How to run outdoor electrical lines from pole to pole - What's required

[JoeDunc]

I have a problem that seems like I can solve--with your help! Here's what I have. I have breakers in the house, but my garage, a good 200 feet or more away only has a single electrical outlet ran to it. I want to hook up 240v as well as some 120v regular recepticles in the garage. Here is how I want to do it, you can tell me if it's crazy.

I have poles (like utility poles but privately owned) around the property and want to run an outdoor, overhead line. This is also partly because it's such a long run and it crosses pavement. (Don't want to dig up cement) This is all on my private property by the way. I have enough poles to run it from house -> pole -> pole -> garage. My question is what kind of wire will I need, and what kind of connections to the poles? I also understand I can tie into my 100 amp service box inside, use a 2 pole switch, and get my desired 240v. Any help on this process would be appreaciated with specific help on getting this wire ran from pole to pole to garage. What kind of cable required? limit on distance from pole to pole? Thanks!

[dpb]

While you can go overhead, for aesthetics and the nuisance factor, I'd still recommend the underground route. Unless the drive or other concrete pad being crossed is quite a long run, it's possible to place the cable under it w/o tearing the slab up. If it's a few feet like a sidewalk, it's pretty simple enough to do w/ a homemade water lance-- longer and you may want to hire that portion done, but I wouldn't reject the idea out of hand.

For going overhead, you need a way to set the poles sufficiently deep to hold them against the worst of gales and ice/snow and a way to get up to the top and be able to work to pull the wire and tighten it sufficiently to keep it from sagging excessively. By the time you get done unless you've got a lift or other way to get up there easily, I'd expect the effort to be as much or more than burying it.

IMO, ymmv, $0.02, etc., etc., etc., from one who has several overhead as well as buried on the home place and wouldn't think of putting in another overhead of more than a single run from the meter pole...

[RBM]

I would go overhead as a last resort, but if you want to, use messenger cable. You'll want three insulated conductors wrapped around a bare messenger. Two hots, one neutral, and one ground. You'll need a conduit with four wires in it or type SER cable at each end going into the buildings to the panels at each end

[holopper4]

It's called TRIPLEX. It's the same stuff that runs from the pole to your house. They sell special ends to attach it to the pole insulators. I'd suggest putting a separate breaker box in the garage with ground rods and the whole works. Of course you'll want 120 lights and outlets in there, so you have to put in a separate box. Even if you went underground, you'd still need a box if you want both 140 and 120. Be sure to use ground rods.

[JoeDunc]

Thanks for the advise. I think we will try to bury the cable, it seems possible. The pole method sounded good because we already have a bunch of poles up and we aren't using them. They used to run electric to a bunch of buildings out there. Thanks.