Electric, cable, internet routing to building?

[Innovate1]

Discussing electric hookup with the local utility and that got me thinking about routing of other utilities. I have a corner lot and a power pole on the corner. Planning to do underground to the meter base on the house and then to the garage. The power company noted there was a storm drain near the pole and there is also a sidewalk to go under. They proposed another pole down the street and said the cost of going directly to the existing pole would be costly. Hard to believe the cost of another pole would be much less than just going to the pole that is already there but maybe I am missing something. Power, phone, and cable are all above ground on one street (on my side of the street and this is horizontal street in picture) and the proposed pole is down the other street (right side of picture). I looked at it and seems there is room to go to the existing pole although you can't just trench up to the pole like you could on the added pole. There is about 2' between the pole and the storm drain and the drain originates there and crosses the street. Seems like there should be room and the only real issue is going under the sidewalk. The power will go at about a 45 degree angle to the house.

That got me to thinking about doing the phone/cable/internet at the same time or if I should put conduit in for it. Maybe just conduit under the sidewalk so the other lines can be put in easier later. Most of the other houses in the area have all this overhead to the house but I would like to go underground. Don't think it should be much more trouble or cost.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

definitely put in conduit NOW, for cable and phone.

around here they want their own conduits, min 1.5" each....

easier to do it now than later

 

[Innovate1]

1.5"? That seems big but I suppose that allows connectors and such to fit.

How are those conduits terminated at the house and pole? I haven't messed with this for a quite a while but last time it was just put in a trench with a short section of 3/4" conduit on the pole from about eye level about 6" in the ground and a short vertical section to bring it up to a box on the house. Some places they plow it in and sometimes they barely get it under the dirt at all.

I will try to look at to how it is done on recent construction here.

 

[anythingyoucanimagine]

For telco/data bigger is always better. So it won't bind and you don't have to really yank on long runs. I've never done conduit to a utility pole. My only concern would be drip loops and such. At the house I'd imagine it would come up from the ground in a nice wide radius 90 then to a 90 conduit body and into the house.


Do your telco/data stuff at same time but maintain spacing between electric and low voltage for a long run.

 

[alfredeneuman]

You'd be better served to contact the separate providers first and see what THEIR specs are. They may have plans in the future to change things that you don't know about.

 

[7635tools]

Typically it’s minimum 2”. PVC is 18” in the ground. GRC is 6” providing you’re not going under any roadways.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Innovate1]

Yep. I will call and see what they say. Obviously varies by region.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

For telco/data bigger is always better. So it won't bind and you don't have to really yank on long runs. I've never done conduit to a utility pole. My only concern would be drip loops and such. At the house I'd imagine it would come up from the ground in a nice wide radius 90 then to a 90 conduit body and into the house.


Do your telco/data stuff at same time but maintain spacing between electric and low voltage for a long run.

At the house it would go to a demarc box not into an LB and into the house.

 

[ard]

Do keep in mind that on occasion, POCOs have been know to tell a new owner "this is the best way to do it" and it turns out that they are trying to solve some OTHER problem (like they need a pole, or a line extension or an easement) ..and that 'better way' solves their problem.

On occasion.

 

[James-W]

Do keep in mind that on occasion, POCOs have been know to tell a new owner "this is the best way to do it" and it turns out that they are trying to solve some OTHER problem (like they need a pole, or a line extension or an easement) ..and that 'better way' solves their problem.

On occasion.

I have no doubt you are correct, but I also think you need to take cost into consideration. If you do it the way the power company wants to do it, it MAY be a whole lot less expensive.

For example, I would have preferred the power going to my garage to be underground. Problem is, to do it would require parts of our concrete driveway to be ripped up, the power run underground, then the concrete repaired. I am guess the driveway to the power pole to be about 90 feet. The cost to run the power underground would have been a few thousand dollars. On the other hand, the power company ran the power above ground at no charge to me. In my case, the decision to run the power above ground wasn't real hard to make.

 

[Showkey]

Phone line ?......that’s old school...........who has a land line ?

 

[James-W]

Phone line ?......that’s old school...........who has a land line ?

I have one, and most of my friends do as well. Of course we are old farts for the most part. The thing is, we like our land line because it never needs to be recharged and because our hearing isn't what it once was, it is a lot easier to hear what someone is saying on a regular telephone than it is on a cell phone.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Most home phone service is switching to VOIP via an internet connection.

