Lamp post pipe needed

[RAYJAY]

My drive way is 600 feet from the road , we have a old wooden telephone pole that is rotted really bad. I want to put up 6 lamp post along side the drive way 3 on either side (yes i have power on both sides of the driveway now ) i read i can use 3" pvc any other ideas ???? want to do this the right way but not spend a boat load of money either.

Jeff

 

[mtwaterguy]

My drive way is 600 feet from the road , we have a old wooden telephone pole that is rotted really bad. I want to put up 6 lamp post along side the drive way 3 on either side (yes i have power on both sides of the driveway now ) i read i can use 3" pvc any other ideas ???? want to do this the right way but not spend a boat load of money either.

Jeff

Not following all of this. How does the telephone pole enter into the picture? Are you thinking about using the pvc for the light poles or running the electrical?

 

[draglink]

PVC isnt going to be rigid enough...I tried. I ended up using 3" steel conduit I got cheap and painted black.

 

[BD1]

How high up are you gonna place the lights ? Are you talking a single coach
lantern on a 6' pipe ; or a mercury vapor up 20' ?
I think schedule 40 black pipe would be my choice. It will last a long time.
My mercury vapor light is mounted up 20' on 3'' schedule 40 pipe and has been there 30 years. All I did was paint it a couple of times.
Do you get much snow ? Cold ? PVC sounds bad to me. Conduit would be my second choice. Height will be a factor too depending on what type of fixture is on top

 

[GreyOwl]

If not too tall use galvanized chain link fence posts and paint color of your choice if necessary.

 

[RECox286]

I wouldn't use PVC, too breakable, and not very ridgid, but would be okay for

running the wiring underground. (easier to pull new cable, if needed.)

What I would consider is real iron pipe, sched 40 (minimum.) buried to below frost line

and set in concrete. Pipe can be expensive, but so can unsuitable materials when they

fail to do the job you expect them to do.

Uncle Bob

 

[tcianci]

I put up 2 post lights with 3" PVC. They have been there 30 years, I live in MA, they see 100 degrees sometimes in the summer, and well below zero in the winter, leaned on by snowplows and whacked by mowers,they have been bullet proof. I painted them with a black paint designed for plastic the first time, then about 15 years ago I painted them again with whatever I had around. While a weedwacker or a mower will scratch the paint, I have never had it loosen or peel. If you use the stuff, set them in concrete and pour some concrete into the pipe as well, make sure all is plumb before you walk away. You will need to make an adapter because a regular post light base won't fit directly on 3" PVC

 

[RAYJAY]

Not following all of this. How does the telephone pole enter into the picture? Are you thinking about using the pvc for the light poles or running the electrical?

no the pole is going asap, looking for a cheaper way than buying lamp posts .

will look at the 3" conduit would use the coach lights with a cfl bulb

 

[BWS]

Just for my own usage/tastes.....would seriously entertain building a form and pouring concrete.

Quick #3 rebar weldment...pce of cheap chit emt....and spend some quality time designing the post form to suit the building/property.Probably make it "plug" into a poured footing/base.Look into dyeing concrete?Or let'm sit for awhile and paint them?

 

[RAYJAY]

Just for my own usage/tastes.....would seriously entertain building a form and pouring concrete.

Quick #3 rebar weldment...pce of cheap chit emt....and spend some quality time designing the post form to suit the building/property.Probably make it "plug" into a poured footing/base.Look into dyeing concrete?Or let'm sit for awhile and paint them?

faster way up here is we use a 5 gallon pail drill the hole in tho bottom and fill with cement

 

[RAYJAY]

USED 2.5 SCD 80 GREY PIPE WORKS LIKE A CHARM will try to post some pictures of how i made them

Jeff

 

[volvo]

...
At my rentals I always used a piece of exhaust tubing painted with one rattle can of automotive trim paint. Lasts forever, won't discolor or ware off in the last 16 years.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Plumbing supply places usually stock 10' sections of black pipe too...

I would think maybe conduit would work, it's galvanized if you didn't want to paint it.

I've seen some nice columns made from stucco, it looks just like stone but costs a lot less... Would require a lot more labor than just sinking a pole in the ground though.

 

[BWS]

Uhhhh,I was talking about pouring the whole pole.As in 10+ feet tall.NOT,the footer.