Electrical (sub)meter stations

This looks like approximately the “right” way to do this. Is that right? This park has overhead transformers / overhead electrical service.

What am I looking at here, and how much to copy this for my park? What is going on with meter #6?

Brandon@Sandell

I think those meters are the utility companies. It wouldn’t be a submeterd system.

It’s not “submetering” where we read the meters – but in this park I assume the owner is responsible for the wooden posts the meter boxes attach to. Since the wooden poles at this park are all rotting, leaning over, and in danger of falling down, I wanted to get groupthink on what to replace them with. This looks like the right idea. I think the electric runs from this location through underground conduit to lots 5, 6, 7, and 8. How much to do this in groups of 4 for my park?

Or is there a better idea to deal with leaning/failing power poles (park-owned)? Setting a new pole costs something like $800 I am told.

Brandon@Sandell

To do what is shown in your photo will require significant wiring (those meters have to run all the way over to the houses) which will probably require just as much as replacing the drop poles. But are you sure that all of the poles are bad? We’ve never seen that before. I think you’re lowest cost option is simply to make a study of which ones have to be replaced, and then get 3 to 5 bids from guys who do that work to come in and “Henry Ford Assembly Line” them all at one time. You might also see if the leaning ones can simply be braced.

Thank you Frank for commenting.

Currently most of the “drop poles” (thank you for that term) are already braced. I feel like the bracing is not a good long-term fix, but perhaps if it were done right (or annually re-evaluated?) then shoring up the “drop poles” would be sufficient. Would you advise against shoring them up while “live”?

I have been paying an electrician who lives in the park about $800 to get the drop poles fixed when needed but it seems like an awful lot of them are needing something.

Perhaps they can be sleeved (for the rotting ones) and re-set (for the leaning ones)? Assembly line style with a backhoe would work maybe. But what to do about the meter boxes that are attached to them? Obviously messing with the poles while the electric is live is a bad idea. Who do you call – a digger or an electrician or both or the power company or …?

Sample pole already braced

And what do you do when the pole leans towards the home? Rig up a wire under tension somehow?

or

And this one is decaying somehow, I think. Note the rotting pole at top ground in addition to the melting pole.

@Brandon , as per your question concerning:

  • “Electrical Poles”

At one of our MHPs we were able to find a Licensed Electrician, who also works for the local Electric Company, to do our Service/Power Poles.

Our Licensed Electrician works after hours to do new meters and poles.

For our poles that are rotted at the ground our Licensed Electrician has replaced them with new poles.

For our poles that are leaning toward the Mobile Home our Licensed Electrician has replaced them with new poles also.

We have one pole that is right next to a gas line on a lot where we moved out an older, smaller Mobile Home and are in the process of replacing it with a newer, bigger Mobile Home.

Thus, the old pole needed to be removed and re-installed once the newer, bigger Mobile Home was setup.

Our Licensed Electrician was concerned about the proximity to the gas line.

Thus, he just cut the pole down so that there would be no interference with the gas line.

Once the newer, bigger Mobile Home is installed we will probably just have a new pole reset at the correct location based on the new size and location of the Mobile Home.

If you are removing or digging around your poles and you have gas lines in your MHP, I would suggest calling to get the lines painted before starting your work.

Also, be mindful of your water lines.

Hitting a water line is no fun.

We had a Mobile Home Mover hit a water line when setting up a Mobile Home and installing the hurricane mobile home tie down straps.

We wish you the very best!

Hi Kristen,
Thank you for the thorough post!
Would you mind sharing how much you paid in parts and labor for each poll replacement you’ve done?

Have you considered conducting any preventative maintenance on any polls that aren’t being replaced?

I think the problem you are having is that you are using an electrician that lives in your park. A licensed, successful electrician makes a good living, and probably would not be one of your tenants. You need to get three bids from three licensed electricians to fix a pole, and then their evaluation of how many need serviced – it will probably be a fraction of what your “in-house” guy is proposing. Don’t go with any electrician ever who is not licensed an insured – electricity is way too dangerous for a half-baked person to mess with. Way too much liability.

We have an old fable of the “pro vs. the schmo”. The pro is always better and, in the end, even cheaper as the “schmo” will always get you into some type of trouble that negates any apparent savings you thought you were getting.

These poles should not be under any stress from the weight or pull of the drops from the main line. Assuming the poles are only leaning (regardless of direction) and not rotten at the ground they simply need to be temporarily braced while the base is dug out and the pole is then straightened and the hole filled. No electrician required.
If the poles are to be replaced you need and electrician to transfer the lines and meters. Bracing of the poles should never be necessary under these conditions assuming the poles are set properly. They may not be set deep enough.
The electrician will coordinate, where necessary, to have the hydro company disconnect the power while transferring the services to the new pole. Usually customers (homeowners) will get a free disconnect and reconnect. As such the home owner may have to make the call to arrange the disconnect for the electrician.
This may be a good time to consider going buried from feed to meter to clean up the eyesore of homeowner areal wires and poles in the community.

Thank you @Kristin !

Does this mean that the poles should all be guyed in opposition to the direction of the drop? The main line drops down to the “drop pole” and there is certainly a pull on the pole from that.

Any idea on what I’d be looking at for cost-per-lot?

And as you suggest @frankrolfe, I would never mess around with an unlicensed electrician! But looking outside the park for a competitor is definitely on my to-do list.

Brandon@Sandell

The pull on the drop pole is only the weight of the wire itself. This is minimal and should never require any guy lines or additional support. If your poles are leaning toward the main line then they are not set in the ground properly.
Cost to bury- no idea - depends on your area and who you get to do it.

@Noel_S , as per your question:

  • “Would you mind sharing how much you paid in parts and labor for each poll replacement you’ve done?”

We would be more than glad to share our prices.

Below is the amount that we have paid in both Labor & Materials:

  • Pole, Weatherhead, Meter Box/Breaker, Conduit & Connect: $825 (Electric Company Provides Meter)

Our Licensed Electricians do NOT live in our MHPs.

@Noel_S , as per your question:

  • “Have you considered conducting any preventative maintenance on any polls that aren’t being replaced?”

Noel, we would love to be at the point of conducting preventative maintenance.

Unfortunately, we are still turning our MHP around and putting out fires.

One day…hopefully sooner than later…we will be at the preventative maintenance point :smile: .

We wish you the very best!