Meter Pole

[MarkV]

I am not sure I understand your term when you say Meter Pole. Like Eddie we always get a temporary power pole which has a couple of breakers and a couple of outlets for construction. There is no way that the power company will hook up permeant power until you have gotten a final inspection on your building.

So when you say Meter Pole is this where your breaker panel will be that runs all of your buildings in the future? I'm just not sure I understand how they do it in your area.

MarkV

 

[Swiftriver]

I am not sure I understand your term when you say Meter Pole. Like Eddie we always get a temporary power pole which has a couple of breakers and a couple of outlets for construction. There is no way that the power company will hook up permeant power until you have gotten a final inspection on your building.

So when you say Meter Pole is this where your breaker panel will be that runs all of your buildings in the future? I'm just not sure I understand how they do it in your area.

MarkV

Here the licensed electrician wiring the house signs off on the inspection. If I am wiring the house, I put in the service and sign off. If the homeowner is doing his own wiring, then I will rent him a temp service and the state electrical inspector takes over from there. I will not put my name on somebody elses wiring, I don't care who they are.

 

[grsthegreat]

If you put in a 400 amp main meter section that has two 200 amp breakers and a small 12 meter section panel to allow for other hookups you can use this as both a temp power source (like while building your house) and for permanent power later on.

As for the well, it doesnt matter what the current necessary is, when you go over 100-150 feet on a run you will need to upsize the wires run due to a factor called voltage drop.

An electrician can help you there. For example. if you had a 20 amp well pump , 200 feet away, instead of running #12 wires to the well pump, you might have to run #10 wires for the same 20 amps. If you stuck with the #12 you'd have about a 10% drop in voltage at the pump. When you drop the voltage, you increase the heat produced by the motor due to improper power being supplied.

Bottom line. If your unsure of what your doing...best to hire an electrician. Even if you plan on wiring your own house, a sparky can help plan the service and tell you what size feeds your going to need. A little planning now can save you $$$$ down the line.

 

[UpToNoGood]

The meter pole will be the permanent pole that will be used for the house and shop that might get built years down the road. In the mean time it can be used for my well and shed as well as an RV. Then when construction begins the meter pole will provide power for that as well.

That is just how they do things out west.

This whole project is going to take me time because I plan to pay cash each step of the way for as long as I can. The land was only 12k and paid that off day one. Had a well drilled and cased w/out pump for 4k. Some dirt work for the building site and tank 1200. Now I am going to add the power poles for around 5500-6k total. Each step of the way I will pay cash and not owe anything other than yearly taxes which is cheap. One day it will be complete and I can retire there scott free I hope.

 

[WM75Guy]

I ran overhead down one side of my property to where my buildings are, the went underground to a pad transformer close to the buildings. From there it goes underground to my house meter base, where I have a 400 amp double lug meter base. The house gets 225 amps, 175 amps goes underground 100' to the stables. When I power up the hay barn/shop I will go underground from the transformer to a meter base on that building.

400 amp is usually the largest residential size meter you can get. Residential feeds all the power thru the meter so removing the meter, as in a fire situation, disconnects the power to the house. Larger commercial meters just measure usage, removing the meter will not kill the power. If you plans require more power than a residential meter then that I would consult an electrician for options.

 

[grsthegreat]

I ran overhead down one side of my property to where my buildings are, the went underground to a pad transformer close to the buildings. From there it goes underground to my house meter base, where I have a 400 amp double lug meter base. The house gets 225 amps, 175 amps goes underground 100' to the stables. When I power up the hay barn/shop I will go underground from the transformer to a meter base on that building.

400 amp is usually the largest residential size meter you can get. Residential feeds all the power thru the meter so removing the meter, as in a fire situation, disconnects the power to the house. Larger commercial meters just measure usage, removing the meter will not kill the power. If you plans require more power than a residential meter then that I would consult an electrician for options.

Actually i have done quite a few 800 and 1000 amp residential properties. Like you say they dont get fed thru the meter. They have a CT meter (Current transformer) that reads power usage.

them rich folk :laughing:. They paid for my tractor

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,

The name your looking for is known as "Central Farm Distribution". That goes for overhead or underground.

