Seeing the comm lines buried like that reminds me of a funny story. A guy a used to work with had worked for the phone company down south. He got a trouble call and when he got there, the owners said the phone worked but it wouldn't ring. They said they can answer the phone and talk to people but it just doesn't ring. He asked them how they knew when to answer the phone. They said "Every time the dog barks, we answer the phone". He took a look out back and the metal dog chain was attached to one of those metal dog chain tie outs that screws into the ground. Unfortunately they had screwed it into the buried phone line! Lol 😆
To knock out those concentric knockouts, use your linesman on each spot weld and wiggle side to side. Clean break with ease. When using disconnects below the meter socket get rid of the LBs. Use the knockout in the back bottom of the disconnect with a 2” romex connector. Saves labor and material money. Instead of duct seal inside a service LB use great stuff fire foam in the gun. U need it for upper penetrations on new residential jobs anyways. It’s expanding foam so it seals better around the conductors. Love the videos Joel! If I lived in Indianapolis I would definitely work for you. Keep up the amazing videos
Would agree with the use of a Romex connector on the back of the disconnect box with some sealer (much easier) as long as you can meet the height requirements of the main breaker and meter.
Really appreciate the time spent putting these videos together. Speaking from the other side of the pond, find it interesting the difference between US and UK electrics.
Word of advise, when you are running a conduit from a service pole, run a 3/4” conduit for the other utilities also. Even if the other utilities already have lines in place, run it and mark it with the address. In my area, if you already have the conduit in the ground the fiber/phone utilities usually won’t charge extra to install the wire. Cable will do it under 200ft or so.
Dude, just found your shorts which has lead me to binging your whole back catalog! I LOVE how transparent you are! Cheers from a 4th year union apprentice who does his own small jobs but very much into the electrical trade as I am a third generation wireman! Thank you for all that you put on the line for this - you not only run a business, handle all the operations, billing, and are killing it in the field PLUS you take your time to explain every move you make in the field! Thank you X3!
I was in desperate need of filters for the machine on a Sunday afternoon. I called Tanya, our rep. at the supplier hoping to leave a message so she would work on that first thing Monday morning. She answered, asked me what was up, gave her the 411, she then said that she was on vacation but would see what she could do. I had a set of the needed filters by 4PM. You can not put a price on service like that.
True story time: About 25 years ago we were installing a set of oil lines (heating oil tank) through the sill board of a facility. We landmarked a 25 pair phone line inside and outside.... then drilled a few inches to the side so everything would be clear. I feel the drill break through, and I yell to the guy on the inside "ok, we're inside a few inches to your right." the guy yells back "you mean a few inches to the left of the phone wires?" It seems the phone guys hit the end of a stud and rather than make a new hole on the outside they pulled back and hit it again at a VERY sharp angle. Someone from the desk ran out and asked us if we knew why the phones went out, which is when we discovered we put a hole directly through that cable. The lesson here is, when in doubt, drill in the next bay over!
Speaking about the trailer panel, I wished I would have known that was an option for the external disconnect you guys installed. I would have loved to have those additional circuits available for outside or to go to my garage.
54:00 why don't you use low/no-expansion flame-retardant foam? It seals around the conductors and freezes them in place and it's dramatically faster to use.
buried that deep, it's a water feature alright, filled with black water, mushy brown darts and white mice and other floaties. lol an abandoned septic tank would have been be my first guess.
Little tip once you drill your exploratory hole take a piece of wire and bend a 90 on the end thats half the diameter of your conduit should look like a L. Insert the measured bent end of the wire into your hole and twist it. This is a quick way to determine if your exploratory hole has any obstruction for the size of the hole. Then make the trip to see if theres any obstructions for your desired path. Have used this technique in various applications from drilling blind through walls or through roofs.
When I have problem getting concentric KO'S out I just break out or bend the first KO then cut the circular 3 ribs with sharp dikes then use side cutters to bend the three hanging pieces. I never used more then 4 screws to mount a 200 amp meter can. If I was going into stone and using 1/4" lead anchors only used 3 screws and fender washers. Years ago we had an old inspector who would hang on meter sockets on new sparkies to check their work.
I was thinking the same thing a jackhammer would have been nice to give to one of your right hand man and still only charge the customer maybe a third of the cost to the homeowners.
