Meter Socket for New Underground Service
I am building a garage and was told by the utility that my area was slated to have the service (now on poles) moved underground (Hooray!). They said that I should buy the post for underground service and that when I am ready they will run a line down from the pole and give me “temp service”. Then when the line gets buried it will be an easy conversion.
To make a long story short, the house will get torn down in the future for a new home but the garage will remain. I bought a post for 200A service in anticipation of the garage service becoming the master service for the lot.
Anyhow, like I said, I bought the post and installed it on the side of the garage so I could continue with the siding. I buried it to the “line” on the outside of the post that I assumed was the grade line.
My questions are these: Does the utility just run underground cable up into the post or will they run conduit? Can I Just fill in the hole around the post for now?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Replies
Here in Northern California, you provide schedule 40 conduit from your box to a point close to the utility pole or pad (schedule 80 if the conduit is exposed above ground). The utility than pulls in the service lateral conductors.
Talk to your utility. Some run SEU (direct bury cable) as a lateral.
Best of luck on the new place.
Cliff
Jim, Check with your power company, some will give you an information book describing their requirements. Here in Washington we are required to have conduit up the post from 2 ft. below grade with two ground rods wired 6 ft apart to the meter box. Again as the wise men say if you are not comfortable with electricity, you are far better to let a pro handle it. Good Luck
JW