High Voltage Power Lines

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

My electrical knowledge is more of a need-to-know basis, so I thought it would be best to pose this question to the electrical gurus.

We are looking at purchasing property that has high voltage lines along the west perimeter of the parcel. The high voltage wires are located about 30' from the building. Attached is a photo of one of the towers.

hvp1.jpg

Do any of you electrical folks out there foresee any problems or complications with running a laser & computers in a building located near high voltage lines?

[David John Evans]

No I don't think there will be a problem. One thing you could do is go there at night with a fluro tube and wave it at the lines and see if it lights up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Oc12e7JPk David

[Keith Outten]

Mike,

They catch farmers who steal electricity by burying large coils of wire under high voltage lines. There is a huge magnetic field associated with very large power lines and these days the medical community is concerned about long term exposure to even very small magnetic fields over long periods of time. You computer and laser might be fine but you should research the effects on your health.

[Michael Hunter]

In the UK, properties with power lines are much cheaper to buy than those without - and very difficult to sell later!

The type of lines shown in your photo should not pose any problems to your laser or computer.
Hard to say about any medical consequences - if anyone really knows the answer, they are keeping it very quiet.

[Dan Hintz]

Do any of you electrical folks out there foresee any problems or complications with running a laser & computers in a building located near high voltage lines?

No.............

[AL Ursich]

What is happening here is that the old lines like that are being upgraded with huge metal towers on the Power Line Right of Way...... Creating a Firestorm of Homeowner fury... Even a line going through the Delaware River National Park Service Land was to be upgraded and that is in the Court... The Park Service even made a second Gas Pipeline that went through our property and Park Service Land go around taking 8 miles of un touched land. The first pipeline on the Park Service Land has a small foot print...


So a upgrade would be the damger... to Property Value...


As for the Laser... Like posted above, no danger... If you use a electric blanket at night you are getting a massive exposure as compared to the distant power line.

AL

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Thank you for all the input. That video looks rather entertaining. :-)

We are aware that power line easements decrease the value of the property and of all the debates on health issues.

This is not a light decision we are making. We have been house-hunting for 3.5 years and have lost out on several listings even after our offers were accepted. We have upped our price range and lowered our acreage requirements many times in 3 years while we check the listings in 4 counties several times a day. We know all the workers by name in the various County departments due to all the homes we have researched zoning, wetlands, flood zones, well logs, septic as-builts and building permits. We do not want to go thru yet another winter where we are currently located, so we would "settle" on this listing with the power lines. It technically has everything we have been looking for although less acreage then we wanted. It's also cheap enough that we can easily afford to update the things we want & need to update. Plus, it has an incredible, peaceful view for those of us who enjoy looking at hundreds of acres of cows. :-)

It's far from a done deal. If we do decide to place an offer on it and it is accepted, there is still a foreclosure looming over this house and the out-of-state bank could put it on the auction block at any time before the deal is closed.

[Mark Ross]

Realize that if you have any employees you are opening yourself to major lawsuits, warranted or not. Our old building was a lovely "dump" nestled in between numerous natural lightning rods (trees) that not only made our units reboot, but it took out our intertubes. Property is cheap along power lines for many a reason. If nothing else, remember the meth head roaches will sniff around this route. Me, I used them as safe passage on me sleds when I lost track of proper places to run my snowmobile (back before GPS...)

[George Bokros]

I would not consider any property with high voltage power lines on its perimeter. Property value will be risky.