Central Farm Distribution = central connection from the electric service provider. One meter for entire complex. Feed thru lugs for connection to all operations. A lot of these will have access to a generator connection. Some have been posted here showing underground servce, and others can be found online showing a poletop transfer switch. Another nice underground utility supplied tombstone is here. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/222325-generator-backfeeding-into-utility-lines-10.html#post2580833

I myself have an underground 400amp central farm distribution. I also have a 200amp automatic transfer switch for a generator, which prefers utility. 2 200amp panels in house, 100amp panel in barn, 1 100amp panel in shop, and 1 60amp panel for well. From a prevoius posting. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/222325-generator-backfeeding-into-utility-lines-9.html#post2580510

A lot really depends on you electric service.

 

[tommu56]

As for the well, it doesnt matter what the current necessary is, when you go over 100-150 feet on a run you will need to upsize the wires run due to a factor called voltage drop.

Don't forget the length of the drop down the well to the pump it has to be added to the surface distance to get the total for the voltage drop.

I've had the misfortune to fix many of these including pulling the pump to put heavier wire down to it and fix the surface run.

I had to order #8 wire for my well down 450ft #10 would have done but I hate to have to fool with it twice.


tom

 

[grsthegreat]

Don't forget the length of the drop down the well to the pump it has to be added to the surface distance to get the total for the voltage drop.

I've had the misfortune to fix many of these including pulling the pump to put heavier wire down to it and fix the surface run.

I had to order #8 wire for my well down 450ft #10 would have done but I hate to have to fool with it twice.


tom

yup... good point

 

[Bird]

When we moved to the country, the Navarro County Electric Coop provided written and illustrated instructions for the meter pole you have to have in place and inspected before they run the wires to it.

http://navarroec.com/images/Diagram-OH2-PoleMountedPermanentOH.pdf

 

[UpToNoGood]

I will meet with the electrician next week in person. Over the phone we discussed different options. At a min he would have a pole in the ground with a 200 amp panel for $1650. He also doesn't dig the hole so I have to find someone with a backhoe and pay that guy what he charges. As for anything extra the cost will only go up from there.

I have had two people recommend this guy so I fell comfortable that he is doing me right right price wise for what he offers in this area.

 

[UpToNoGood]

Howdy,

The name your looking for is known as "Central Farm Distribution". That goes for overhead or underground.

Central Farm Distribution = central connection from the electric service provider. One meter for entire complex. Feed thru lugs for connection to all operations. A lot of these will have access to a generator connection. Some have been posted here showing underground servce, and others can be found online showing a poletop transfer switch. Another nice underground utility supplied tombstone is here. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/222325-generator-backfeeding-into-utility-lines-10.html#post2580833

I myself have an underground 400amp central farm distribution. I also have a 200amp automatic transfer switch for a generator, which prefers utility. 2 200amp panels in house, 100amp panel in barn, 1 100amp panel in shop, and 1 60amp panel for well. From a prevoius posting. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/222325-generator-backfeeding-into-utility-lines-9.html#post2580510

A lot really depends on you electric service.

Where does one get a "central farm distribution point" tombstone? I did a quick Google search and didn't find anything. Is it called something else?

 

[daybreak1998]

Where does one get a "central farm distribution point" tombstone? I did a quick Google search and didn't find anything. Is it called something else?

Farm Service is the term applied to a wiring method used on a farm to provide service to the various outlying buildings from a central distribution pole (maypole).

Ronk Electrical has a few different ones listed. Find out from your utility what the specs are for your area. 200amp service, 320amp, 400amp service, underground requirements and overhead requirements. What type of meter socket, horn bypass, lever bypass, etc... Then look over the options out there and before purchase, run the plans and specs by your utility planning rep to make sure its all approved.

Midwest Electric Products, Inc.

Utility/Commercial Metering Quick Selector | Milbank Manufacturing

Generator Transfer Switches - The Durham Company

Mfg. Eaton, Durham, Milbank, Ronk, Square D

That one in the forums I belive he said it was supplied by the utility. You could ask him for the name and some information about it.

Or you could go here and look at the farm pole description. alleghenypower pdf