Wouldn't it be easier to get the Duct Seal installed if you had the guy on the inside put it around the cables from the inside out? It seems like you would get a better seal around the cables/wire, and then if you wanted to, then you could just foam from the LB side with a can of foam to weather seal from the outside, which would expand around the wires.
On my first new house with no yard , I had to rent a electric jack hammer to cut a hole for a small golden chain tree. Turns out concrete curbs were broken and buried in the front yards of the homes during construction.
I seem to always encounter issues when going from overhead to underground. The underground engineering group will want the conduit coming up at one location and the overhead engineering group will want it on the other side of the utility pole adding an extra sweep. @@ElectricProAcademy
The "disconnect" at 12:00 is NOT a Disconnect. It is a Disconnect KIT. Like a grill- they don't even put the thermostat on the glass. So you get to trade your (USA) time for foreign factory time. If it fits in the same box, it ought to be assembled by the lowest cost labor.
At 39:00 you show your disconnect being connected via an offset to the meter box. There is still a concentric knockout left, doesn't that mean there should have been a ground bushing on that offset instead of a regular nylon bushing? I'm sorry I don't remember the code rule that specifies that, it's just that I did my continuing education last month to renew my license and that was one of the things I remember from the NEC grounding stuff. I'm not trying to knock you down or anything, just trying to justify that continuing education 😂
Ground bushings are required for concentric knockouts above 250 volts. However some utility companies require ground bushing on any metal fitting entering the meter enclosure.
Having encountered the "water feature", would it not have been permissible and less expensive to encase that part of the conduit in concrete to accommodate the non-standard burial depth ?
I’ve never been clear on whether it’s OK to strip the jacket off of SER when running through an LB like that. It’s in conduit, and the individual conductors are typically rated. There’s typically not a clamp holding the loose end of the cable to the LB. So is it really conduit it or is it just a sleeve?
looks like Hardie Board siding panels, best siding, when installed properly, and factory painted, looks like they did the gaps properly must have known what they where doing. Hardie Siding 30 year warranty 15 year paint finish on factory painted stuff
Forgothe trailer panel and get a meter/main combo. It is a Meter with main disconnect with breaker space it is for underground and above ground I think Eaton sells it not 100% sure
I was going to suggest a large cut-off saw instead of a machine rental. Good chance that water feature base is only a few inches thick so only an hour or two of work and easier to get rid of smaller pieces.
Quick question: Does your Indiana utility NOT require you to install meter bases with a lever-operated bypass? This is the second installation I've seen you do without one. Most Minnesota utilities require them, so that when the meter is pulled or changed, power is not lost inside the residence/business. As you know, this protects equipment sensitive to temporary power disruptions: e.g. compressors. We had to upgrade our meter base recently, when we changed out our masthead. Just wondering.
In Ohio, my utility requires horn bypass meter bases. When they swap a meter they use jumper cables to bypass the meter. Fewer parts and lower cost for the base but still allows a bypass.
@@hughesda1006 - that's an interesting design. It doesn't like Joel was using a horn bypass. Though, from the literature, it appears that the horns can be retrofitted.
51:49 “...flathead screwdriver...” was meant to be “...slotted screwdriver...” I knew he meant to say it, because he wouldn’t want to make a rookie mistake like that. No, of course not. 😁
Think prices have gone up or Jefferson electric got grandfathered into an old plan; as the app I’m seeing on my device costs $35/month for usage. That’s the top tier and know have a free tier, which I’d pass on, and the 2nd tier is like $25/month and yes…..paying yearly will get you like $5 off per month I believe
Get some WHIA screwdrivers, much more comfortable, fatigue free after all day use...there is a difference. WHIA best screwdrivers made...feel like an extension of your hand
@@ElectricProAcademy Yes, great stuff I use many Wera and Whia, all great. the way German hand tools fit in your hand, no fatigue, and the tips and stuff seem to last forever, they cost a bit more, but there is a reason it is better stuff, like Knipex wrenches, wire strippers pliers...once ya get used to the better design details, the old standards feel like junk ie. crescent, Klein, channel lock etc.
If the equipment is not to be painted, why not keep a good quality auto paste wax on hand and give everything a slathering to delay the onset of decrepidness. The home owner could be advised to wax it every year just to keep that “shiny new car” appearance (if they give a damn).
