I have a utility pole on my property that is leaning pretty good. It was the original one installed 30 years ago. At some point someone ran a vine up it to obscure it and the roots on that vine are over 4 inches thick in some spots. I need the utility pole next to my house as my house sets down in a small revine and the wires would hit the top of a hill if they didn't come to the utility pole first. Where would I get a utility pole? If I were to get one, who should I call to install it? Can a regular electrician transfer my meter and what not, or would I need to get the Carrier involved? Thanks
2010-10-12T20:56:16Z
I do appreciate all the answers given. I know for a fact this is my pole and my responcibilty. I was already told they are responsible for the wires to the pole on the street. Anything from the pole on the street to my house is my respocibility. I have the pole literally 2 feet away from my house to allow the wires to clear the top of a hill.
Burrying the wires is not an option as the water table is very high not to mention the amount of ledge on the property. I agree this is certainly not a DIY kind of venture. Christ, just putting in a rail tie fence post was a pain in the butt enough, This would be about 5 times the size of that and twice the digging. I don't mind paying people to do it.
Jeff B2010-10-11T18:11:28Z
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An electrician probably won't be able to set a pole. You should call the utility company who manages their poles. They will have a truck that can plant it very quickly.
Is the pole rotten? You could always anchor a steel cable and slowly tighten it to pull the pole back into position (and keep it there) which is what the utility would do if the pole wasn't compromised.
*to those who think they know it all... in certain Rural areas where the house is set way back from the street, they typically mount an all-in-one meter and breaker box on a pole next to the street so that fire fighters can kill the power. I don't know that this is the case for this person. But home owners CAN buy and set poles for a number of reasons, including temporary service and special needs for service drops extending long distances. They normally just pay the utility to do it for them, but rest assured, if that pole is on his property, feeding only his equipment, then he probably owns it.
Anyways, you would get a pole from the lumber supplier that distributes to your Utility... they have different sizes. Sometimes public lumber suppliers like 84 lumber can get them.
If this pole is pretty far away from the street, then you may need to move it all closer to the street once you start messing with it... Which might mean adding more than one pole to make it all work... You definitely need advice from an experienced electrician who knows the area, who can come look at it.
If it is a street utility pole, you are out of luck because even they carry around 12000 V even for residential neighborhoods. If it is a utility pole that is wired AFTER the transformer, then the power will be at 240V and can be measured with a multimeter. Just go up the ladder and connect one end of your probe, the negative one to a wire that you wrapped around a rod you hammered in the ground a foot or so , and then take the other probe and touch a bare spot on the wire. To be safe set your voltmeter to the highest AC reading. But I stress again, if it is a uninsulated thin wire with insulators ---at the poles only---that is a good indicator this is a highly energized wire that might knock you flat before you even get close to the wire with a probe. Utility wires that drop down from the transformer are always insulated, which tells you that the voltage has been stepped down and is at residential voltages which can be measured with a simple voltmeter jammed thru the insulation and the other end grounded to ground Figure it this way-- that thin wire carries enough electricity to power hundreds of houses in your neighborhood with all the air conditioners running. One easy test if you have a old compass around, is to climb the ladder and move the compass close toward the wire. If the compass vibrates and the needle is jittery from the AC moving...you know it is a love line. No motion at all, indicates the line is dead
The electric company should do it. If the pole is leaning, they will be concerned about legal liability, and will probably come to fix it quickly. The vines won't get in their way, but don't expect them to preserve the plants.
The electric company replaced a pole on our property years ago. It was pretty fast. Actually what they did was drill a new hole, and put in an entirely new pole just a few feet away. They transferred the wires to the new pole, then took the old one away. It was done in a day.
You might ask the electric company where to find a pole suitable for your house, but you need to get someone to plant the pole and have it inspected, check your local inspector for some more tips. the electric company will move the wires, they are the only ones allowed to handle them, everything past the meter is yours. and the poles on your property is yours to, but not the wires, They can maybe do the whole job, but it's when ever they can get to it and it cost way more for them to do it. maybe a general contractor in your area can tell you who can do the job.
This in nowhere near a DIY project. As long as you are calling in the professionals with HEAVY equipment, look into having the utility lines BURIED. Your meter should not be on the pole to begin with. Any electrician can physically move the meter, but they power company MUST seal the meter box.
The self proclaimed 'sparkie' either did not read the question, or has NEVER been an electrician. Electricians NEVER install or remove the pole. They only work with the wiring.