Temporary Services

Temporary service requirements      This is from Code & Overhead line regulations. Pole Must be solid.  You cant scab a bunch of 2x4's together to make one. Must be minimum 6" x 6", or a class 6 round pole with a 6' top Meter must be between 5 and 6 feet from finished ground. The suggested Minimum length is 17 feet, with 48" in the ground (4 feet buried and 13 feet above ground). It Can be shorter if it doesn't cause the Hydro supply line wires to be too low for the area under them, and it has to be longer if the supply wires cross a roadway where you need 18 feet over the roadway. (remember to account for the sag in the wires). 10% of the pole + 2 feet in the ground. Clearances needed Pedestrian: 12 feet Public Roadway: 18 feet Residential Driveway: 13 feet Accessible Rooftop or Deck: 8 feet Gain markings: The pole has to have a 2" slot  1/2 " deep cut into it that is 12 feet from the bottom but end. (this is to prove it has been buried deep enough) Bracing or guy wires: If there is a substantial pull from the hydro lines, you have to brace or guy it.  Using 2x4's work ok for this, and should be angled at about 30 degrees. Usually this is needed if the line is more than 120 feet or at an angle of more than 20 degrees. A temporary pole does NOT have to be treated. You supply the insulator on the top for the hydro lines and it has to be 6-12 inches below the weatherhead. ================================================================================ Grounding It's the same as for any other service. Use a #6 bare or green insulated . Use a  #4 bare or green insulated if it is subject to mechanical damage. You need 2- 10 foot ground rods 10 feet apart, or  use an approved ground plate buried at least 2 feet deep ================================================================================ Overcurrent Protection Fuses:  You can use fuses, but if you do, then I think you are having a brain dead moment and you are on your own! ( Remember this is a construction site) If someone blows a fuse, they may have to wait till someone brings a new one! Main Breaker must be double pole with a single handle as per 14-302. Combination panels work well for these. ================================================================================ Service size Minimum 30 amp with #10 wire up the pole.  Teck or EMT, or Rigid conduit is fine. The minimum conduit size is ¾" . Remember if you use pipe, you need ground bushings to bond the pipe to the panel and meters per Rule 10-604.  Most Temporary services are 60 amp. ================================================================================ Types of equipment Meter base mounted outside must be weatherproof and a weatherproof panel below it is fine. Standard everyday panels can be used, but you need to build a weatherproof house around it. The house must be made of  ¾" wood and have a lockable door.  The meter has to be outside of the house, usually above it.  Don't forget to seal where the pipe or teck from the meter to the panel enter the top of the house. If you put plugs at the panel and they are outside of the house, they have to be weatherproof in an FS box with a 4 screw gasketed cover. 26-702-2, If you use loomex, it must be NMW. 28-200  and Table 29 says you can use a 20 amp breaker on a 15 amp receptacle for motor loads such as table saws, compressors and pipe threaders etc. (yeah, I know you can go as high as 250% or 30 amp, but imagine the poor carpenter who runs his saw through his cheapo #16 gauge extension cord with a 30 amp breaker on it.). 76-014 (5)(C) says the breaker must match the receptacle, so you must use a 15 amp breaker for a 15 amp receptacle if it is used for general use. (or 20 amp breaker for 20 amp t-slot plugs..etc)

Always check with your local inspector first!

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Braces used to support the pole against the load that Hydro wires may place on it

60 Amp Fused main disconnect feeds a Breaker panel feeding plugs and temporary const trailers

Remember the line Sag! Equipment and people carrying stuff pose a hazard, and YOU are responsible for it all !

You must supply the insulator for the Hydro lines to connect to.

Two different types of panels. Left is a Combination panel, and right is a 60 amp fused disconnect with a loadcenter (MLO or Main Lugs Only Panel)

The meter must be outside the wood housing and all the plywood has to be min 3/4" Remember to seal the hole where the pipe goes thru the wood!

This shows the Hydro lines connected along with telephone lines for the construction trailers.

These two teck cables are feeding construction trailers.  Also note the Ground wire which is connected to a plate electrode buried at least 2 feet deep.  The green ground wire is a bonding wire for the telephone box which is also mounted on this pole. The plugs are inside the wooden house, so do not need to be weatherproof, but they DO need to be on GFCI Breakers!.

Temporary Underground services

All the Electrical stuff covered in temporary overhead services applies to underground services, but the post and underground feed are different. You also still need the weatherproof stuff. The post still must be 6" x 6" minimum size, but it must be buried a minimum of 1 meter (3 feet). It must be long enough to allow the meter to be mounted between 5 and 6 feet above finished grade, so a 8 foot 6x6 is just barely long enough. It will be fed from A New underground Cable to the hydro box.  They want a cable to feed it now, so just use teck or ACWU.