26:57 I would have just recommended over head, trenching you never know what you gonna get, avoid the headaches and surprises and labor intense buddy…..!!!!
3:59 bro you are cheap $ I’ve would have charged like $500 as an add on service or change order stamped and signed b 4 anything, he must be ure buddy…!!!!
Seeing the comm lines buried like that reminds me of a funny story. A guy a used to work with had worked for the phone company down south. He got a trouble call and when he got there, the owners said the phone worked but it wouldn't ring. They said they can answer the phone and talk to people but it just doesn't ring. He asked them how they knew when to answer the phone. They said "Every time the dog barks, we answer the phone". He took a look out back and the metal dog chain was attached to one of those metal dog chain tie outs that screws into the ground. Unfortunately they had screwed it into the buried phone line! Lol 😆
To knock out those concentric knockouts, use your linesman on each spot weld and wiggle side to side. Clean break with ease. When using disconnects below the meter socket get rid of the LBs. Use the knockout in the back bottom of the disconnect with a 2” romex connector. Saves labor and material money. Instead of duct seal inside a service LB use great stuff fire foam in the gun. U need it for upper penetrations on new residential jobs anyways. It’s expanding foam so it seals better around the conductors. Love the videos Joel! If I lived in Indianapolis I would definitely work for you. Keep up the amazing videos
Would agree with the use of a Romex connector on the back of the disconnect box with some sealer (much easier) as long as you can meet the height requirements of the main breaker and meter.
Wonderful presentation - thank you.
Crazy how things can get challenging real fast.
Really appreciate the time spent putting these videos together. Speaking from the other side of the pond, find it interesting the difference between US and UK electrics.
Word of advise, when you are running a conduit from a service pole, run a 3/4” conduit for the other utilities also. Even if the other utilities already have lines in place, run it and mark it with the address.
In my area, if you already have the conduit in the ground the fiber/phone utilities usually won’t charge extra to install the wire. Cable will do it under 200ft or so.
You Missed it....
Why not 1"?
Just double it to 2.25 inch runs . It's well over 200 foot ........ Then do a co and change it to overhead anyways
Dude, just found your shorts which has lead me to binging your whole back catalog! I LOVE how transparent you are! Cheers from a 4th year union apprentice who does his own small jobs but very much into the electrical trade as I am a third generation wireman! Thank you for all that you put on the line for this - you not only run a business, handle all the operations, billing, and are killing it in the field PLUS you take your time to explain every move you make in the field! Thank you X3!
Were there skidmarks in his shorts?
I was in desperate need of filters for the machine on a Sunday afternoon. I called Tanya, our rep. at the supplier hoping to leave a message so she would work on that first thing Monday morning. She answered, asked me what was up, gave her the 411, she then said that she was on vacation but would see what she could do. I had a set of the needed filters by 4PM. You can not put a price on service like that.
True story time: About 25 years ago we were installing a set of oil lines (heating oil tank) through the sill board of a facility. We landmarked a 25 pair phone line inside and outside.... then drilled a few inches to the side so everything would be clear. I feel the drill break through, and I yell to the guy on the inside "ok, we're inside a few inches to your right." the guy yells back "you mean a few inches to the left of the phone wires?" It seems the phone guys hit the end of a stud and rather than make a new hole on the outside they pulled back and hit it again at a VERY sharp angle. Someone from the desk ran out and asked us if we knew why the phones went out, which is when we discovered we put a hole directly through that cable. The lesson here is, when in doubt, drill in the next bay over!
Excellent vid Joel , keep em coming ... Thx ...
Speaking about the trailer panel, I wished I would have known that was an option for the external disconnect you guys installed. I would have loved to have those additional circuits available for outside or to go to my garage.
54:00 why don't you use low/no-expansion flame-retardant foam? It seals around the conductors and freezes them in place and it's dramatically faster to use.
@ Joel Work boots that have great Velcro or Boa dials should be the way forward the amount of time you take off and put on boots - big time saver
buried that deep, it's a water feature alright, filled with black water, mushy brown darts and white mice and other floaties. lol an abandoned septic tank would have been be my first guess.
HAHAHAHAAHAHAA...
