Meter Pole

[UpToNoGood]

I am about to get power poles run to my property and need to have a meter pole as well.

So I was wondering what I should ask for when the meter pole is installed. I want to make sure I have it correct the first time and will allow for growth down the road.

I currently have no buildings now but will have some one day so why not get the power ready. I plan to have the following with power.
Shed
Shop
House

I think I want to have a light on top of the pole. As for the breaker box I have no idea what to ask for. Should I get two to split the house and shop or one to handle them both?

Anything else to consider please post up your thoughts.

 

[rambler]

Every supplier is different, but they tend to call the shots, what did _they_ have to say on several of your questions? Many won't run you a service until you have a building permit, they want you to use enough power to make it worth their while, not just a pole with a couple outlets on it....

With the limited info, typical would be:

200 amp service.

Main breaker out by the transformer. Which is located in a central location to the buildings. The shorter the run of 220v wire to each building, the _better_.

Branch to the house, 200amp or as close as you can get. Can get by with 100 amp, but can be limiting in today's world of tankless water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, etc.

Branch to the out buildings - 100 amp anyhow, closer to 200 amp is smarter. You can branch from one building to the next, or run branches from the central transformer switch to each building, depending on which is shorter wires.

Most folks like to go underground now, I'd sure look into it, when I rewired the REA brought the main lines in underground for only 50 cents a foot...... Sure was a bargin.

Will you want a power backup generator ever, that special switch can be part of that main switch by the transformer, costs a little more, but won't have to redo it at bigger expense later. Good option to consider.

- Oh, breaker box - each building will need it's own. I refer that central box near the transformer, sounds like you are thinking of feeding the house right from the transformer, and wishing to feed off that house box to each building. Can do that too, but it means all power flows through your house, just not a fan of that. But then, I have a farm with 9 wired buildings plus the house..... you wouldn't believe the size of the wire needed to run 200 amp 220v wire 750 feet to the far buildings....

Anyhow, each building has it's own breaker box, and you'll need to run 4 wires to each - hot, hot, nuetral, and ground with the proper grounding bars. Put a big breaker box in the house, you'll end up using it all there. Really, people aren't joking when they say that.

My farm was wired with a 60 amp service for the whole farm - so to those who say 200 or 100 is overkill, yea I know can get by with less, but it's not the way to do it now a days. 200 amp service, and don't go less than 100 amp wire to any of the buildings, 200 amp all throughout is smarter so if you build a 3rd building, you can branch on to the next new building.... I spent $11,000 getting my poor overhead 60 amp wiring up to a good 200 amp service some years ago. Worth it. You'll get by a lot cheaper than that.

--->PAul

 

[UpToNoGood]

Thanks for the info Paul.

As for my area I have to pay for each pole (1400.00) each up front. So they will put up as many poles as you like because the cost is on the customer.

I do recall my uncle telling me to get no less than 200 amps at the pole.

I plan to have the meter pole located in the middle of the building so each building will get its own run from the pole.

 

[Pete Judd]

Make sure that the meter panel has the always live sub panel "for a fire pump" only cost a few more bucks. I use mine for the pump house and the shop as well. That way you can kill the power to the house, and still have water from the pump house to pee on a house fire until the fire trucks get there. And get power to the shop.

Also, you don't say how many poles are required. When I put in the power, bought a used power pole, and had a local guy set it with his ex PUD truck. Cost me 75 bucks to drill the hole, and back then about 50 bucks for the pole. I might want to see if anyone in your area does this.

 

[JimRB]

I really do not fancy power lines in the air going to my buildings. If it was me I would not place any poles until I was needing actual construction power. I placed a temp construction power pole up by the road and ran a long length of romex to the barn as I was building it. The framers ran their own extension cord when they framed the house which was closer to the road.

My EMC ran 200+ feet of buried cable to feed my house. The electrician later ran a 100 amp feed from my house panel to the barn. I only need 20 amps out at the barn. Maybe 30+ if I ever install a small water heater. If I had a shop I would have them run a buried service if possible with a dedicated meter. That shop of mine will have to wait a few more years until the mortgage is paid off.

I am also not a fan of lights blocking my view of the stars. I have 3 neighbors on a 8 house street that seem to be uncomfortable without city lights.

 

[dmccarty]

Each power company is going to be different but ours ran underground power to the house site and put in a transformer. They then had to dig a long way AROUND the house to get to the back of the house at the service panels. Supposedly I had to pay extra for that long route they had to take but the builder handled it all and I never saw the bill.

With as many trees as we have, along with wind storms bringing down trees, power lines are not something we wanted. The first half of our road has power poles. The last 1/2 mile is underground. I worry about trees falling on the first half mile. A neighbor had a tree fall in a storm a couple of months back which just missed the power lines to the last pole before the power goes underground.

I would pay more for underground utilities. Our phone service is underground as well. We MIGHT be having problems with the wires being underground but it has not been proven yet and in any case the phone company will run a new line if needed at no cost.

Later,
Dan

 

[orezok]

How far is it from the transformer to the termination point on your property/ Secondary has a maximum run of about 300' before the voltage drop becomes significant. If it's much further, you may have to bring in primary.

 

[grsthegreat]

Personally i always suggest a 400 amp service to be installed on farms (minimum). This allows for 200 amps to the house, and 200 additional for wells, area lighting and shop/barns.

