DIY Electrical Service trenching and conduit Installation
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- Опубліковано 14 лют 2019
- DIY Electrical Service trenching and conduit Installation
I will be digging the trenches and installing conduit for underground power lines to be installed to a single family house. We are going to have to trench threw a easement in order to install the conduit from the Green power box across the street to the new home location.
I will be covering the importance of calling 811" call before you dig" and also very briefly showing what can happen, when the markings on the ground aren't marked correctly.
Underground power started more than 50 years ago to replace overhead distribution systems. Underground service installations by the power industry is complex. However it can be done and has a lot of great benefits. Lack of interest on the part of the power company should not deter you from taking advantage of the benefits of buried distribution systems.
When the estimated cost of buried services exceeds the estimated cost of aerial services by more than ten per cent, you should negotiate with the power district or developer on the following basis:
No charge where the developer, builderor, or you dig and backfills trenches for the distribution cable and all service wires.
where you digs and backfills all trenches, the developer or builder will pay that cost which exceeds the estimated cost of aerial plant by more than ten percent.
I recommend that underground power systems be used exclusively. There are certain instances where it is not feasible however theses are very rare. - Навчання та стиль
Nice job on operating the Kubota. I've operated for 32 years almost every piece of equipment and I give props to you. The man who taught me said "pretend the shovel or forks are your hands" Nice work !!
Tip from an EC: when you're crossing a marked line ( 811 notification paint ) FIND that trench, find that pipe. After the top soil is pulled back -- you're looking for the disturbed soil ( if spottable ) where the old trench was. In California, our soils are so tough that old trenches really show up -- after the top has been stripped back. There is a nifty tool used -- it's a stiff nylon coated probe with a T handle on its top. You must keep probing until you find the actual pipe -- and its trench -- because you want to know with certainty that the water pipe// any crossing pipe is truly found. As a general rule, you want to trench SHALLOW until all crossing trenches are revealed. Note that an old trench will usually not have the level of compaction seen in the native soil. It will give way to the T probe. That's how you know you're dialing into an old, semi-compacted trench.
This method is slower than just hacking ahead, but the cost of hitting a pipe is just too much to bear.
Lastly, don't assume that the 811 dowser found all of the crossing pipes. His records may be sloppy. So he'll find one pipe, one trench -- but yet there is another just a few feet away. The typical instruments will not reveal such a proximate parallel or semi-parallel trench. Remember, you'r hunting for trenches -- even more than hunting for pipes. That's what the probing is all about. For myself, I'd always dump such projects onto an insured contractor. My days of jumping into a trench are over.
Hey I’m Keyon Tarver from ny I live in va now I been working for Riggs underground u guys work great god bless from a fellow underground company 🚧👷🏿♂️🚧
Love the backhoe, I wish I would have picked up the backhoe with our Kubota, but, was concerned I wouldn't use it enough. Seeing this video makes me want one! Would have been good for side jobs too, but, it's hard enough for me to get videos out LOL
Great video, learned a lot of things. Great idea on digging the trench in sections so you didn't inconvenience the neighbors.
A backhoe is ok. Definitely will save your back. But a mini excavator is on another level. I traded in my Mahindra Emax for a Kubota U-25. The efficiency is on another level.
Yeah, It Is Sooooo Important To Call For Proper Utility Marking For Sure. About 15 Yrs Ago We Were Doing Construction In A Town With A Big Air Force Base & Called "Okie" & They Mismarked The Main Fiber Optic Line Going To The Base By Close To 50 Feet & We Snagged And Broke It With Our Backhoe; Seeing That Cable On The Bucket Teeth Made Me About Throw-Up. It Wasnt Our Fault Since It Was Mismarked, But It Was Still Sickening😖!!
two things i'd do different is to put warning tape over the tubes and clean the ditch up a bit and not letting small and large stones touch the tubes so it doesn't damage them long term.
