Idaho Power in Action
Idaho Power is here today at our home remodeling project in Middleton, Idaho. They’re going to install a new underground 400 amp service. See this here? We have the panel right here. They’re hooking up to this and setting a new pole.
Removing the Old Pole
This brand-new pole is being installed, and the old pole is being removed. We’re getting a larger transformer for our new service. They’re doing prep work for the new pole, hooking up the overhead, and grabbing the “T” for the top.
Installing the Grounding Plate
There’s a grounding plate instead of a rod in the bottom of the trench or hole. The ground wire runs here. They’re raising the other pole and setting it in the hole.
Ensuring Proper Alignment
He’s holding up the plum bob to ensure the pole is vertical. Now, he’s checking it from the other side. You can see the old pole leaning compared to the new one. It looks like it’s leaning about two and a half feet. They’re attaching the wires to the new pole, starting with the ground wire.
WE BUILD CUSTOM HOMES
Quality Craftsmanship, On Time, On Budget & Without the Hassles
Prepping the Transformer and Pole
The ground wire runs from the bottom plate to the midpoint of the pole. They’ve prepped a ground from the top transformer. These will be attached. They brought a road base in a dump trailer and will use it to backfill around the pole.
Transformer Installation
The transformer is 50, and it will go on the new pole. They’ll boom it up shortly. They installed a fiberglass sweep and attached our low-voltage conduit to a bracket for future cable overhead.
The transformers’ sizes differ. The 50 is almost three times larger than the 10.
Pulling and Installing the Wire
They’re getting ready to push the wire through the sweep inside the J box, sending it to the pallet hole. The wire is cut and fished down. The power company brought a mini excavator to dig this pole out.
Wiring and Meter Base Connection
The wire pulled about four or five feet out of the panel is extra. It came up through the three-inch conduit into the meter base bottom. They’ll take the wires up, land them on both sides and replace the too-small lug with a larger one.
Completion and Teamwork
The Idaho Power crew finished installing the new service and left. It was impressive to watch the linemen. They removed two poles, installed a new pole, and looped underground to the J box and meter in about two and a half hours.
For more information about home remodeling or building a custom home or ADU, visit our resources or request a project consultation. Thanks!
WE BUILD CUSTOM HOMES
Quality Craftsmanship, On Time, On Budget & Without the Hassles