Little tip once you drill your exploratory hole take a piece of wire and bend a 90 on the end thats half the diameter of your conduit should look like a L. Insert the measured bent end of the wire into your hole and twist it. This is a quick way to determine if your exploratory hole has any obstruction for the size of the hole. Then make the trip to see if theres any obstructions for your desired path. Have used this technique in various applications from drilling blind through walls or through roofs.
Paul at Stud Pack loves that one too! Thanks
Apprentice Tim has the ENERGY! Haha love it
Your videos are excellent.
When I have problem getting concentric KO'S out I just break out or bend the first KO then cut the circular 3 ribs with sharp dikes then use side cutters to bend the three hanging pieces. I never used more then 4 screws to mount a 200 amp meter can. If I was going into stone and using 1/4" lead anchors only used 3 screws and fender washers. Years ago we had an old inspector who would hang on meter sockets on new sparkies to check their work.
you don't have an electric jackhammer? Especially since it's only a pond structure and saving your customer rental fees?
was going to suggest renting a cut-off saw and just burn a trench through the middle. Probably faster than a jackhammer.
I was thinking the same thing a jackhammer would have been nice to give to one of your right hand man and still only charge the customer maybe a third of the cost to the homeowners.
Wouldn't it be easier to get the Duct Seal installed if you had the guy on the inside put it around the cables from the inside out? It seems like you would get a better seal around the cables/wire, and then if you wanted to, then you could just foam from the LB side with a can of foam to weather seal from the outside, which would expand around the wires.
48:10 the countertop crawlspace dance!
Knee pads, knee pads and knee pads Joel…..good recovery with the wife best friend ❤
Amazing work
Joel, I'm a little late here, but I'd love to know what you do with a bicycle workstand on this job. Right behind you at 5:50.
Thanks for Your video.
On my first new house with no yard , I had to rent a electric jack hammer to cut a hole for a small golden chain tree. Turns out concrete curbs were broken and buried in the front yards of the homes during construction.
Guh, what a bummer!
Another great video. Did the utility company tell you where to land the sweep at the base of the pole?
Yes, exactly
I seem to always encounter issues when going from overhead to underground. The underground engineering group will want the conduit coming up at one location and the overhead engineering group will want it on the other side of the utility pole adding an extra sweep. @@ElectricProAcademy
Sounds right. 😂
36" of cover? Great video.
The "disconnect" at 12:00 is NOT a Disconnect. It is a Disconnect KIT. Like a grill- they don't even put the thermostat on the glass. So you get to trade your (USA) time for foreign factory time. If it fits in the same box, it ought to be assembled by the lowest cost labor.
At 39:00 you show your disconnect being connected via an offset to the meter box. There is still a concentric knockout left, doesn't that mean there should have been a ground bushing on that offset instead of a regular nylon bushing?
I'm sorry I don't remember the code rule that specifies that, it's just that I did my continuing education last month to renew my license and that was one of the things I remember from the NEC grounding stuff.
I'm not trying to knock you down or anything, just trying to justify that continuing education 😂
Ground bushings are required for concentric knockouts above 250 volts. However some utility companies require ground bushing on any metal fitting entering the meter enclosure.
When you said 20 ton excavator, I'm not sure you realized how big it is, and how you were going to get it into backyard
Having encountered the "water feature", would it not have been permissible and less expensive to encase that part of the conduit in concrete to accommodate the non-standard burial depth ?
in my area some inspectors will allow that, and others won't.
^^^ No dice from our AHJ, but maybe yours...
What is the make/model of the external disconnect y'all used on this job?
I’ve never been clear on whether it’s OK to strip the jacket off of SER when running through an LB like that. It’s in conduit, and the individual conductors are typically rated. There’s typically not a clamp holding the loose end of the cable to the LB. So is it really conduit it or is it just a sleeve?
Just don't take the cover off of the LB and no one knows.
The insulation should have been intact in the LB
Odd, how you are allowed to work on the stuff actually on the pole, here that is all done by the Utility....no touch, only them
Yeah, the efficiency is nice, but the risk is a bummer. We'd be ok with it NOT becoming the standard nationwide.
looks like Hardie Board siding panels, best siding, when installed properly, and factory painted, looks like they did the gaps properly must have known what they where doing. Hardie Siding 30 year warranty 15 year paint finish on factory painted stuff
What a cliff hanger 😂
😅 Sorry, we're working on keeping our videos under an hour based on viewer feedback!
