General Discussion

Edweird

(8,570 posts)

63. I actually install and repair power lines for a living.

Thu Jul 5, 2012, 12:59 PM

Jul 2012

Last edited Thu Jul 5, 2012, 01:35 PM - Edit history (1)

Having lines buried does not prevent outages and makes restoration MUCH more difficult in many ways. They are not the panacea presented here - in fact there is no way other than baseless speculation for laypersons to determine whether having their lines buried would have prevented an outage.

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Post here if buried power lines would have prevented a power outage for you sometime in the last 10 [View all] hedgehog Jul 2012 OP

Probably...but then again, I hear people out in the burbs losing power all the time... Drunken Irishman Jul 2012 #1

I think if we had more buried lines, we'd find out how many hedgehog Jul 2012 #2

I'm guessing they're not as easily accessible, either... Drunken Irishman Jul 2012 #5

Of course, it is harder to run your car into a buried line hedgehog Jul 2012 #6

But running into a transformer cabinet is easier. TexasProgresive Jul 2012 #57

When I lived as a child in Cincinnati... slor Jul 2012 #23

Not all 'burbs have buried lines dflprincess Jul 2012 #36

at least a few times. bullimiami Jul 2012 #3

I'm trying to find out where people think they need buried lines; hedgehog Jul 2012 #4

Anyplace with LOTS of trees. In our case, Chapel Hill, NC. mnhtnbb Jul 2012 #25

That would be us, too, up in Caswell County HillWilliam Jul 2012 #62

1st other caswell cty person tinymontgomery Jul 2012 #68

Hey Neighbor!! HillWilliam Jul 2012 #71

Yea, we can go to one of tinymontgomery Jul 2012 #73

I was surprised to pieces HillWilliam Jul 2012 #75

That was my wife's and mine tinymontgomery Jul 2012 #84

Absolutely, Oklahoma two different times. n/t Still Sensible Jul 2012 #7

Yep, I was going to say Oklahoma Ice Storm 2007 nt a la izquierda Jul 2012 #50

Ditto that Broken_Hero Jul 2012 #99

Oklahoma has trees? LiberalFighter Jul 2012 #72

One or two...they're mostly on the eastern part of the state. n/t cynatnite Jul 2012 #74

The town I lived in-Norman- a la izquierda Jul 2012 #106

Transformer blowed up and dropped hot oil on the dry grass tularetom Jul 2012 #8

effing transformers justabob Jul 2012 #15

they can be pretty loud when they blow KatyMan Jul 2012 #64

Padmounts blow up, too. Only they are at ground level. Edweird Jul 2012 #80

We rarely lose power. All underground local lines and a substation in a valley. HopeHoops Jul 2012 #9

I spent 14 straight hours bailing out my sump crock, 2 years ago, because of an outage Siwsan Jul 2012 #10

Three multi day outages in five years. Warren Stupidity Jul 2012 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author thucythucy Jul 2012 #54

In our region the power companies thucythucy Jul 2012 #55

Burying power lines is not the simple option you COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #60

All these issues can be addressed. thucythucy Jul 2012 #82

I worked as in house counsel for a major Michigan COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #85

I defer to your expertise on retrofitting thucythucy Jul 2012 #88

You're right. Newer communities are now being built COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #89

Sorry to hear about your contractor problem. thucythucy Jul 2012 #90

While I was at the utility in question we usually had COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #97

Germany has managed to do it. dbackjon Jul 2012 #93

Now THAT'S a compelling argument. COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #94

Actually some high-voltage transmission lines can be buried... PoliticAverse Jul 2012 #103

Thank you for that clarification. I was not aware of COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #107

Actually transmission lines can be buried. Edweird Jul 2012 #110

As I told another poster, I had never heard of COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #112

My response when I first heard about underground transmission was Edweird Jul 2012 #113

Imagine the costs for my former utility COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #114

That is a crock of Utiliy company BS dbackjon Jul 2012 #92

Please be kind enough to COLGATE4 Jul 2012 #96

You have no idea what you are talking about. Edweird Jul 2012 #111

Post here "if"... Kolesar Jul 2012 #12

Fixed it - thanks! hedgehog Jul 2012 #13

I have buried lines and we go thru periods of frequent outages. Gidney N Cloyd Jul 2012 #14

We have buried power lines here, and have not had any outages that have not been scheduled in madinmaryland Jul 2012 #16

Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, every summer at least twice. kestrel91316 Jul 2012 #17

Ice storm NW Bos suburbs, had a generator, moved to the burbs, have lost power w/buried lines NotThisTime Jul 2012 #18

Highly recommended that the 'service drop' from the power distribution line to the house is buried Strelnikov_ Jul 2012 #19

