The Dumbass Factor Part 2 - Getting the Shaft
As I have mentioned in a previous post, a major factor in any home renovation project is the Dumbass Factor. It turns out that my careful planning wasn't a careful as I thought; the Dumbass Factor has struck again.
In this case, the problem is our main electrical pole. Our pole (i.e. the "Typical Self-Contained Installation" meter, main switch, et cetera all mounted on one 6x6 pole) is perfect in every regard except one. Our pole is too short. I won't go into all the embarrassing details of my delusional thinking. In short, I got it wrong.
Despite the fact that it is at its root my fault, I still can't help being pissed off with Entergy (our one and only power utility). Sometime over the last 5-10 years they completely overhauled their specs and services. The rules as I knew them have changed considerably. They have more stringent requirements for hooking up to the main power line, but they won't give you a damn bit of help to meet them.
When my mother-in-law built her home in the late 1980's, Entergy came out and installed the pole, the meter box, buried the cable to the house, et cetera. In 2003, when we start dealing with them to get our energy hooked-up, this had all changed.
The only work that they will now perform is they will drop a line down from the electrical main and hook it up to your meter. They will not dig trenches, lay conduit, install poles, or anything else. I can't help but be a little pissed when they tell me that I have to install a 6"x6" 18 foot long pole, and they have all the equipment and refuse to do any of it. I'm wondering what it is that I am paying for with the hook-up fees.
Anyhow, I'll quit bitching and just grab my ankles.
Any guess what I'll be doing next weekend?
In this case, the problem is our main electrical pole. Our pole (i.e. the "Typical Self-Contained Installation" meter, main switch, et cetera all mounted on one 6x6 pole) is perfect in every regard except one. Our pole is too short. I won't go into all the embarrassing details of my delusional thinking. In short, I got it wrong.
Despite the fact that it is at its root my fault, I still can't help being pissed off with Entergy (our one and only power utility). Sometime over the last 5-10 years they completely overhauled their specs and services. The rules as I knew them have changed considerably. They have more stringent requirements for hooking up to the main power line, but they won't give you a damn bit of help to meet them.
When my mother-in-law built her home in the late 1980's, Entergy came out and installed the pole, the meter box, buried the cable to the house, et cetera. In 2003, when we start dealing with them to get our energy hooked-up, this had all changed.
The only work that they will now perform is they will drop a line down from the electrical main and hook it up to your meter. They will not dig trenches, lay conduit, install poles, or anything else. I can't help but be a little pissed when they tell me that I have to install a 6"x6" 18 foot long pole, and they have all the equipment and refuse to do any of it. I'm wondering what it is that I am paying for with the hook-up fees.
Anyhow, I'll quit bitching and just grab my ankles.
Any guess what I'll be doing next weekend?
posted by John | 5:04 PM
1 Comments:
That does not sound fun. I took a 2 semester residential wiring course 2 years ago so I could do it all myself. The instructor told me our utility company - PG&E - used to do it all too. Now, they will still do it but the rates are so absurd that you are better off doing it yourself or calling a third party contractor. For the course we wired a new house from scratch. Everyone spent some time digging the trench. At my house it is an over-head drop (Whew!)
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