God bless you all in Jesus name! Really
Forgothe trailer panel and get a meter/main combo. It is a Meter with main disconnect with breaker space it is for underground and above ground I think Eaton sells it not 100% sure
Did You Guys explore the option of going underneath the Slab ???
I was going to suggest a large cut-off saw instead of a machine rental. Good chance that water feature base is only a few inches thick so only an hour or two of work and easier to get rid of smaller pieces.
Can you link the 200a disconnect you used?
Quick question: Does your Indiana utility NOT require you to install meter bases with a lever-operated bypass? This is the second installation I've seen you do without one. Most Minnesota utilities require them, so that when the meter is pulled or changed, power is not lost inside the residence/business. As you know, this protects equipment sensitive to temporary power disruptions: e.g. compressors. We had to upgrade our meter base recently, when we changed out our masthead. Just wondering.
In Ohio, my utility requires horn bypass meter bases. When they swap a meter they use jumper cables to bypass the meter. Fewer parts and lower cost for the base but still allows a bypass.
@@hughesda1006 - that's an interesting design. It doesn't like Joel was using a horn bypass. Though, from the literature, it appears that the horns can be retrofitted.
As a homeowner in Wisconsin we have nothing like that. Ours is like in the video, if the power company takes your meter you have no power.
51:49 “...flathead screwdriver...” was meant to be “...slotted screwdriver...” I knew he meant to say it, because he wouldn’t want to make a rookie mistake like that. No, of course not. 😁
Penultimate. It's not "pent-ultimate", it's "PEN-ULTIMATE", for the record. So, incorrect-incorrect use.
*facepalm* Thanks!
Think prices have gone up or Jefferson electric got grandfathered into an old plan; as the app I’m seeing on my device costs $35/month for usage. That’s the top tier and know have a free tier, which I’d pass on, and the 2nd tier is like $25/month and yes…..paying yearly will get you like $5 off per month I believe
Lordy... talk to the homeowner... sounds like the dude is trying to get out of work
I think a meter main combo would have been better for that service.
Oh my god. That poor fiber. You said it was fiber and then started pulling on it like it was a chain.
It was asking for it.
@@ElectricProAcademy LMAO that's the funniest response. I'm literally crying imaging you reading and thinking of that as a reply.
Concrete saw, and a sledge hammer?
👍⚡
whats the goto trailer panel ??
Not picky. Whatever the free market generously offers our warehouse 😅
Before I watch vid: old oil furnace tank ?
14:47 that should be standard, when I’m doing a MPA I like the combo meter main base panel with 8 spots for immediate future circuits installs…!!!!!
Get some WHIA screwdrivers, much more comfortable, fatigue free after all day use...there is a difference. WHIA best screwdrivers made...feel like an extension of your hand
What do you think of the Weras? We're about to make them standard for our apprentices
@@ElectricProAcademy Yes, great stuff I use many Wera and Whia, all great. the way German hand tools fit in your hand, no fatigue, and the tips and stuff seem to last forever, they cost a bit more, but there is a reason it is better stuff, like Knipex wrenches, wire strippers pliers...once ya get used to the better design details, the old standards feel like junk ie. crescent, Klein, channel lock etc.
@@ElectricProAcademy Wiha in my view are better, knipex are good as well. Pliers and cutters knipex all the way
If the equipment is not to be painted, why not keep a good quality auto paste wax on hand and give everything a slathering to delay the onset of decrepidness. The home owner could be advised to wax it every year just to keep that “shiny new car” appearance (if they give a damn).
It's already painted and designed for use outdoors.
36” deep? Indiana😭
E-centric knockout? I think you mean "eccentric" knockout.
Guys who are good at angles and calculations are not necessarily correct.
Concentric circles vs eccentric circles... pronounced "excentric"
Thanks 😅
You drill through walls
26:57 I would have just recommended over head, trenching you never know what you gonna get, avoid the headaches and surprises and labor intense buddy…..!!!!
Easier on us to go overhead, but probably more reliable for the homeowner long-term to go underground, so we're glad we could make it work!
3:59 bro you are cheap $ I’ve would have charged like $500 as an add on service or change order stamped and signed b 4 anything, he must be ure buddy…!!!!