DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

overhead service to underground

3K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  rrolleston 
#1 ·
ok folks im looking for some input. i currently have overhead service from the pole to my house. i am going to be putting up a garage and the electriction told me the best way around the fact that the overhead service runs right thru where my garage is going is to dig a trence from where the service is on the side of the house underground in a path that extends 10' from the foundation of the garage to the pole. my question is what grade wire should i be looking at that will go from the pole to the house? also what grade of conduit is used? im assusming it is the grey electrical pvc conduit but what size should i be pricing out? is 2" big enough for the size wire that will run from the pole to the house?
 
#7 ·
You need to check with the AHJ and POCO. There are many different things that come into play with this type of job and it changes state to state and POCO to POCO.

If you had an electrical contractor to your house to look at it, he should have been able to give you this info, and if not, its time to look for a new electrician.
 
#8 ·
the power company told me i am responsible for digging the trench and laying the wire. they will connect at both ends upon inspection.

i am doing the digging and laying of the wire. just need to know what grade wire and what size pvc to price out.

i am not asking the electritian cause im doing most all the work on my own.

my house at the moment is wired at 220v.... i think....
 
#11 ·
Are you just laying the conduit and wire, then hiring someone to make the connections, or are you planning on doing the entire service yourself?
 
#12 ·
im just laying the conduit and wire in the trench from the pole to the house. will hire power company to make the connections.

what size wire am i looking to buy?
what size electrical conduit to buy?
how deep should trench be? 18-36" is what i am hearing...sound right?
 
#14 ·
OK, here's the thing.

It usually not just replacing the wire to the meter. You usually are required to replace the entire service when you do something like this. This includes all wire feeding the panel, the grounding, and the panel itself. The POCO will not do this. If they are telling you they will make the connections, they will tie the wires in at the pole and at the line side of the meter.

If it as I suspect, and you are required to replace the panel and grounding as well, there are a multitude of codes that come into play. A permit is usually required along with inspection of the work done on the load side of the meter.

I'm not trying to be rude but this doesn't sound like a project for you unless you do alot more research. You're first call should be to the local inspection department to see if you can even do the work on your own.
 
#15 ·
OK, here's the thing.

It usually not just replacing the wire to the meter. You usually are required to replace the entire service when you do something like this. This includes all wire feeding the panel, the grounding, and the panel itself. The POCO will not do this. If they are telling you they will make the connections, they will tie the wires in at the pole and at the line side of the meter.

If it as I suspect, and you are required to replace the panel and grounding as well, there are a multitude of codes that come into play. A permit is usually required along with inspection of the work done on the load side of the meter.

I'm not trying to be rude but this doesn't sound like a project for you unless you do alot more research. You're first call should be to the local inspection department to see if you can even do the work on your own.
ok thanks for the input. i will still be digging the trench this weekend. i can lay the wire later on after electrician comes to the sight. this NEEDS to be done and the only weekend i have my hands on the excavator is this weekend.
 
#16 ·
As I cannot find a specific code reference, and this trench will be for UNFUSED conductors, I would, FOR SURE, ask the POCO about the depth. I would be inclined to say that this trench should be minimum 36" deep.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top