Tree limb landed on my electrical service..

It's why I put my deductible to 15 or 20k. Unless the place burns down or falls over, I have no use for insurance.
Anything under that, I'll deal with.

Like this wiring mess, I'd run it underground, DIY. I could do it for probably under $1000 of materials.

But of course I understand some folks don't happen to own heavy equipment or have at least a working understanding of electrical, plumbing, roofing, construction, etc.... well, and are too darn cheap to pay someone to screw it up worse than I can!

Edit... also AK .gov is pretty forgiving for not butti g in. My land, i.can do want i want. Don't need permits, inspections, special licenses, etc.
So, I assume your home insurance is insanely cheap then? Mine is like $138/month, which I consider inexpensive (vehicle insurance is ~$7,300/year in comparison).
 
  • Like
Reactions: JTK
So, I assume your home insurance is insanely cheap then? Mine is like $138/month, which I consider inexpensive (vehicle insurance is ~$7,300/year in comparison).
About $700 a year.

Vehicle insurance for 5 vehicles is about $1800 a year. Just liability though, don't have anything that'd be worthy of full coverage. Newest is near 20 years old. Oldest over 40.
 
About $700 a year.

Vehicle insurance for 5 vehicles is about $1800 a year. Just liability though, don't have anything that'd be worthy of full coverage. Newest is near 20 years old. Oldest over 40.
I'm paying ~$1,656CDN, which is ~$1,200 USD, so about $500 more.

I have full coverage on both vehicles (as you probably assumed, based on the cost), because of their age (2019 and 2020) and, as I noted, they both (but the Jeep moreso) are hit with higher premiums due to being "theft desirable".
 
I'm paying ~$1,656CDN, which is ~$1,200 USD, so about $500 more.

I have full coverage on both vehicles (as you probably assumed, based on the cost), because of their age (2019 and 2020) and, as I noted, they both (but the Jeep moreso) are hit with higher premiums due to being "theft desirable".
Yeah not many people want a flatbed Dodge 5500 or rusty 25 year old Jetta 🤣
 
Here's the new 200A underground service. $6585, plus $1500 for the excavation. Pretty much all to get me exactly to where I was before the tree limb fell!

E1.webp

E2.webp
E3.webp

E4.webp

E5.webp
 
I came home from work to this about a week ago. The wind and rain that day took down a dead branch that wasn't on my radar. What a mess. The power line running to my house is sagged about 7ft off the ground now. The force of the branch hitting the wires bent my mast/weather head over, stretched my service cables out of the mast and broke the guts out of the weather head. I called the power company to see if there was anything they could do. They came and looked at it, but won't touch it until I have the repairs done on my end. Of course repairs aren't an option as my 150A service is 50yrs old and not to code. I had a few estimates and I want to go underground with the service, as the above ground has been a constant source of stress for me given the amount of trees in the area. Right now, my wires are being precariously supported by the crimp lugs and everything is mashed together.

New 200A UG service, which includes moving my panel slightly to achieve 3ft clearance and all the current code stuff like hard wired smoke detector 10ft from furnace, pull chain light mounted near panel, GFCI outlet mounted near panel is $6500. Excavation for UG service $1500. My panel is in the back corner of my attached garage. $8K I did not anticipate at the moment. The joys of home ownership.

View attachment 281390View attachment 281391View attachment 281392View attachment 281393
I put my service underground with a new panel shortly after buying my place in 1996. What’s ironic is having two abandoned Ma Bell lines still up on the same pole and landing point 😵‍💫
 
  • Like
Reactions: JTK
I put my service underground with a new panel shortly after buying my place in 1996. What’s ironic is having two abandoned Ma Bell lines still up on the same pole and landing point 😵‍💫
I actually had a a tree limb snag and pull down my phone line years ago. I left the phone co's utility box still on the side of my house near my meter, but I cut the service cable from there to the pole on my side of the road. The loose bit still dangles down the pole today, kind of tucked behind my nice new UG electrical and soon to be UG cable service.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4WD
I don't envy the capacity, as I have similar, but I envy the symmetry 🤣
They did a nice job with that. I haven't pulled the panel cover to see how neat it is inside, but I suspect it's decent. I was at work the day they did all the work. They also went room to room in the house, checking every light and receptacle and labelled every breaker. They were at the house from 0700 to 1600.
 
They did a nice job with that. I haven't pulled the panel cover to see how neat it is inside, but I suspect it's decent. I was at work the day they did all the work. They also went room to room in the house, checking every light and receptacle and labelled every breaker. They were at the house from 0700 to 1600.
Compared to some of the recent posts with electrical work it looks exemplary in your pictures
 
  • Like
Reactions: JTK
Back
Top Bottom