RESIDENTIAL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
The purpose of these requirements is to assist you and your contractor in obtaining electrical service for your residence. It describes the work SVEC will do and the work SVEC requires all members to do for electrical service. Following these guidelines and procedures allows SVEC to provide electric service in a cost effective and timely manner.
It is the customer’s responsibility to contact the local building inspector for specifics and to comply with all Federal, State and local wiring codes.
Some of the requirements described here in are necessarily broad to cover a wide range of conditions. For answers to more specific questions or concerns, please contact our Operations Manager at 530-233-3511.
These requirements describe only the wires and equipment typically installed on your property. If your residence is located farther than about 200 feet from an existing SVEC line, a primary or high voltage line extension may also be needed. If a primary extension is required SVEC will discuss the details with you.
Should SVEC be required to install facilities across properties other than your own, right-of-way for these facilities must be obtained. SVEC will obtain right-of-way on public lands, such as the Forest Service, and requires that you obtain right-of-way for private land. If this is necessary SVEC will discuss the details with you.
It is the customer’s responsibility to acquire all of the necessary permits and inspections from the appropriate agency's involved.
For residential construction in Modoc or Lassen Counties, the county building codes require that you have a well and septic system on your property prior to the installation of electrical power.
It is recommended that you hire a qualified electrical contractor, familiar with the applicable building codes to do the wiring for you.
OVERHEAD RESIDENTIAL SERVICE
PURPOSE
This section describes the installation of an overhead electrical service to a residence with the meter installed on the house. Overhead service consists of poles and wires installed from the nearest Surprise Valley Electrification Corp. (SVEC) line across your property to your residence. Service will be provided in accordance with SVEC's Line Extension Policy.
LIMITS
The typical single family residential service consists of a transformer pole, service wire, and a 200 amp meter base installed on your house. The following limits apply to this type of service.
The typical maximum size self-contained meter base that can be installed on a single residence is limited to 200 amps. If your requirements are greater than 200 amps, please contact SVEC.
The length of the electrical service should be limited to no more than 200 feet. The reason for this limit is voltage drop or loss in the service wire to the house. Should the length of service be such that it would prove electrically prohibitive, a transformer and primary extension may be required.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
- You are responsible for furnishing, installing, and maintaining the following equipment.
- The riser conduit; a minimum 2 inch diameter rigid steel electrical conduit.
- Service entrance wire; this wire is installed from the meter base to the weather head on the riser conduit. Minimum 18" leads to extend from the weatherhead from connection to SVEC's service wire.
- A weatherhead installed on top of the riser conduit.
- The meter base and main breaker.
- One 8 foot ground rod. (Two ground rods spaced 6 feet apart in Oregon.)
You must arrange for the county to inspect and approve the installation of this equipment before SVEC will connect the service.
This equipment must be installed in accordance with local, state and national electrical codes. The county inspection verifies compliance with these codes with the meter base is inspected.
SVEC'S RESPONSIBILITY
SVEC will furnish and install the service drop wires, and poles needed to support this wire, connectors and the meter.
SERVICE AND METER LOCATION
All meter locations will be approved be SVEC prior to construction. The preferred location for the meter base is a wall facing the nearest SVEC pole line. This location keeps the length of the service to a minimum, providing the lowest cost and best power quality. The meter shall not be located in an enclosed area, such as a porch or garage, and shall be accessible to SVEC personal at all times, The Location of the service must also consider the clearance of the wires over driveways and roads. These clearances are required by safety codes for the protection of all.
The service wire must not go over any other buildings on you property. This helps prevent accidental contact with these wires and is for your safety.
Please contact SVEC early in the process of planning and designing your residence. This allows us to agree on a meter location, which meets both our needs before construction has started. A change in the meter location after construction has started can be costly. You may be required to relocate the meter base or accept a longer, more expensive route for installation of the electrical service, which would be at your expense.
Detailed drawings are available by contacting our Operations Manager at our Alturas office.
OVERHEAD SERVICE TO A SVEC OWNED SERVICE POLE
PURPOSE
This section describes the installation of an overhead electrical service to a residence with the meter installed on a SVEC owned service pole. This type of service is commonly used when the meter can not be installed on the house, or when you elect to install overhead wires to other buildings on your property. Overhead service consists of poles and wires installed from the nearest SVEC line across your property to the service pole. Service will be provided in accordance with SVEC's Line Extension Policy.
LIMITS
The typical single family residential service of this type consist of a transformer pole, service wire, and a 200 amp meter base installed on a SVEC owned service pole. The following limits apply to this type of service.
The typical maximum size self-contained meter base that can be installed on a service pole in limited to 200 amps. If your requirements are greater than 200 amps, please contact SVEC.
The length of the electrical service should be limited to no more than 200 feet due to possible voltage drop. Should the length of service be such that it would prove electrically prohibitive, a transformer and primary extension may be required.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
You are responsible for furnishing, installing, and maintaining the following equipment.