I did not hear you mention it but I would use schedule 40 conduit on driveway and glue it together. also you need to keep power wires about 12 inches from cable/phone wires so there is no interference with signal.
Great video and information shared. Greatly appreciate the time you took to Film, explain and edit. I’m about ready to start my ADU project in California and just waiting for plans to be approved.
Glad it was helpful!
That’s a nice looking trench friend.
Great information video for the novus.
Digging the power next to the trench lol 9:59 that was funny but good work
The National Electrical Code (NEC 300.5(D)(3), requires that underground Service conductors that are buried more than 18", shall have their location identified by a warning tape placed in the trench at least 12" above the installation, unless they are encased by concrete. Did not see that happen here.
That s probably why he hit the water line because no warning tape.
Dude the guy didn’t even use pvc glue
Where he is, no warning tape is required for underground running through conduit. Direct bury, ribbon is required.
enjoyed the vid, if it were my ditch, i would have shaded the conduit then compressed the shading material(dirt) by foot compaction, failure to do this can create a pathway for groundwater to chase the conduit and undermine it. Also tho time comsuming.. back fill in lifts. 1/2 compact, lay scare tape or caution tape then backfill compact. good to go.
Reminds me of way back in the 90s, I bought a property in Michigan with no well or septic. My dad helped me as well... showed me how to find water using a pair of 90 degree bent clothes hanger wires holding loosely in each hand and ad we walked over water, the tips would begin to point together.
There is no scientific reason for those rods to cross.
@@hootowl6354 And yet, they do.
@@Thekrpntr Right, with a simple twist of the fingers. If they never crossed the twister would be out of a job.
@@hootowl6354 science is not about knowing, it's about figuring stuff out. It works, but there is no known reason. You may think it's a scam, yet it's a well known and used method of finding water. Great for finding water lines and drainage pipes. I wish it paid extra, I would be rich.
I have used the two rods for years and they have never let me down.
I agree on what should be a "Caution" tape placed above it a few inches. I don't know how long it has been a rule, or how it passed inspection without it. I refuse to blame the installer but I prefer "Best Practices" for safety. Other underground services require a "Bright" color wire, to be tapped at both ends and cross the piping every 15-20 feet to loop it around like a slip knot, to keep it tight to the piping an useful for future locating. I believe on rock ledges that force electrical conduit near the soils top, concrete capping is also best practice or law. Alway talk way in advance, to the inspector to plan for extra time & cost.
This is underground, but farmers have equipment that will not clear some overhead power lines in rural areas when transporting into fields. As a young guy in the late 60's-70's, I know some farmers who nailed metal signs at the gate "Look Up for Power Lines". But honestly know more worker injured or killed as they fell asleep. At 20 MPH for a tractor but run off the road and in the field, get to close to trees, hook one and flip into a creek. I know of one guy we buried on the farm I was plowing on for $1.00 per hour. But gas was only $0.30 cents a gallon. Up from $0.19 months earlier and people thought the world was ending.
I feel for you brother been digging mainline for 20 years if any operator say they never ripped anything out they aren't a hoe hand. FYI learn to use witching rods and learn from every dig. I dig down the city streets up to 40 feet deep around Gas, comm, sewers, water, and God know what else. Even doing little residential digs like you can be a challenge for the seasoned vets.Just always learn from your digs. Witching rods and a good metal detector will be worth the time.
Could not agree more!! The rods have saved my butt many times. Lol
The kubota hoes are most excellent. nice and tight. alot tighter then many other tractor mounted models.
buddies nice as hell on that thing
Know your feeling when you hit the water line. We had called 811 to have everything marked and hit a 2" gas line over 20 feet away which would off been to the north of the marking. No reason given when question for being so far off.
Those locators do whatever the hell they want
Come on and give the locator guy some credit or a break. After all, last week, the locator tech did not get the assistant managers job at Burger King, because he failed the math test!
Same here, I took out a gas line that was miss marked by 15ft.
