Mounting Clothesline on Power Pole?

[brittlediabetic]

Today I was asked by a relative to help install a clothes line on a power pole (with a transformer) in his back yard. I refused; saying this could invite electrical disaster. He wanted the other end attached to his house. I called the Power Commission and was nearly humiliated for asking such a question. She said when it was spotted by a Line Worker it would have to be removed immediately. Yet, next door has the identical setup and others in the area also connect clothes lines to power poles. I imagine the power pole has a ground wire which theoretically would act as protection. But would it in the event of wet conditions or even a lightning strike?

 

[autoclassicnut]

I can see it now all the women in the neighborhood going out to get their clothes off the line because a terrible storm is coming and they all get dropped by the same bolt of lightning... I guess it would be the way of helping out the gene pool...

 

[Slick6]

NEC 230.28 - Only power service-drop conductors shall be permitted to be attached to a service mast.

 

[walrus]

NEC 230.28 - Only power service-drop conductors shall be permitted to be attached to a service mast.

I don't believe the OP is talking about a service mast.

I doubt its inviting electrical disaster but unless your relative owns the pole......

 

[Stuart in MN]

If it has a transformer on it, most likely it belongs to the power company.

 

[Slick6]

I don't believe the OP is talking about a service mast.

I doubt its inviting electrical disaster but unless your relative owns the pole......

Doh, read right past it. My mistake. I was imagine someone with an overhead service on the back of their house and using one end of that for a clothesline. In that case with a power pole, more than likely the ruling will be the same, not allowed. If they were to start giving permission to hang things on their poles, even something small like a clothesline, you know people are going to start hanging heavier and heavier things on them.

 

[kbs2244]

As against the rules as the orginal sin.
But pretty common.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Is this common in trailer parks?

 

[maching]

any thing on a power pole is illegal besides wires. this is for safety reasons when a lineman is climbing in his hooks.

 

[Torque1st]

The city or power company must get their "fee" for attaching anything to their poles. Since they cannot economically bill individual homeowners for this "service" it is illegal.

 

[Terry Kennedy]

The city or power company must get their "fee" for attaching anything to their poles. Since they cannot economically bill individual homeowners for this "service" it is illegal.

FWIW, individuals can rent space on poles, at least in my area. It is $4.77 per year per pole, with a $100/year minimum bill. You will also need $1M of liability insurance.

I don't have a copy of the contract online and I'm disinclined to fish it out and scan it, but... You have to show a use that requires the pole (as opposed to some other structure) and the utility will assign you a specific height on the pole, based primarily on the voltage your cables will have. If that requires other utilities on the pole to move up or down, you have to pay them to make those moves.

I occasionally weird out the people that staple flyers to the poles around my house, telling them "You can't put that on my pole!" and they go "It's not your pole!" I then reply "Well, actually, it is - see that cable up there? That's mine!"

 

[brittlediabetic]

The Power Pole and House in question are not located in a Trailer Park, rather in an upper class neighborhood near the City's largest Hospital. Ignorance of what can be done with Power Poles is rampant in that area. Thank you kindly for your input thus far.

 

[Tscott]

Yep, it is against the rules. As stated above it is more of a hazard for he lineman climbing the pole. The line could cause a fall of if he falls he could land on the line. As for electrical hazards, the pole does have a bond wire (ground) that is connected to the neutral. Even if the wire on that specific pole is broken, it is still connected to all the other wires on the system. It is still not a good idea, as electricity can do some funny things. There is the possibility that that span of clothesline could somehow get energized some how.

Either way if our guys found it they would cut it down before going up the pole. It's just not smart.

Tom

 

[burleymike]

Bad idea the kind of current on power lines can be real ugly if anything ever goes wrong. Here is a great video this thread made me think of.

 

[kbs2244]

The rules do go back to the days when the guys would actualy climb the pole.
But I haven't seen that done in over 30 years.

 

[Tscott]

The rules do go back to the days when the guys would actualy climb the pole.
But I haven't seen that done in over 30 years.

It happens every day. In general the guys prefer to use a bucket truck, for obvious reasons. On occasion, the pole is behind a fence or locked gate and there is no way to get a truck close enough. The unlucky lineman is usually the least senior member of the crew, as it is a tough climb and is more grunt work than using a bucket.

One particular project type we do is a voltage conversion, where we send a lineman to every pole on a section of line to turn a switch on the transformer to allow us to use a higher voltage on the main line without affecting the voltage to the customer residence. We de-energize the entire section of line and send dozens of teams to the area. There are seldom enough buckets for everyone so we put climbers in pickup trucks and drive them from transformer to transformer. After all the transformers are switched, we re-energize the lines. It's a long day for the climbers for sure.

To pass safety requirements our guys have to pass pole top rescue tests every so often. Climbing is still a big part of the job.

Tom

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Good info on the power poles.

Now it's got me wondering if I really should keep chaining my Doberman to my gas meter?

Phil

 

[Terry Kennedy]

Good info on the power poles.

Now it's got me wondering if I really should keep chaining my Doberman to my gas meter?

No You should be using the ground rod on a phone pole

 

[kbs2244]

I guess it is good to know that guys still climb poles.
I thought it was a lost art.
But in Fla?
I thought they had gone to all concrete poles down there.
The wood ones kept sprouting.

 

[ddawg16]

I guess I had better go out and take the one side of the kids swing off the power pole.

 

[700jfm]

I guess I had better go out and take the one side of the kids swing off the power pole.

Dose that go for a tree house to?

 

[rinny_tin_tin]

Here is a high voltage ckt brkr in action

http://www.arcfault.org/video.htm