900' Service Run

[ww_kayak]

OK, I found a real nice spot to build my new house, however it's 900+ feet from the road. The power company gave me the specs for digging the ditch that THEY will lay the wire in. They also said anything over 200' requires a transformer. They charge $6.54 a foot to do this( no specific charge for the transformer). A local supply place said I can buy a 1000' spool for $1.57 a foot. Can I doit myself for 1/4 of the cost, or will they just charge $5000 for the transformer anyway? All of this is after paying 16k to extending the service 1800 feet down the road :(

The reason I ask is I don't seem to get straight answers from the power company.


Thanks

[bkrahmer]

4/0-4/0-2/0 cable is just adequate for a 250' run after the transformer. I suspect this is the cable the supply place is recommending. This would not cut it if you had 900' after the transformer.

Your power company has control over what they will allow or not. I had the opportunity to do whatever I wanted after their transformer and meter. I saved about $1100 by running the last 240' by myself. They wanted $7.50 per foot.

I would sit down with one of their engineers and have him tell me ALL of my options.

[Rich]

Whew - we're at 380' and our electrical engineer was having fits. We ended up with 5 runs of 500cu for a 1200 amp service (from the transformer). Cut that down to a 200 amp service and you're still looking at some good sized wire. The closer you can put the transformer to the house the better off you are - the downside being that there aren't many (or any) that are quiet. Most (if not all) humm like crazy.

[rabadger]

Are there available lots between you and the poll at the road. If so the power company could be charging to supply all the lots. That happened to me with water. I had only 5 years to get the money back if anyone built. So I moved. The water was 62,000 and I had to do the sewer to sell the place. It was 35,000 for 2000 feet. Had to pass 18 lots. When we moved the house was still on well water.

[Sparks]

I'll agree with all the posts here. 900', you need a transformer in most cases like yours. I agree that you should get with power company and discuss all options. Or buy a power and heat generator, these are self-contained units that run on ng or propane and generate all the power, heat and hot water requirements for any home (heat is generated using exhaust waste heat from generator), pretty neat, but not widely used and probably expensive as well.

[rabadger]

How about moving the pole close to the lot while they aren't looking :lol:

[dhill]

Call the power company and find out exactly what they will allow you to do and cut your costs there. The company should set a transformer for you at a specified location. Here, they'll run 100' of wire to a meter pole for no charge. If you set your meter pole within their limit for the run from the transformer, you can save that much footage. Then you'll have to size your wiring that runs to your house panel. That wiring run can be stepped down also, but you'll have to get an electrician to figure that run for you to save money on the wire cost. I would recommend that you run 3 wire ground rated so that you don't have to put it in conduit, but your power company may have something to say about that. I don't know about your place, but if I run wire off my meter pole to my house, I'm pretty much free and clear to do whatever I want. All the power company is interested in is the specs at the meter. I have to set a pole 4' deep and 12' high = 16' pole. That's the easy part.

[ww_kayak]

I guess I'll try to get some more answers out of them :(. The deed states that any power on the property must be underground, and the power company said the transformer must be within 100' of the house. There are a couple of other lots, and I swear he said I only have 1 year to get any money back if anyone else taps in :( It ain't gunna happen. Oh well I guess that's the price you pay for space and privacy. I love the idea having a winding driveway through the woods that opens up to my "estate" (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.307548,-75.824558&spn=0.009516,0.010225&t=k&hl=en) :)