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franc11s Oct 27th 2005 6:35 pm

power lines
 
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how ugly many of the streets of America are with overhead power-lines. They are now putting posts around here that are 100+ft high running side roads. They are allumunium painted brown to make look prettier (just look rusty) but considering there are WIRES EVERYWHERE, the post itself is the least of the ugliness.

It all seems so archaic and the excuse that it's too expensive to put it underground just doesn't wash. Power being out for weeks at a time is a joke in a country where it just doesn't have to be so.

6 million homes were taken out with the storm in Florida. Won't have power for weeks. If they cared that much, they would start planning to put cables under ground.

End of Rant...

Pigtails Oct 27th 2005 6:41 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by franc11s
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how ugly many of the streets of America are with overhead power-lines. They are now putting posts around here that are 100+ft high running side roads. They are allumunium painted brown to make look prettier (just look rusty) but considering there are WIRES EVERYWHERE, the post itself is the least of the ugliness.

It all seems so archaic and the excuse that it's too expensive to put it underground just doesn't wash. Power being out for weeks at a time is a joke in a country where it just doesn't have to be so.

6 million homes were taken out with the storm in Florida. Won't have power for weeks. If they cared that much, they would start planning to put cables under ground.

End of Rant...

It's funny, I was having the same thoughts recently. I thought, in 100 years, we'll look back and say "oh my god, remember when we had all those electric lines running down each street?" It is ugly and archaic looking.

The only problem with putting them underground though, is every time you have an issue, you'd have to dig up the street....don't you think?

franc11s Oct 27th 2005 6:44 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by Pigtails
The only problem with putting them underground though, is every time you have an issue, you'd have to dig up the street....don't you think?

Typically, you don't have "issues" with cables when you bury them, they last for 100's of years.. Also, you bury them deep enough so they don't get dug up by accident but at least though if it's dug up, it's a quick repair whereas a tornado/hurricane takes it out for 1000's of square miles...

Pimpbot Oct 27th 2005 7:28 pm

Re: power lines
 
The city of Scottsdale is spending millions to put a lot of the power lines here under ground. They just ruined our estate though, by cutting down a lot of trees that were getting in the way of the current over heads.

Ray Oct 27th 2005 7:32 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by franc11s
Typically, you don't have "issues" with cables when you bury them, they last for 100's of years.. Also, you bury them deep enough so they don't get dug up by accident but at least though if it's dug up, it's a quick repair whereas a tornado/hurricane takes it out for 1000's of square miles...

Not quite true in the shifting sands of Florida...
Remember Florida is just a big sandbank ...

anotherlimey Oct 27th 2005 8:09 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by Ray
Not quite true in the shifting sands of Florida...
Remember Florida is just a big sandbank ...

and prone to flooding....

Always21 Oct 27th 2005 8:17 pm

Re: power lines
 
They just replaced the poles in our alley (which looks like a 3rd world road, don't get me started on that) that were about 25 feet high with ones about 50 feet high. They also braced the old ones to the new ones and left them there instead of disposing of them. It looks SO ugly.

franc11s Oct 27th 2005 8:25 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by Ray
Not quite true in the shifting sands of Florida...
Remember Florida is just a big sandbank ...

Interesting point. Personally I cannot see why that wouldn't make it easier to bury cable. The cables underneath the million ton 22 story condo compelxes built on the sand seem to cope with underground power !!

Anyone technical know if this is relevant. I like to know this stuff :)

Rushman Oct 27th 2005 8:29 pm

Re: power lines
 
I think the problem is that there's to many chefs spoiling the broth. Got to go through village boards, town boards, county depts, state and regional pen pushers just to get a f**king pencil sharpened up here, so I am assuming it's the same everywhere.

krizzy Oct 27th 2005 8:54 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by franc11s
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how ugly many of the streets of America are with overhead power-lines. They are now putting posts around here that are 100+ft high running side roads. They are allumunium painted brown to make look prettier (just look rusty) but considering there are WIRES EVERYWHERE, the post itself is the least of the ugliness.

It all seems so archaic and the excuse that it's too expensive to put it underground just doesn't wash. Power being out for weeks at a time is a joke in a country where it just doesn't have to be so.

6 million homes were taken out with the storm in Florida. Won't have power for weeks. If they cared that much, they would start planning to put cables under ground.

End of Rant...

Our cables are underground in FL.............and we never lost power in any of the 3 storms last year.........
living here is like going back in time.....don't start me on the pumbing..........

franc11s Oct 27th 2005 8:56 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by krizzy
Our cables are underground in FL.............and we never lost power in any of the 3 storms last year.........
living here is like going back in time.....don't start me on the pumbing..........

6 million people lost power with Wilma in Florida, many still without power. You were lucky. Where in FL are you....

Oh yeah, plumbing... let's not go there but if you gotta go, you gotta go :beer:

krizzy Oct 27th 2005 9:01 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by franc11s
6 million people lost power with Wilma in Florida, many still without power. You were lucky. Where in FL are you....

Oh yeah, plumbing... let's not go there but if you gotta go, you gotta go :beer:

We are in central......3 storms crossed our house last year........we lose the power a lot up in MA..........but they get it back on soon enough......

Bob Oct 27th 2005 11:01 pm

Re: power lines
 
power lines do ruin plenty of nice scenic views and photo's....and so many "roadworks" getting tree's trimmed this time of year is a tad annoying...but what can you do eh...

Yorkieabroad Oct 27th 2005 11:24 pm

Re: power lines
 
We're (hopefully) closing on our new house tomorrow, and theres not a power line in sight :) everything is underground. But its very rare round here. I just can't understand why in some of the other subdivisions people are paying $500k+/- (cheap elsewhere, but pricey for here) for houses with a power pole stuck right at the the end of the garden, often INside their fences - and no-one bats an eyelid at them.

But at least they have tried to camouflage the power cables most places by hiding them behind massive advertising hoardings :(

psb182 Oct 27th 2005 11:34 pm

Re: power lines
 

Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
We're (hopefully) closing on our new house tomorrow, and theres not a power line in sight :) everything is underground. But its very rare round here. I just can't understand why in some of the other subdivisions people are paying $500k+/- (cheap elsewhere, but pricey for here) for houses with a power pole stuck right at the the end of the garden, often INside their fences - and no-one bats an eyelid at them.

But at least they have tried to camouflage the power cables most places by hiding them behind massive advertising hoardings :(


we are in a development with underground power but have lost power 2 times in the past 6 months.......trees fallen on powerlines within a mile or 2 from our house :( ......those power lines feed our development......so basically our street looks pretty but just as likley to lose power as the next guy


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