Running Electricity

Help Support CattleToday:

Here first 1/4 mi. free then $3.25 per foot. Then if any one along the line wants elect. it cost them nothing. The people that can afford the elec. is lighting up all hippie shack along the way. This is how we are coming to light here. If you want it under ground dig the ditch and furnish the conduit and pull rope. The depth on primary 4 feet and secondary 3 feet. It is very hard to dig flint rock that deep.
 
I had power ran about three years ago. Around 600 ft. Navasota valley elec. co-op. Seems it was around $3500.00. A couple a months after it was all in and my meter set, I got a check in the mail from them for just about the whole amount back. I called them and they told me the money was mine. Just had to put the money up to get it done. I didn't argue with them.
 
auctionboy":322l35yy said:
Just do it yourself. Haven't you ever put up electric fence before, it is the same on a higher scale. Use some standing trees as posts and it will be cheap. You will need some good sized insulators but just use old tires.

Now that sounds like a smart man trying to save money.
But I have some questions.

What kind of tree works best? oak,maple, walnut,elm, or maby pine?
Do you top the trees or just saw off a limb or two?
Green trees or dead?
Also you didn't specify what brand or size tire to use.Which is best used tire or new.
If you are going to be of any help you need to make your instructions more clear.

Cal
 
7 years ago I had electricity ran for a water well. Cost me $230 to set one pole and install a meter loop plus $12/month minimum charge.

Today a friend of mine wants to run power to his home site near Uvalde, Texas. Requires two poles and a meter loop. Power company wants $10,000 to do the job. The reason for the increase (I'm told) is beacuse of de-regulation of the electricity industry. Used to be that power companies would run electricity for little or nothing but would recoup the investment over years of use. Now if you don't like the power company you can change to joe blows windmill powered generator and the local company is out the investment they made in you.

We are installing an off grid generator this weekend for about half that. If the local power company ever gets off their high horse he can use the generator as a backup or sell it.
 
Earl Thigpen":sel2url4 said:
7 years ago I had electricity ran for a water well. Cost me $230 to set one pole and install a meter loop plus $12/month minimum charge.

Today a friend of mine wants to run power to his home site near Uvalde, Texas. Requires two poles and a meter loop. Power company wants $10,000 to do the job. The reason for the increase (I'm told) is beacuse of de-regulation of the electricity industry. Used to be that power companies would run electricity for little or nothing but would recoup the investment over years of use. Now if you don't like the power company you can change to joe blows windmill powered generator and the local company is out the investment they made in you.

We are installing an off grid generator this weekend for about half that. If the local power company ever gets off their high horse he can use the generator as a backup or sell it.

You are exactly right Earl. Except that I am stuck with Co-Op power and don't have free choice. It is still going to cost the same because of De-Regulation. Perhaps the Co-Op thinks that we will have the ability to choose in the future. 300 feet is their limit. That aint far but probably works for all these "ranchettes" the real estates are developing.
 
Calman":26nkbgzn said:
auctionboy":26nkbgzn said:
Just do it yourself. Haven't you ever put up electric fence before, it is the same on a higher scale. Use some standing trees as posts and it will be cheap. You will need some good sized insulators but just use old tires.

Now that sounds like a smart man trying to save money.
But I have some questions.

What kind of tree works best? oak,maple, walnut,elm, or maby pine?
Do you top the trees or just saw off a limb or two?
Green trees or dead?
Also you didn't specify what brand or size tire to use.Which is best used tire or new.
If you are going to be of any help you need to make your instructions more clear.

Cal
I wouldn't use tires at all because I think they conduct electricuty so I would use old milk jugs doubled up. Also I would just use one very tall tree for every 1/4 mile. The type of tree doesn't matter but try to kepp it alive. I have used this system.
 
backhoeboogie":24nrcrjo said:
Calman":24nrcrjo said:
What kind of tree works best? oak,maple, walnut,elm, or maby pine?

Cal

:lol: Code book doesn't tell you?
They wrote the code in mextican n I couldnt understand it.
Kinda like yankee readin.

Cal
 
Since I raised the question the news has gotten a lot better.

The engineer came out and looked over the site. When he got down to the old house he noticed the only remaining pole from the old line still had the transformer on it. He said since we had power down there before he might be able to do something for us. About a week went by before he called again, but the wait was well worth it. He said they'd rerun the line down to within a 100 feet of the old transformer pole for nothing.

Engineer and another guy (pole placement spot picker?) came out yesterday and sited where the poles will go. We've got to cut a few trees, trim back a few others, get an electrician to put up our pole for the transformer, give them a call and they'll come run us a line.

I asked if they'd just use the old transformer. He laughed and said he'd be afraid it'd blow up if they tried to hook to it.

Of course we've got a brush pile directly beside where one of the poles is going to go. So we'll have to either get it burned or move it, but that's just a minor deal, compared to saving $5 k.
 

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