The problem isn't a short in the line. Actually, the lamp is working perfectly well, although it is laying on the ground. The problem is that the lamp post, in King James English, is "rent in twain." The problem with digging up the stub is that it is two feet down and surrounded by an unknown quantity of concrete, which may, if people weren't careful, have a wire cable buried in it. I am not sure I can get it up by myself, although odd visions of pulleys and automobiles are dancing in my head. I've called a couple of electricians and been told that they don't do things like this. Somebody must, but I'm not sure who. ============================ I am forever grateful to the nice electrical supply guy who cautioned me when I first bought my post DONT CEMENT IT IN!
It doesnt need to be! doesnt really add much stability, poles arent supposed to be hung from
A cheap fast fix is build a wooden frame around the post, stand and tie post upright, then add concrete.
You will end up with a post on a little pedastal. yeah its cheesey but works.
now lets assume you dig up the concrete and acciudently cut the wire:( POWER BREAKER OFF BEFORE BEGINNING WORK!
You might relocate the pole a little closer to the house shortening the cable.
or use a special underground wire splice and add a length of underground wire to the pole. these are preetty new and can be directly buried
when your done DONT cement it in, just backfill and tamp dirt with your foot:)
That way the next time its no big deal.
in the 20+ years I have been thru 2 poles, the first got smacked by a unknown car and being already rusty snapped off at the ground. some kids pushed over pole 2, no biggie I dug it up carefully and reset it. they did it all thru the neighborhood
if these had been cemented in I may have had to replace that long cable run twice.
Incidently my mailbox pole is a I beam, I didnt cement it in either, which made things easier when the sewer company dug it up replacing the main sewer line on the street.