Power line problem, pic.
- Thread starter 700jfm
- Start date
Dragster Racer
Well-known member
Bury it. Looks better and is usually safer.
Aceman
Well-known member
Are you building your garage under the powerline before you've even talked with the power company?
I'm just doing the slab for now, and will be doing this step next.The power company are just going to supply power to the last pole. i will call them when i need to tie it in. It is about 14' foot high right now. that's 5' higher then it was 
JDMopar
Well-known member
I work for a power company,and have seen similar situations in the last 30 years...lol. The power company pole that's closest to your house is on the ragged edge of being too far away,garage or no garage! They need to move it to the left in the pic,to where the tpx secondary will not be over the garage nor much of the house. It also needs to be moved closer to the house and a taller pole put in. They may or may not charge you to do it. The wire was WAY too low to start with. Remove your temporary prop pole before you get them to meet you to discuss it. That way,they get to see just how bad it is! Burying the wire sounds like a good idea,but I'm about positive they will charge you out the ying yang to do an OH to UG conversion. We charge a $350 setup fee,plus $ 3.57 per trench foot to do a conversion,plus 3% tax! Not worth it in my opinion! Good luck 
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Thanks, I was thinking of having the power company move the pole, but they said they would have to install another pole (which I would have to pay for)about where I have the temporary stand. They did not say how much it would cost to do that. It's probably best to bury it. What's a good ballpark figure to have that done?
JDMopar
Well-known member
I'd say it will be at least a thousand bucks to bury it. You will need to get your meter base changed also,and that will be more expense. All they need to do is move the existing pole over and make an angle pole out of it instead of a straight line pole. It only needs to be a little closer than it is. On the other side of your driveway would be fine. They may have to install a guy wire in the back of the angle of the wire to keep the pole from leaning over,but that's no big deal. Just something else to have to mow around though....lol.
Thanks JDmopar I will call them tomorrow, but when they were out here before they would not do it with out installing another pole. A thousand dollars does not sound too bad to me. Besides the wife hates to see me duck down when I'm mowing on the tractor for the past 16 years. Oh by the way, the garage is for the restoration of a 69 charger. MOPAR
Oh by the way, the garage is for the restoration of a 69 charger. MOPAR If it were me, move the pole, AND trench to the house/garage. I hate over head service lines.
I love being in SC, and on Duke Energy. No upfront charge for new service. There is a minimum charge (~$11/month) but I make sure I use every bit of that mount.
I love being in SC, and on Duke Energy. No upfront charge for new service. There is a minimum charge (~$11/month) but I make sure I use every bit of that mount.
6768rogues
Banned
In our area (western NY) the property owner is responsible for burying a wire. After it is inspected, the power company does the final connection. Here overhead services belong to the utility up to the weatherhead on the building. Underground belongs to the property owner to the point of connection at the street. Buried wires are not trouble free, and are up the the property owner to dig up and repair if necessary. Overhead is not as pretty, but a lot cheaper in our neck of the woods.
MrCrewcab
Active member
Something that I have seen here, because our services are in the back alley, is to run the service to the garage and underground it to the house as a subpanel, 100amp or whatever it takes.
Very Tidy, no new pole required and just a little underground that you can rough in yourself
Very Tidy, no new pole required and just a little underground that you can rough in yourself
Bib Overalls
Well-known member
I second the motion.
JDMopar
Well-known member
Hmmmmm? He does have a 100 amp meter base on the house, so overhead to a new 200 amp base on the garage,and then a 100 amp subfeed buried from the garage to the house might be a good way to go.
That might work, and then I don't have to run power from the house braker back to the garage I can wire the garage with new box. There will be a walk way cover from the new garage to the house can power cables run through the attic from the new service to the old braker box? Maybe through cpvc conduit. or is that a no no?
