temporary power pole question

[seekir]

Your electrician will get the proper permissions and do it. Pretty sure Hawaii's regs don't permit an owner builder to do electrical work.

[ericlp]

How much are they charging for kW these days for temp power? Probably around 70cents a Kilowatt. I think at those rates a battery bank and a honda 2000 watt generator would be the best way to go. Then later down the road you can invest in a decent charger, inverter and 4-5 170Watt solar panels. Free power for 30+ years and you can laugh your a$$ off every time helco wants to hike up the power...

Yes, you can go down to HPM and buy the temp power pole kit. It's about 500 bucks. (was the last time I bought one). If your handy I did mine myself but I would guess it would cost a couple hundred bucks to install it. It's pretty easy, just set the 4x4 in a dip in the lava I actually had dirt in orchidland so I dug down about 3 feet and cemented mine in (that's optional) next you gotta make a triangle thing with the two 2x4's going out towards the pull of the wire and the other one in the back. Stake them, and brace em, you don't have to brace them but I did for extra support. Next, attach the plywood and the box. next you can wire it in you get some #1 wire that goes to the weather head and an eye bolt at the top. Or your electrician can wire it in for you then your electrician calls out for helco to come out and inspect your handy work (about a week).. If it passes they will come out and hook you up ... get ready to write out some checks. Gotta pay electrician and Helco to come and hook it up I think it was around 500 bucks. So, expect to pay between 1K+ depending on your skill level... You will get a diagram and instructions with the kit. Your only suppose to get on 15amp breaker but I told em I wanted a 75amp breaker they tried to give me a lot stink eye for asking for that... but they sold it to me anyway. Your probably better off just going down to HomeDepot or getting a used temp pole they come up on craigslist every few months. Usually someone will sell you the whole thing for 50-100 bucks.

Next? Get ready to bend over ... Cause Helco is gonna rip ya a new one when you get those temp rates. That's the incentive to get off of Temp and on to regular power. I'm sure someone on here could help you out on installing it...

If you need an electrician the best one is right here! Jerry.

[Shawna]

I'm thinking about buying a peice of property in Ocean View that dose not have power to it. Some one told me instead of getting building permits to get power that I can get a commercial hook up witch is ment to run a water pump and dose not require building permits is this true?

[unknownjulie]

This is not true. You still have to pull permits for at least some type of glorified carport structure- or similar. Also, the power is more expensive than the residential rate. I wrote extensively about how to actually do this on another thread - where I actually called HELCO about this, and reported what they told me. It sounds like it could get very expensive.

[kalakoa]

I know someone who's done this; a "pump permit" does not require a "building permit".

Your drilling company will pull the electrical permit for your pump.

[unknownjulie]

Now I am extremely interested! What drilling company did this, and was it recent (new codes)? What was the pump to be used for? thanks!

[Carey]

Ranchers do have wells drilled for water, esp. in the dryer areas like the OP is in.... if there is an aquifer in a reasonable distance (and that is NOT to the water lens, there are high altitude aquifers around the island...hence the water in Kaloko mauka...

That is the normal well application of the water pump electric permit.... and I have seen some catchment electric lines off of Mana Rd, so most likely some of the catchment guys can also assist in the water pump permit....

Not everyone is trying to build something, there are agriculture land uses that the county does allow electric for, that are not building related...

[unknownjulie]

Well, it is a "building forum". I was thinking about the water pumps for those combination talapia/lettuce setups that people make. IF you can get an electric permit from HELCO for one of those without a building permit, I want info!

[kalakoa]

Read between the lines: your drilling company pulls the electrical permit... some kind of pole is installed... HELCO hooks it up... I didn't say anything about actually drilling a well or having a pump.

[unknownjulie]

Thanks for "guiding the blind"