. There is a power pole set about 20 feet inside my property line with xformer by previous owner and overhead lines ran to his house which is about a 500 foot run with 3 poles, two of which are on my property and I have to be careful when mowing to not hang the pole or guy wire.
Since I was powering from the same transformer, I just ran the underground pipe conduit per the Arkansas Power and Light (APL) size requirement to the base of the pole, power company pulled in their wire when I was ready to disconnect the temp. pole for house construction. For my shop which I had build a couple of years prior to the house, APL ran the line from the transformer to my pecker head above the roof of my shop free of charge. My contractor wired up the circuit breaker box, meter box and pecker head so the utility company (APL) could tie on. It is high enough, at least 20 feet, that I don't even notice it being overhead.

Note: APL cost to install the UG wiring was cheaper than I could have my contractor buy the wire, IIRC $4 per foot linear from the pole to the meter and no charge for vertical riser lengths. I think the wanted $8 per foot if they dug the trench and put in direct burial cable. My house contractor did it for free with conduit and his backhoe.

 

[k0ua]

Owl's head Gary, Owl's Head...:laughing:

 

[oosik]

My house is only 70 feet from the power companies last pole. I hand dug (last time I'll do that) a trench and put the the wire in a 4" heavy duty conduit. That was 32 years ago and, of course, I've never had a reason to pull or replace this line. They say pocket gophers & mice can chew on a buried unprotected service line, so maybe I've been saved from that.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

As others have stated it will be cosiderably cheaper for you to come in overhead to say within 100' of your site at that point the poco will usually hang an overhead transformer on the deadend pole and run you an underground service from there, most will allow you to install your own conduit as long as it is installed to local code. Whatever you do don't let anyone talk you into direct burial, the small amount of $ and labor will more than save in the headache and aggravation of having to deal with it being dug up to be repaired x number of years from now. Good luck.Charlie.

 

[Paul Thornton]

I ran two poles of above ground and then went underground from last pole to the house. Saved some money and don't have to worry about wires over the driveway. Plan for the future and run extra conduit.

L2800 w/FEL - 72" Land Pride rake