Buried Electric

[southernsis]

We are going to bury our electric from the pole to the house. Is it possible to bury the Electric, Phone & TV cable in the same conduit or should they be in separate ones to avoid interference?
Thank you :-/

[glenn kangiser]

Same trench is OK but not the same conduit.  A problem with the electric could shake the phone right out of your hands.  Many times the phone and maybe cable have shielded wires for direct burial and don't require conduit.  It is also possible for water to go there.  Check with the building department for what is allowed in a combined trench - if no bldg dept, the other companies may have requirements - ask them all to be sure.

[southernsis]

Thank yoou Glenn. That is what I needed to know.

[Okie_Bob]

Glenn, you da man!
Every state or local has different requirements. In my area, I have no permits to buy, no code requirements or inspectors to deal with except for my buried electric service from the pole to the house. The electric company had their own requirement and enforce it to the letter. Forget the exact distance now but, something like the conduit had to be at least 24" underground. The inspector came and walked the entire trench with a tape in his hand checking the depth! And, not only that, the work had to be done by a licensed electrican. I am a degreed electrical engineer and had to hire a licensed electrician to move my meter and bury the wire to it. So be sure to check with your power company before you start.
Okie Bob

[Amanda_931]

What Okie Bob says is true here as well.

Although our electric company has been known to say things like--"Oh, you've got Bob doing your wiring, he always does a good job," then come out and approve the installation without a serious inspection.

Bob (actually the name of one of my dogs) probably always does a good job, makes sure it's that way just so he can use minimal inspection as a selling point, when other electricians are charging less.

But I seem to recall lots of arguments between engineers and the people actually doing the work over who was more competent.  

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks BoB, I needed that -- always nice to see you keeping our forum in line, BoB.

[OldDog]

a "CHEAP" idea for the tv and phone is the cheapest garden hose you can find at Family Dollar etc, for the conduit.

mine have been direct buried since 1988 with no problems yet.

[Mark_Chenail]

Old dog:

Great idea for conduit.  Ive been thinking about burying mine.  I will file that away for next spring and keep my eye open for old garden hose at auctions and yardsales.

[John Raabe]

When I put in my power I had a plastic draintile placed from the transformer to the house. In the same trench was the water and phone lines (at the required distance apart - 12" if I recall). All was backfilled and nicely cleaned up.

In the 4" draintile - installed to hold only the power cable - I put a rope to pull the cable through it. When the power company came out they refused to pull the wire through and we had to get a trencher and dig up the hole again so they could lay it the way they were set up to do it.

Made me mad, but what can you do? Buy it from another supplier?

[JRR]

Local utilities can, and do, vary all over the map.  

The electric folks in mid-Tenn want the property owner to dig a ditch 2' or more, install a 1 1/2" plastic conduit, with pull rope, from pole to house.  They inspect, install the electric cable.  The owner refills the ditch, and pays $2 per foot of cable over 100'.

In mid-Ga, the electric folks want the owner to chose/hire from their list of approved contractors to install direct-burial cable.

Before doing anything, you need to get in writing what the local utility folks desire (that month!)

[Amanda_931]

Each utility company seems to have its own rules.  And prices.