Electric Service Underground

[yostmatt]

Hey Everyone. I am new here from central Pennsylvania and had a questions about electric service. I am putting a pool in my side yard that is shaped like a rectangle 40 feet wide by about 200 feet in length. I am looking at the Radiant pools because of the slope; I can burry half of it (16x24). I called the 'call before you dig' people and the electric company marked their lines. What do you know my underground service goes exactly right through where I marked off the pool. I can't shift the pool due to the 10 feet offsets from the house and property line. I also do not want to put it in my back yard and kill all the space where the kids play. So anyways, sorry for the long back story.

Now, can the electric company splice an underground cable to take out the "diagonal-ness" so I can place my pool there? Or are we talking about them trenching a whole new line with a new cable run. I am worried that would be expensive since the power pad is across the street. I put a call into the electric company (Penelec), and they said it would be 10 days until an Engineer is out to survey the line. Summer is ticking!

The family is all excited about this, and I am feeling kind of down about it now . Not only the electric, but all the paperwork and inspections that the township has to do since I live in a subdivision is enough to make me go crazy.

Thanks all in advance!!
Matt

 

[JasonLion]

What is possible in theory, and what they are willing to do are probably a bit different. My guess is that they will want to run a new line, but I could be wrong. It is really up to them.

The path marked in red flags doesn't make sense to me. I would expect it to run straight to the electric meter. It doesn't make sense to me that they would go off at an angle like that. If you are very lucky, the flags are in the wrong place.

 

[yostmatt]

What is possible in theory, and what they are willing to do are probably a bit different.

Yea very true!

The meter you see in the picture is my neighbors. My meter is on the other side of the house. So it makes that line through the middle of the yard, and then goes around my patio to the other side of the house. I wonder if they could cut the line in the back of the house, and pull back some slack and then relocate the meter to the other side of the house. I can then run a wire to the electric panel. Hummm,, it just stinks I have to wait up to 10 days for the electric company.

 

[jro33176]

Well I live in Florida, but had this very problem! We had to pay an electrician to completely reroute our lines by trenching and burying new conduit. We also had to change our meter. It was definitely an added expense. The cost to trench out the new line was equal to the cost of actually installing and connecting the new service! Good luck. I believe you are at the mercy of the engineer/ electric co. It is up to that person to approve it.

 

[danpik]

You may want to check with a local electrician on this project. Generally (not always) underground services are the responsibility of the property owner up to the utility pole. If it is an overhead service then the PoCo takes responsibility up to the weather head

 

[Omnipotent]

As someone whose PB cut through the electric line, the electric company and and will splice around instead of run new. Also, I doubt very highly the electric company will let anyone other than themselves reroute the line (make the physical splice and pull), although you will probably have to trench, lay conduit and backfill. For me to route 200ft or so, ran ~3K for electric company to splice and pull cable, another 3K to have ground trenched, conduit placed and backfilled.

So like someone said, possible, sure...cheap, not really. Will they do it, yes...took mine 3 months to do though so it won't be quick....you could also just go my route and cut the line then they have to splice it.....

 

[yostmatt]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I just don't understand why they would run wire thought he middle of the yard. Why not straight beside the house?

Well after looking at my Viso Plans I drew up, and sitting on the patio with a cold one last night I thought maybe my best bet is to move the shed. The shed bottom is 4x4s. Maybe I get some PVC , pry it up, and pull it with my truck adding pipe under it until I get it out of the way. Or maybe I am just reaching here. But if I move the shed, I could slide the pool back about 10ft (rough measurements), and make it fit there. From you guys and some people I have talked to, getting electric lines moved is a larger undertaking. Plus I would like to swim this summer. Guess, I am off to do some research on how to move the shed. Plus I am open to any suggestions. Right side of the yard is out since I have an oil tank buried there.
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What I also find weird is why the electric lines go under my patio. The patio is block, and concrete. You would figure whoever put the patio in would of had to dig down at minimum 32 inches for the frost line here in PA.... Interesting.