I can't believe they used an expandable coupler to fix this. Just asking for problems when the O-rings fail. I think the best way to repair this is to use unions where you dremel out the stop and overslide it onto one pipe then slide it back. Difficult to do with larger pipes above 1 inch, but with the right tools and technique, its do-able. Probably be much easier with slow setting glue.
How did you end up on the tractor and your dad running the shovel though? I’d never manage that. Even if it was my tractor. Lol.
No tape was put in over lines for warnings for any one who excavetes next time
*diy..lol
There’s a lot of utilities in the ground with no warning tape. There’s high pressure gas manes with no warning tape. I dig around utilities all day long. Dig careful.
YEAH MAN NO ELECTRIC TERRA TAPE
Thinking same thing.
What county was this project in. I live in Thurston country and about to conduct my own dig for power lines
Guessing by the blue marking that its potable water you hit(?). VERY surprised they used an expandable coupler. Those things are trash. I work in a very similar field and we are not allowed to use them AT ALL. Romac compression coupling only for everything bigger than 1 1/2".
I Agree, Those Slip On Romac Repair couplings(Flanged) are what many water districts recommend for repairs like this. Unfortunately for these guys, they will be having to repair this line again in the future after it ruptures:( Don’t do it .
How did you dry out that trench so fast?
Why was the water line so high up. Aren’t they supposed to be minimum 4’ down to avoid frost?
Depends where this is being done.
Main information is never trust on water company 💦
Glad you’re wearing your hard hat.
As the water company missmarked the like it is on them to foot the bill for the repairs. Here in NM you have 18" on each side of the line they mark to watch for.
Yup they never billed us for the repair. Granted I did most of the hard work to fix the pipe.
@@DanielWoodell You should have billed them for Labor charges.
Should have probed for it first but good job overall
Nice video. Dumb question, how do you run the wire through such a long conduit?
GardenDocSC with a conduit fishing tape
I'm curious about this too. Would love to see the process
@@John-hp2hg
First, suck a 'mouse' [look it up] thru the pipe pulling a string behind it.
Use a good vacuum cleaner at the far end, close up the end of the pipe to create the vacuum effect. I've also used a leaf blower at the opposite end of the pipe. [where the mouse starts] Between 'sucking' and 'blowing', the mouse flys thru the pipe like grease lightning.
2. Attach the string to a light-weight strong rope on one end
3. Pull the rope thru the pipe
4. Firmly attach the rope to ALL the wire(s), & cables being pulled thru.
5. Pull the wire grouping [as one unit] into the pipe and all the way thru.
NOTES:
When pulling the wire either stretch the wire out neatly over the ground or better yet set the wires up to feed neatly/evenly off of reels as it is pulled into the pipe.
Have one guy feeding the wires into the pipe during the pull. He can 'lube' the wires if it is a long pull.
Have 2 or 3 or more {if needed} guys pulling the wire out the other end. [the grunt work]
If a lot of wires or you have large wire/reels, have one guy tending to the reels as they roll off the wire.
The idea, it's not a Race, and everybody works together.
Also, if at some later date I know I will be pulling more wires thru the same pipe, I will attach a spare string or small rope to the wire pull, and pull that thru. That sets me up for the next wire pull. Use lube for long pulls and if have turns and bends.
Question: who paid for the water line repair and any other related damages like water outage, contamination, etc?
Now they know where pipe line is)
I am laying my main 3" conduit now, and to save future well trenching I am running my water pipe back out the trench to where the well is going in. When I called my electrical company, they said there has to be 12" separation between electrical and water lines, how did you get that separation from the line you broke? Or is that only in my state? They told me I must also put my power line running out to the pump 12" away from the main also
Separation requirements are in every state in every county. They apply to things running in the same trench. Some times I trenched extra deep pit the pipe in the ground, backfilled some dirt, and then do the electrical work on top of that. Or whatever has to be inspected first. the person inspecting your electrical is different than the inspector for your waterline.
i work digging trenching for electrical power distribution without machine.
