Electric Service ?

[nailbndr]

Needing advice on powering up our 14x24 cabin. I have power available on my side of the gravel road about 140 feet from the cabin. The power company will set me a 100 amp disconnect at the existing pole for $50, or I can pay $250 to have a pole set closer which includes the 100 amp also.

My dilema is I have a buddy who has enough alum tri-plex in a 1/0x1/0x#2 ready for below ground I can get cheap. I would plan on placing it in plastic conduit and bury it. Is this too far, should I pay to have a pole set closer and use copper instead?

I know I was forgetting something you are wondering what all I plan on having in the cabin. Nothing special maybe a window A/C unit and microwave, basic lights and outlets.

[glenn kangiser]

I'm not up on ampacities and code on electric, but if everything else is OK it's not too far, I'm pretty sure as we have a two houses nearby with buried cable much longer than that.  Check with some one on size and approved type, and use the anti-corrosion grease on the aluminum to terminal connection.  Possibly the building official, PGE, or an electrician can tell you if your wire is approved.

[nailbndr]

Thanks Glenn, I'll get with an electrician and see what they have to say. I respect the comments from this forum.

[Amanda_931]

I'd do the checking on type and size of wires, but I have some European friends who are postively revolted by the sight of utility poles everywhere.  

When something like a Ditch Witch makes it so easy to bury.

Although the person who did some of mine thought that it was sometimes a bit fragile (we used buryable cable, not in conduit).

[nailbndr]

When we decided to look into getting power my first thoughts were I didn't want a pole next to the cabin. I also didn't want to cut anymore trees down than necessary.

The use of conduit I thought would give some extra protection from the southern MO rocks. Just wasn't sure about the distance and the pro's and con's of burying alum wire.

[glenn kangiser]

My main concern is that I think tri-plex is meant to be in the open air and not put in conduit, I think, and usually in conduit the conductors are usually the same size and all insulated.  If I'm thinking if the right stuff the smaller conductor in triplex is bare  Some insulations are not meant to take the heat in an enclosed conduit.   The electrician should know.

[DBNS]

Nailbendr,

I was faced with a similar problem on my project. Although this will not answer Glenn's concern about going underground, it might answer the pole question for you.

Use the Voltage drop calculator on this site

//www.stanselectric.com

When I entered your 1/0 alu at 240V with 140 foot run, your voltage drop was a little over 6%. 5% max is reccomended.

Hope this helps.

[Amanda_931]

I'm wanting 12v to a guest cabin.  And it's a fair hike to where one could put PV panels.  I'm told the choices for connecting this include:

a) invert to 120 at the panels, re-invert to 12. seems like this was the cheapest solution for getting running water up here before I had electricity here)

b) collect at 48v, reduce to 12 at the cabin.

c) use very expensive thumb-sized wires.

d) forget off-grid for that place.  Go on-grid and get a transformer as close as possible to the place

(just yet I don't need help with this, I haven't even measured the distances, let alone looked at the wire size tables yet.)  

[nailbndr]

Thanks for everyones replies, I will get with an electrician and work this out. I like the idea of not worrying about tree limbs on the line.

[JRR]

Nailbndr,
If you can get the 1/0 cheap enough, perhaps you should consider a parallel/double run.

[nailbndr]

Went ahead and ran the 1/0 x 1/0 x #2 Alum wire. After we went the shortest route is was less than 128 feet. I was able to drive a 5/8" galvanized grounding rod down 8' through MO ozark rock. Sure glad all that's done.

[Laura21]

Great to know you got it sorted out. I had a nightmare of a time getting power on my site and the most ironic thing was that there was a power pole right at the end of my 20 foot driveway.  

Laura

[builderboy]

Burying costs big here in Nova Scotia. I ran 460 feet of power from the road to my cabin. My choices were $C1500 for poles or $C8000 to bury in easily dug soil. Hate the poles, but I couldn't justify this price difference for a $10k cabin.

[glenn-k]

Would you have been allowed to bury it yourself?

[youngins]

I can relate...

At my *rural* CO lot, they do not allow poles. The cost for running underground power is $9/ft with 900 feet to go + transformer....

:'(

Chris

[glenn-k]

Down here it is possible to trench,(rent a trencher of sufficient depth or have it done for a few hundred dollars or more) install your own conduit to their spec., they will inspect your work, you cover it,  then they pull the wire through it.  That may be a way to save money.

[youngins]

Down here it is possible to trench,(rent a trencher of sufficient depth or have it done for a few hundred dollars or more) install your own conduit to their spec., they will inspect your work, you cover it,  then they pull the wire through it.  That may be a way to save money.

Glenn,

They will let you do this even if you have to go under a dirt road and through the utility easement of another property?

[glenn-k]

It is a possibility.  Check with the "Call Before You Dig" people and you would have ot work it out with all parties who may have an interest in it.  I did one a year or two ago - I am a contractor but the customer set this all up with the county and power company.  I did it to their specs, but he was really acting as his own contractor on that one.  Over the years I have done several others also.

You would have to read and follow the plan closely or if you are not qualified possibly a independent backhoe or trencher operator may be able to help you.  

I can't guarantee any savings - just bringing up the possibility for you to review.

[desdawg]

Being an excavating contractor and doing primarily utility construction I have several of these types of jobs on the books right now. I get $6/ft +$1/ft to bring the phone service along with it. Qwest provides the cable. If I have to install transformer pads, junction boxes, pull boxes, etc. there are extra charges for those. I provide pipe, sweeps and labor and the local utility companies provides the rest of the materials. Each different electrical service provider has their own set of specifications. They obtain all of the easements and do all of the layout work. If you are going underground with your electrical service it only makes sense to install the phone service in the same trench. I work in the AZ desert and don't have to provide sand for shading which would be required in rocky country. When I cross washes that are active in rainy times the conduit has to be encased in concrete.