JDMopar
Well-known member
Better get a licensed electrician to answer that question. I know all about power company/outside stuff, but just enough about inside wiring to get in trouble....lol. If it were mine,and I was going to pipe it thru the attics, I would use steel EMT conduit.
Bib Overalls
Well-known member
That should be doable. 200 amp service entrance and breaker panel in the garage. Old 100 amp panel at the house rewired as a subpanel.
MrCrewcab
Active member
I know the rules are a lot more flexible, mainly because the wires from the garage to the house would be protected by a breaker, whereas the main from the pole is typically not protected. It will just giver till it melts. This would be all bad.
KR
KR
There is no eay cheap fix to this solution, but this quote below is how why've done a few garages to overcome special obstacles:
otherwise the best solution would be to have them bring another pole in just to the left so they can get a clear shot at the house and then do a direct burial, cleaner, safer, etc...that's a heck of a span to go overhead, and even if they did do that, most all municiples will make you upgrade the mast to a 2" riser with guy wire before they will reconnect you, which then leads to upgrading house electrical anyways...so then your really opening up pandora's box.
First call would be to a electrcian, get hsi take and opinion on it, plus most codes require a licsenced sparkey to do the actual change over anyhow, he can tell you what will be needed, then you or him will call utilites for a meter spot, they will tell you where they will put the meter on the building should you chose to go to the garage first and back feed the house, or they will tell you what can be done ro run a new line to the house.
so call sparkey and go from there...this aint no DIY **** here boyz
otherwise the best solution would be to have them bring another pole in just to the left so they can get a clear shot at the house and then do a direct burial, cleaner, safer, etc...that's a heck of a span to go overhead, and even if they did do that, most all municiples will make you upgrade the mast to a 2" riser with guy wire before they will reconnect you, which then leads to upgrading house electrical anyways...so then your really opening up pandora's box.
First call would be to a electrcian, get hsi take and opinion on it, plus most codes require a licsenced sparkey to do the actual change over anyhow, he can tell you what will be needed, then you or him will call utilites for a meter spot, they will tell you where they will put the meter on the building should you chose to go to the garage first and back feed the house, or they will tell you what can be done ro run a new line to the house.
so call sparkey and go from there...this aint no DIY **** here boyz
Tscott
Well-known member
I'm just doing the slab for now, and will be doing this step next.The power company are just going to supply power to the last pole. i will call them when i need to tie it in. It is about 14' foot high right now. that's 5' higher then it was
Well, I also work for a power company and they are breaking the rules big time with this installation. They should fix this problem for free. They are required to have 15' 6" Clarence over your driveway. This is the height dictated by the national electric safety code. IT needs to be tall enough for all vehicle traffic to pass under with ample safety margin. If they try to charge you for the new work call them on their BS, and if they persist threaten to call the Public Service Commission on them. They can add another pole closer to the house on the left side of the picture and get that service to the correct height, and move the service away from the new garage and kill 2 birds with one stone. They will not voluntarily fix it unless you know the rules, and realize it is a code violation on their system.
Good Luck
Tom
Aceman
Well-known member
I agree with the underground approach. Overhead is ugly IMO. I'd run from the farthest pole, so you can get rid of all the poles in your yard. You can either set a meter-main panel on the house to feed your garage at a later date or set one on the garage. But, if you run the new service to your garage, you're going to need a swapover day coordinated with the power co. You'll need to power the garage up, tear the meter/mast off the house and refeed your house panel from the garage.
The cheapest/simplest route for you, if you're going underground, would be to keep the service at the house. Then when your ready to wire the garage, you can run that conduit/wire yourself. Electrical labor is $$.
The cheapest/simplest route for you, if you're going underground, would be to keep the service at the house. Then when your ready to wire the garage, you can run that conduit/wire yourself. Electrical labor is $$.
VDubJoe
Well-known member
I also work for a power co. With us you can run your own underground and just pay a conversion fee. I agree if you keep it oh. Call the PSC and they will fix it pronto.
Joe
Joe