UNDER OR OVER. WHAT’S BEST?
When connecting power to your home, there are two supply options; property poles and overhead power lines or underground mains. Both have their benefits so to help you understand what might work best for you; we’ll explore both.
Underground Mains Supply
The first consideration when connecting power is safety. With an underground supply, there’s no danger of accidentally hitting wires or coming into contact with live wires or experiencing loss of power after a storm or damage from falling vegetation. Once installed, underground power requires not further maintenance and therefore, no further costs. Visually, there are no ugly wires or poles to obstruct your view either.
If you do install an underground supply, it is essential that you know the location of your mains supply before conducting any works that involve digging on your property. Not only is digging up your mains supply inconvenient as well as expensive there’s a high chance of electrocution that can result in serious injury or death.
Capacity is another consideration. Make sure that your electrician considers your unique needs and distances that need to be calculated as you may end up with an insufficient power supply for your requirements. Upgrading at a later stage can be costly and result in an interrupted power supply.
Overhead Supply
Visually, there’s no mistaking where your power lines are. You don’t need to consider their location when digging, but you must be careful that you don’t come into contact with them when undertaking any overhead work such as pruning vegetation. Property poles have a limited lifespan and need to be regularly checked for damage from termites, rot and storms.
Power poles and overhead cabling’s susceptibility to damage can be a serious problem in storm season with repairs being costly and the added inconvenience of being without power for an extended period.
Still unsure what’s best for you?
There’s more info about overhead power here, and underground power here. If you need specific advice, please give us a call. We’ll be able to assess your specific needs and requirements, advise on any issues that could affect your choice one way or the other and provide you with an obligation free quote.