They sell a nice 400 amp combination panels that have (2) 200 amp breakers and an 8/16 space panel for other services.

this is a pic of the Siemens 400 amp system.

 

[survriggs]

This may have been mentioned before...I kinda skimmed; but having a disconnect to go "off-grid" for a generator would be a must in my book. It was around $250 for our local REA to install. When there's no power just throw the switch and plug in the generator.

 

[Swiftriver]

Personally i always suggest a 400 amp service to be installed on farms (minimum). This allows for 200 amps to the house, and 200 additional for wells, area lighting and shop/barns.

They sell a nice 400 amp combination panels that have (2) 200 amp breakers and an 8/16 space panel for other services.

this is a pic of the Siemens 400 amp system.

I agree 100 percent. Last fall I had to replace a new 200 amp service with a 400 because the customer decided he wanted to go with geothermal heat and a sauna. I tried to convince him when we started the project but he would have nothing to do with it. He was apologizing to me as I dug up his landscaped yard to replace what he had already paid for once. You are better off paying the extra and never needing it than the alternative.

 

[grsthegreat]

Also, not sure of your utility fees. Here in Idaho a 200 and a 400 amp costs the same for the utility to install. The meter costs about $400 more for parts is all.(over a 200 amp service)

 

[UpToNoGood]

I am working on getting the set up in the next few weeks. Making phone calls to get the proper people involved.

I think I will go for the 400 amp up front with the gen/set connection.

As for distance I will have to measure next time I am out there. I think from the meter pole it will be about 50-65 feet to the house. Then from the meter pole to the shop will be about 200-300 ft with the shed half way between them. That will be two trenches total for there building.

Thanks again for all the input so far.

 

[UpToNoGood]

Any idea what I would expect to pay for a meter pole installed with 400 amps of service?

 

[grsthegreat]

i have no idea of rates in your area. Here the meter section runs about $700 complete plus labor, permits.

I would put the generator transfer switch at the house if i were you. Generally most people end up with a 50-70 amp generator and powering up a 400 amp service with 50 amps wont do much good.

For the 300' run to the barn your going to have to up-size the wires to a 350 MCM alum feeder for 200 amps. you'll only need 4/0 alum to house with those distances

 

[hosspuller]

How much of a shop are you going to build ?? Three phase is mighty handy to power shop equipment.

 

[UpToNoGood]

Shop is expected to be 40x60 with a lean-too to park an RV under. The RV will need power some of the time but not often. As for welding I have a Lincoln Ranger that won't draw any power, but maybe some day I will get me a plug in welder for the shop.

 

[EddieWalker]

Is this a temporary meter pole or will it be where you have to brind your power from?

My experience is that you have them put the poles in so the last one is close enough to the building that you can run a line to the building when you are done building. You buy a temp power pole, or make one up according to their specs. Then after the building is done, you have them move the power from the temp pole to the building.

What would be the reasoning to have a permanent meter pole?

Eddie

 

[UpToNoGood]

This is going to be a permanent meter pole for all buildings.

I will be on site in about two weeks to have the pole installed. Once the meter pole is installed the power co-op will connect the grid to my new meter pole. That should consist of 3 poles.

So I have been thinking about this the more you guys chime in with ideas. I need to nail down where each building will be placed and take measurements. I can move the meter pole closer to the shop and it wouldn't go to far from the house less than 150 ft. But doing that would make my meter pole further from my well which will need power also. So I was wondering if the power line that runs to the well could go greater distance due to less of a draw than the shop.

 

[Swiftriver]

Is this a temporary meter pole or will it be where you have to brind your power from?

My experience is that you have them put the poles in so the last one is close enough to the building that you can run a line to the building when you are done building. You buy a temp power pole, or make one up according to their specs. Then after the building is done, you have them move the power from the temp pole to the building.

What would be the reasoning to have a permanent meter pole?

Eddie

Here in Maine the utility charges for their costs and unsalvedgable materials for a temp service, usually amounts to about $300. The state electricians board also charges $75 for a permit so they can make sure that temp service doesn't become permenant. Add the labor to build and install the temp service and you end up with a good chunk of unrecoverable money. I tell my customers that money they are going to throw out the window is usually about the difference in price between an unsightly overhead service and a nice underground service. I work with my contractors and get the pedestal and laterals in while they are backfilling the foundation. The equipment is already there so I don't have to haul mine in. Usually they only need a generator to cap the foundation before I have everything tied in. If the customer and the contractor are happy, I'm happy.

 

[Swiftriver]

This is going to be a permanent meter pole for all buildings.

I will be on site in about two weeks to have the pole installed. Once the meter pole is installed the power co-op will connect the grid to my new meter pole. That should consist of 3 poles.

So I have been thinking about this the more you guys chime in with ideas. I need to nail down where each building will be placed and take measurements. I can move the meter pole closer to the shop and it wouldn't go to far from the house less than 150 ft. But doing that would make my meter pole further from my well which will need power also. So I was wondering if the power line that runs to the well could go greater distance due to less of a draw than the shop.

Without being there and actually seeing your layout, I would say yes, you should move the pole closer to the shop to keep the wire size down. The wire going to the well is going to be much smaller than the house and shop.