- Riser Conduit: The overhead riser conduit shall be a minimum 2 inch in diameter Schedule 80 PVC or rigid steel electrical conduit. If rigid steel is used, it must be covered with a suitable molding.
- The underground conduit shall be a minimum 2 inch in diameter rigid steel or Schedule 80 PVC electrical conduit where exposed and minimum 2 inch Schedule 40 PVC electrical conduit where buried.
- Service entrance wire: This wire is installed from the meter base to the weatherhead on the riser conduit. Minimum 18" leads to extend from the weatherhead. A weatherhead installed on top of the riser conduit and riser to extend within 18" of power company attachment.
- The meter base and main breaker.
- One 8 foot ground rod. (Two ground rods spaced 6 feet apart in Oregon.)
You must arrange for the county to insect and approve the installation of this equipment before SVEC will provide electric service.
This equipment must be installed in accordance with local, state, and national electrical codes. The county inspection verifies compliance with these codes when the meter base is inspected.
SVEC'S RESPONSIBILITY
SVEC will furnish and install the service drop wires, and poles needed to support this wire, the meter pole, connectors and the meter.
SERVICE AND METER POLE LOCATION
The meter pole location you chose must be approved by SVEC. This pole, as well as any others, needs to be located so that the service wires do not cross-adjacent properties and any buildings or mobile homes. This helps prevent accidental contact with these wires and is for your safety.
The meter poles should be located at least 10 feet, and no more then 100 feet from any other SVEC pole. For services longer than 100 feet more than one pole will be needed. Things to consider when picking a meter pole location are the overall length of the service and the clearances needed for the wires over driveways and roads. These clearances are required by safety codes for the protection of all.
Please contact SVEC early in the process of planning and designing your residence. This allows us to agree on a meter location, which meets both our needs before construction has started. A change in the meter location after construction can be costly. You may be requested to relocate some of your equipment or accept a longer more expensive route for the installation of electrical service, which would be at you expense.
Detailed drawings are available by contacting our Operations Manager at our Alturas office.
UNDERGROUND RESIDENTIAL SERVICE
PURPOSE
This section describes the installation of an underground electrical service to a residence, with the meter installed either on the house or on a post that you install. This type of service is commonly installed when you do not want overhead lines installed on your property or you live in an area where the overall electrical system is underground. This underground service is installed in a buried conduit from the nearest appropriate SVEC device to you house. Service will be provided in accordance with SVEC Line Extension Policy.
LIMITS
The typical single family residential service of this type consists of less than 200 amp meter base installed on your house. The following limits apply to this type of service.
The typical maximum size self-contained meter base that can be installed on a single residence is limited to 200 amps. If your requirements are greater than 200 amps, please contact SVEC.
The length of the electrical service should be limited to no more than 200 feet due to possible voltage drop. Should the length of service be such that it would prove electrically prohibitive, a transformer and primary extension may be required.
Underground service is required in areas served by an overall underground electrical distribution system.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
You are responsible for furnishing and installing the following equipment and maintaining the meter base.
- Provide or make arrangements and pay for the trench excavation and back fill in accordance with SVEC's specifications.
- Conduit installed in the trench from the meter base to the nearest SVEC facility. The conduit size required is 2 inch in diameter for a 200 amp service. Any conduit exposed above ground level must be Schedule 80 PVC and Schedule 40 PVC where buried. You need to put a 5/32 inch or larger polypropylene pull line in the conduit. The pull line must have a breaking strength of 600 pounds.
If the length of the conduit run contains turns in excess of 270 degrees you may be required to install the details of these boxes if they are needed.
SVEC must inspect the trench and conduit installation before you back fill the ditch. SVEC requires this inspection as we maintain the conduit and wire after initial installation.
The meter base and main breaker or fused disconnect installed either;
- On the side of your residence.
- On a meter post that you install.
- One 8 foot ground rod. (Two ground rods spaced 6 feet apart in Oregon)
You must arrange for the county to inspect and approve the installation of this equipment before SVEC will provide electric service.
This equipment must be installed in accordance with local, state, and national electrical codes. The county inspection verifies compliance with these codes.
SVEC'S RESPONSIBILITY
SVEC will designate the meter location and help you determine, and mark, a route for the trench and the conduit that you install. This route must be relatively straight, no more than three 90-degree bends (270 degrees total), or SVEC crews will not be able to install the wires. The meter location should be on the side of the house facing the nearest SVEC facilities. The meter shall not be located in an enclosed area, such as, a porch or garage, and shall be accessible to SVEC personal at all times. The length of the route also influences the cost and the power quality you will receive from your electrical service.
Please contact SVEC early in the process of planning and designing your residence. This allows us to agree on a meter location, which meets both our needs before construction has started. A change in the meter location after construction has started can be costly. You may be required to relocate some of your equipment or accept a longer more expensive route for the installation of electrical service, which would be at your expense.
Detailed drawings are available by contacting our Operations Manager at our Alturas office.