Great videos! Can you put power, water and comm. in the same trench? I’m wandering if I should use 1 conduit for power and another for PEX and comm
Yes you can put everything in one trench, but there are separation requirements, i recoments looking for your local power companies install hand book on there web page, every place I have built has a hand book for installation requirements on line.
Whats the savings doing it yourself?
Caution tape not required?
Caution Tape , definitely when crossing over other utilities .
So much for 811
2:00 If you're ever murdered...there's a 90% chance, it was either your Neighbor, or a Family member
Why not glue the pipes together? Seal em?
This is not the first video ive seen where 811 has made a mistake. Ive seen other videos stating to not even call 811 because of how unreliable they are. Is this common for them?
I use 811 routinely, at least twice a month. This is the first time that the marks have been off this amount. also, if you don’t call, you don’t have a legal coverage necessary to have somebody else pay for the repairs. At least here in Western Washington if you call 811 they have to mark the ground within 48 hours and those marks can keep you out of court and keep you from having to pay expensive repair cost and fines.
So do all states and power companies give homeowners the right to dig their own ditch from the meter on the house to near the base of the telephone pole where the service run will come from, lay their own conduit and wire according to code, and then just have the power company come out to hook up power at the meter and finish making the connection from the base of the telephone pole up to the power lines on it?
I'm located in eastern Ohio out in the country (so no in-city type codes to follow) and this will be a 100amp underground service run that's approx 100 feet from the telephone pole (which is located 6 feet off of the road in my yard) to the electric meter on my house.
That is not a strait forward answer, i recommend hat you look up your local power district web page and i suspect you will fine a install hand book. That will cover the information you are asking about, i say this because i have installed power in three different counties in Washington state and all three counties (different power company’s) have deferent rules.
@@DanielWoodell
Grrrrrr I was hoping you weren't going to say that about you having at least 3 different power company's rules to follow in the same state....but hey thanks for the heads up :o) and I'll start looking up the install handbook you mentioned. For now, I just got off of the phone with our American Electric Power (AEP) company who informed me I would have to place a service order with them whereby providing details of the job I'm doing and then one of their technicians will reply within 7 days to exchange more details.
My Pole got knocked down a few weeks ago. I decided to run everything underground as well. Had a guy I work with come out with his little backhoe, and dig me a 170’ trench around my raised septic mound to the base of the utility pole.
I already had a service request in with National Grid to do this work. I dug down about 30-34”, backfilled with 6-8” of sand. Laid the pipe, set the meter pedestal, had the trench inspected before pulling the conductors through the conduit. I just today, backfilled with another 12-18” of sand. Will be pulling the conductors through this weekend, and final backfill. Utility will not reconnect unless all the trenching work is completed.
🤟🇺🇸
O wao where is the inspection
do you need an easement for that trench from your neighbors?
No when the power company puts in the green boxes they come with easement rights for 15 all around them.
They get 2 ft either side. Hand diggin time
Is it normal practice for you to Operate without a banksman when cutting across Service Trenches?
I dont know what a banksman is, so yes. Oh and by the way im not a contractor im a home owner.
Daniel Woodell A Banksman would be a spotter ie someone (who knows what they are looking for) who basically is watching where you are digging for underground services or unknown obstacles.
It is not advisable to be digging where there are known services and to be taking such deep scrapes.
Shallow scrapes with the bucket looking for any changes in the ground(shingle,tape,sand etc) which might signify a pipe,drain or cable.
Also when laying your own you should consider putting tape in above your pipework for the next operator who comes in to dig in there.
@@brownwarrior6867 So I’m not sure you watch the hole video very closely because in the areas that there where marked out utilities we hand dug, and we also installed caution tape over the top of the wirer per the L&I requirements.