Absolutely, also Upstate NY. richmwill Jul 2012 #20

Possibly sakabatou Jul 2012 #21

A fairly strong tropical storm caused me to lose power for 5 days ... spin Jul 2012 #22

Yes. Ice storm of 2004 in NC. We were lucky to spend several days in a hotel. mnhtnbb Jul 2012 #24

Hell yes and worse - San Diego's horrific wildfires in 2007 were CAUSED by sagging unmaintained line Liberty Belle Jul 2012 #26

I live in a neighborhood with buried power lines. MADem Jul 2012 #27

Just last November 30, Los Angeles area... GReedDiamond Jul 2012 #28

NY here too but the ice took out the transfer stations which takes longer to repair.... Historic NY Jul 2012 #29

Yep. YellowRubberDuckie Jul 2012 #30

Northeast Oklahoma - Where should I start? NewMoonTherian Jul 2012 #31

The last 5 days in the DC suburbs MiniMe Jul 2012 #32

foshizzle Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2012 #33

Without a doubt evilhime Jul 2012 #34

Underground not always the answer Avis Jul 2012 #35

last friday into saturday night madrchsod Jul 2012 #37

here in cincinnati Soylent Brice Jul 2012 #38

My newish neighborhood; greiner3 Jul 2012 #39

Our 1980 apt building was rewired sometime and half of our power is over, half under ground. kickysnana Jul 2012 #40

Several outages in the last decade. One about 3 days in the winter. FarCenter Jul 2012 #41

Yes. And what a job creator!! Make power companies with poor records pay 3/4 and the Feds 1/4. nt nanabugg Jul 2012 #42

We must be lucky. emmadoggy Jul 2012 #43

me -VA last Friday! Power out til Tuesday; niece in Arlington still out williesgirl Jul 2012 #44

Hard to say. Igel Jul 2012 #45

Several times ... more than I can count. /nt jimlup Jul 2012 #46

me here in Los Angeles. Tree hit powerlines. Power out for almost a day while they put up new line Liberal_in_LA Jul 2012 #47

Would have prevented at least two fortnight-long power outages for me: hurricane & ice-storm struggle4progress Jul 2012 #48

4 hurricanes (back to back) 2004, 1 tropical strm 2006 quaker bill Jul 2012 #49

Burying power lines has a far bigger advantage than just preventing outages... Scuba Jul 2012 #51

You believe having that same voltage UNDERGROUND would somehow be better? Edweird Jul 2012 #66

The line wouldn't have been broken had it been underground. Three lives would have been saved. Scuba Jul 2012 #69

Those lines have to come up for connection to transformers. Edweird Jul 2012 #79

Yes it would have done so Sherman A1 Jul 2012 #52

23 years in the same apartment in downtown DC, and I've never lost power. DCKit Jul 2012 #53

As someone pointed out, even if they jsut buried the lines from the pole to the house, it would be hedgehog Jul 2012 #56

As I said, "straight line winds, my ass" DCKit Jul 2012 #58

I've experience a derecho before emmadoggy Jul 2012 #86

Generally, I'd agree with the experts or any other storm fan. DCKit Jul 2012 #87

you don't want me to reply to you? Itls not as if youve got anythning to br fribightened of. DCKit Jul 2012 #104

I think it is the nature of the derocho to generate some tornadoes hedgehog Jul 2012 #95

That is your option, at least here in Florida. You can have your service underground if you want. Edweird Jul 2012 #65

surely. texas -hurricanes nt arely staircase Jul 2012 #59

Yep. Several times. Arkana Jul 2012 #61

I actually install and repair power lines for a living. Edweird Jul 2012 #63

I think the question is the comparative frequency of power outages hedgehog Jul 2012 #67

The transmission and distribution lines are monitored. Edweird Jul 2012 #78

It's not such a simple question, actually. MineralMan Jul 2012 #70

I live in Florida - so heck yeah RockaFowler Jul 2012 #76

Yes DBoon Jul 2012 #77

I just went over 24 hours without power Motown_Johnny Jul 2012 #81

Me - June 29 - ohheckyeah Jul 2012 #83

Absolutely. femmocrat Jul 2012 #91

Usually, they do AnnieBW Jul 2012 #98

My old neighborhood in AZ needed more than lines LadyHawkAZ Jul 2012 #100

Very definitely; Puget Sound Scootaloo Jul 2012 #101

here too... WCGreen Jul 2012 #102

Already has. We pay for it every month in a surcharge we voted to have improvments done. Works good. freshwest Jul 2012 #105

Underground lines in neighborhood--above ground feeder lines Grammy23 Jul 2012 #108

Maybe, but I live in earthquake country. Iggo Jul 2012 #109