Mounting electrical panels on wooden utility pole

[BeezFun]

I need to mount a couple electrical disconnects and panel on a round wooden utility pole, approximately 12" diameter. I'm thinking of bending some threaded rod into a Ubolt and attach horizontal unistrut to the pole, then mount plywood on the unistrut for the panels. Any other ideas welcome.

 

[scootr]

I would try some big lag bolts. You may want to keep them close to but not on center and use a spacer between the box and the pole to keep things solid. Some big nuts may work as spacers. The plywood will go to heck long before the panel. Even if you paint it once or twice...

 

[dieselcrawler]

Unistrut, mounted with lag bolts, wedge washers between strut and pole. 2pc strut, one top one bottom, mount boxes directly to strut using spring nuts made for use with strut. Done this many times over the past 25 years.

 

[BeezFun]

Unistrut, mounted with lag bolts, wedge washers between strut and pole. 2pc strut, one top one bottom, mount boxes directly to strut using spring nuts made for use with strut. Done this many times over the past 25 years.

Didn't think about wedge washers, that solves the round pole problem. This needs to be kind of wide, I've got a trough, a service panel, a 200A disconnect and the connecting conduit going up to aerial cables and down to the meter. I can't stack them because something will end up too high for accessibility, the meter enclosure is directly below.

 

[M59]

BeezFun,

Do you own the pole or does the power/ phone company own the pole. If you own it then do what ever you want otherwise power/ phone company get cranky. Ask them and they may give permission and you will have it on record.

If you own it then rip a 4x4 pressure treated post on the diagonal and screw to pole, spaced apart around circumference, so you now have three co-planar points to screw pressure treated plywood or the uni strut to center ( the pole and thru each side into the ripped 4x4.

 

[BeezFun]

BeezFun,

Do you own the pole or does the power/ phone company own the pole. If you own it then do what ever you want otherwise power/ phone company get cranky. Ask them and they may give permission and you will have it on record.

If you own it then rip a 4x4 pressure treated post on the diagonal and screw to pole, spaced apart around circumference, so you now have three co-planar points to screw pressure treated plywood or the uni strut to center ( the pole and thru each side into the ripped 4x4.

I own the pole.
I like the diagonal 4x4, tnx

 

[Tinhack]

Check with the power company. They may want the meter at eye level or within a range. The meter is always before box, not after. The service lines go through the meter then to your box. That way, they can pull the meter and cut power to the box.

By the way, I've changed main breakers with a "hot box"--Meter in place.

 

[JethroB]

I’d suggest pressure treated 5/4 deck boards instead of plywood. Cheap and you could fashion a panel of sorts with short screws. My 2 cents.

 

[Diggin It]

I need to mount a couple electrical disconnects and panel on a round wooden utility pole, approximately 12" diameter. I'm thinking of bending some threaded rod into a Ubolt and attach horizontal unistrut to the pole, then mount plywood on the unistrut for the panels. Any other ideas welcome.

Is this related to your other thread?

What kind of disconnect is this?

400A service coming into central location on a farm, aerial service branches out from there to 3 buildings and the house. Upper right is 200A breaker feeding house main panel, upper left is some kind of disconnect I've never seen before. Here's the inside of the upper left disconnect box...

www.tractorbynet.com

Not knowing what your utility wants or will accept, I might be inclined to set 4x4s in the ground adjacent to the pole and mount the panels on boards atatched to them.

By the way, I've changed main breakers with a "hot box"--Meter in place.

Is there another way? Why kill the whole house to swap one plug in breaker?

I’d suggest pressure treated 5/4 deck boards instead of plywood. Cheap and you could fashion a panel of sorts with short screws. My 2 cents.

I've done deck boards.

 

[oosik]

My main breaker panel is mounted on the last power pole in my yard. A 4x4 sheet of plywood with long lag bolts into the power pole. The breaker box is mounted on the plywood and held on with carriage bolts.

Been this way since 1982 without a single problem.