Daniel Woodell Take some advice from someone who has almost 30 years Plant Operative experience both Military and Civil you need someone to keep an eye on where you are digging from the opposite side of the bucket and you also need to take shallower longer scoops ESPECIALLY when you know there are other Services in the immediate area.
You sound surprised to hit the water line?
Any Experienced Operators watching this were sat waiting for it my friend.
It’s not a criticism all I am doing is trying to help you avoid a similar situation in future.
I appreciate the fact you are not in Construction but the fact is you are taking the same risks as someone who is.
In fact more because you aren’t putting in place the Safety measures that these guys adhere to and more importantly live by.
All the best in the future 👍🏼
Donnchadh McPáidín I see you point, but also, who is going to assume a water line is 50 feet away from where it’s marked? I mean they have maps and devices to find out exactly where that water line is. I don’t think the fault is in anyway the home owner. And yes, underground utilities/earthwork is my profession. We’d spend 10x longer doing a job if we treated the utility markings basically useless and be out of business.
So who is held liable for the miss marked water line you or who did the marking?
811# marked all of the lines, the water district fixed the broken line on a Sunday, and I gave him all my information, but I never hurt about it, no bill, no phone call. So I don’t know.
@@DanielWoodell hope they don't comeback on you later
I've been a trustee on the board of a water district. It's the wild west when it comes to waterlines.
Expandable coupler... haha! BTW, your trench looks awfully narrow to maintain 1' between line voltage and communications conduits that is required by most utility districts.
That's like three of his feet wide
David Black,
from what can be directly seen in the video at 8:15 he easily had enough space for at least 4" between conduits. just looking at the width of the bucket he's using on the backhoe says alot as well ;o)
@@get-the-lead-out.4593 4" between conduits does not meet code. Utility companies require 1' between private secondary feeders, and communications conduit. Puget Sound Energy says 18" is the minimum trench width with power and a single COMM conduit.
@@dmitchellhomes That was my fault...I thought you said 1" and not 1' , and since AEP of Ohio laid my nephew's lines that weren't any more than 4" apart I just thought they were following what the code says
Was this guy trying to run electrical service for a factory . It appeared he was laying at least 2" conduit which can hold 6]. 2/0 AWG conductors ,, enough for 2/ 200 amp circuits This video was supposed to also include conduit installation . I didn't see anything pertaining to conduit until the very end where he held a conduit end cap in his hand
Also what electrical code did he refer too before he started digging his slit trench . National electrical code requires underground non metal conduit be buried 18"
Have you ever tried witching water lines yourself
What would something like this cost??
I would guess 8-13k including wire and materials
Is that a recent dig? Didn't you guys get buried with snow recently? Nice video anyway except for 811 boning you on their markings!
Dan Conlan Yeah we did this about a week and a half before the snow came we’re all snowed in now.
cha Ching
The 1-800 dig people that came to my place didn’t mark a single line right. Not the water, the internet or the electrical main. I even walked them over to where the internet cable was sticking out of the ground and they couldn’t get it right. Beware!!
Why did you lay two pipes?
Power in one, Communication (Coax/Phone/Ethernet) in other.
Because a waterline does not contain a wire, it's difficult to hit it with a detection device. Never count on a direction of a waterline.
If you really need to figure out a waterline, open both ends and run a wire.
Hand digging about 45% don’t lie
how deep?
Check
Why are you wearing a hard hat lol
Zzz
Learn how to use a water witch.
great video. I would like to share an embarrassing moment with you guys. I farted in a big way while engaging in a sixty niner with my Niebuhr. It was not good
why do you have a hard hat on
Because people on UA-cam, complain about safety crap all the time. And my mother-in-law bought it for me, and I was doing this work at her house.
Shame on you...sitting on the tractor while your dad operates the manual labor device.
because his dads not a pussy like yours, this guy is a true working man with his hands not letting age slow him down
Why not put some metallic do not dig tape on top of that conduit so people can find it in the future.
Probably because the wires are made of metal and have enough current to by located by an electrical detector from above the ground.