POWER & LIGHT

HYRUM CITY POWER STANDARDS

 If you have questions regarding the Hyrum City Power standards, please contact the Power & Light department during regular business hours at (435)245-6033. To review the current Construction Standards file you can locate it under forms, in the Community Tab. 

Construction Standards

Pole Attachment Form

Electrical Service Load Form

TREE TRIMMING 

Plant Wisely

Trees beautify homes and property and can lower utility bills if correctly sited.  Care should be taken with trees near power lines. Every year power outages are caused by storms that bring trees or limbs down on power lines. You can help by taking a “power friendly” approach in landscaping your property.

Tree Planting Guide:

• Avoid planting directly under power lines.
• Larger trees should be planted 30 feet or more away from lines.
• Plant leaf-bearing trees to the East and West of your home to reduce summer cooling costs, while admitting winter sunlight.
• Plant evergreens and shrubs where they will block cold winter winds.

If you see a hazardous tree near or in your power lines please complete a work order, or call the Hyrum City Offices (435)245-6033 during business hours (M-F 8:00 am-4:30 pm).

Depending on the severity of the situation, the line crew will either take care of it immediately, or have a tree trimming crew take care of it on a scheduled route.  If the lines are determined to be be communication or other utility lines, you will need to make contact with those companies. 

Work Order

GENERATORS 

If you intend to run your generator during a power outage, it poses an electrocution hazard for Hyrum City line crews and for your neighbors who may not know the lines are energized. If the power is restored while your generator is backfeeding, your generator may be severely damaged.

SAFETY TIPS ON USING GENERATORS:

When properly installed and operated, generators offer a safe, and convenient means of powering equipment when electricity is unavailable. However, if improperly installed or operated, generators can be dangerous to our line crews, your neighbors, and yourself.

Backfeeding

Backfeeding is a very dangerous condition in which electricity from your generator flows back through your electrical panel and meter into the Hyrum City’s electrical distribution system. Backfeeding can occur when a generator is connected to your home wiring system without disconnecting from Hyrum City power. The most common way this could occur is if you directly connect a generator to your electrical panel or to a circuit in your home.

If you feed power back into the utility system during an outage, you will energize the transformer serving your house. This poses an electrocution hazard for Hyrum City line crews and for your neighbors who may not know the lines are energized. If power is restored while your generator is backfeeding, your generator may be severely damaged.

How Can Backfeeding Be Prevented?

The simple answer is to always keep generator power and Hyrum City power isolated from each other.

Permanent generators are isolated from the Hyrum City power system with a transfer switch installed between the generator and the electrical panel. The transfer switch allows power to be fed from only one source at a time.

Portable generators are usually connected directly to an appliance or piece of equipment through an extension cord.  As long as the equipment is not hard-wired to the building’s electrical panel, there is no path back to the panel. Transfer switches are available to safely connect portable generators to building electrical systems

How Do Transfer Switches Work?

Transfer switches work by opening the connection to the utility before closing the generator connection, thereby isolating the utility and the generator.

Transfer switches become part of your building wiring system. They require an electrical permit and must be installed by a licensed electrician. The National Electrical Code requires transfer switches for permanently installed generators.

GenerLink Transfer Switch

Hyrum City Power & Light will assist our customers with the proper installation of a GenerLink Transfer Switch.  For more information on the GenerLink Transfer Switch, and to check compatible generators that work with the GenerLink Transfer switch please see their website. 

Generator Operating Safety

In addition to installing your generator safely, there are several important safety rules to know and follow when you are operating a generator:

• Always read and follow the guidelines in your operator’s manual.
• Know how to shut the generator off quickly in case of emergency.
• Never modify a generator in any way.
• Never refuel a generator while it is running or hot.
• Periodically run the generator to assure it will start and run properly when you want it to.

For portable generators a few additional safety rules apply:

• Use adequately sized extension cords.
• Operate the generator in the open, with adequate ventilation – never in a building or enclosure.
• Set the generator on a firm, level surface.
• Operate the generator in a dry location.