 

[Slowgsr]

You really have to discuss this with the utility companies. Here they bring it to your home if your within a certain distance, if your farther its your dime to bring it to their pole.

 

[Showkey]

I have one, and most of my friends do as well. Of course we are old farts for the most part. The thing is, we like our land line because it never needs to be recharged and because our hearing isn't what it once was, it is a lot easier to hear what someone is saying on a regular telephone than it is on a cell phone.

Most home phone service is switching to VOIP via an internet connection.

^^^^^^True........and I ditched the “land line” even when it was “free” as part of the Internet bundle.....because it had no value and only rang with nuisance calls. People I really want to talk to....call the cell.

 

[Innovate1]

Do your telco/data stuff at same time but maintain spacing between electric and low voltage for a long run.

What's considered adequate spacing? I understand more is better and the effect drops as a power of the distance (probably distance squared). I think power is at 4' depth and low voltage would be at 24" or less. I am thinking 2' is probably good and will allow it to be in same trench.

For the runs between house and detached garage the power will be shallower so separate trenches. It starts 1' apart at the house (both come into wall of closet) but can spread from there.

Not sure we will do phone. But the same question applies to all low voltage so I am just lumping them together.

 

[volleyball]

If you are paying for a pole it is yours , yours to pay for replacement and upkeep. They typically last a long time. My friend got a hefty tree trimmer bill on theirs.
That said horizontal boring may be the solution. A sidewalk bore could be done by homeowner. Driveways depend on width and soil.
I can think of no reason why phone, tv ,dat or other signal cables cannot be combined other than convenience of the provider.
They don't send technically astute people out. They prefer to have people that only know enough to follow the company creed. Not trying to belittle the people, just the providers.

 

[Innovate1]

I doubt I will have to worry about pole replacement in my lifetime but still a valid point. They didn't mention the charge for the pole but I can't imagine there wouldn't be one. What I don't get is them saying it will be cheaper to add a pole. Maybe just trying to cover themselves so if there is an issue going to the pole they can't be blamed for saying it was ok. I can't imagine running under a sidewalk without other utilities to avoid being more than setting a pole, running overhead to it, and then running as it would be from either pole.

As for the low voltage run I know what you mean. I have had fairly good luck but they are pushed to do things quickly so the tend to just bore a hole where every it is easy for them and run their line. Doesn't really matter if it is a brick wall or a hardwood floor. Had a rental house that had lots of holes through the brick exterior because each time something was installed they drilled somewhere else. On my own house I had a conduit run from attic to basement where the tv would be, and from attic to eve of the roof so when mounting the dish they could just use those. I told them and they were happy to use them as it made their job easy.

I have limited control in my current case as a GC will be involved. That's why I am trying to learn as much as I can ahead of time.

 

[75gmck25]

I currently have overhead electrical service. However, I need to move the meter pan to provide space for a new addition, so I've been pricing a switch to underground service.

My connection may be a little complicated than yours because the pole is across and down the street, and they decided they could not surface trench through my yard because its within the root circle of a large oak tree (trenching would damage the tree?). They gave me an estimate of $2,600 for boring the entire path and making the connection, and there would be an upcharge if I want a 2nd conduit for cable and phone. However, I live in a relatively expensive area, so it may be cheaper for you.

I'm going to move my existing cable and phone demark boxes to a point near the low voltage conduit, and then ask the cable company to run a new line through the conduit. I don't think the phone company will run a new line, since I don't have phone service, but I'll at least ask them.

Bruce

 

[volleyball]

For the OP, I just got a look at your picture and I would check with the city because Where the sidewalk meets the asphalt it is a jagged edge. You could cut out a foot, dig your trench and then do some quick concrete work and solve 2 problems. City may even do the repair.
If you get any grief then tell them they need to fix where whoever put in the asphalt messed up.

 

[Falcon67]

1.5"? That seems big but I suppose that allows connectors and such to fit.

We pull thumb thick size fiber through 4" conduit and you'd be surprised at how hard it can be once you get 2~3 cables in there. 1 1/2" is small - way small. 2" or better. My power cable to the shop runs through a 2 1/2". A 1" is good for maybe a single Cat 5 cable or a Cat plus a coax if pulled through at the same time. But you'll not get another cable like a Cat 3 phone cable through there later.