Mobile Home Communities

Our Policy

We believe the most important service that Pinnacle Electric offers its customers is peace of mind. As a former manager and maintenace person for a manufactured home community, the owner, Mr. Kern understands some of the pressures and responsabilites of property managers. Our purpose as a part of your team is to remove the immediate problem regarding power issues from your plate and put it on ours. We believe that through improving our techniques in our repetitve repairs and constant training and sharing of information within our organization we are the most reasonably priced and best electrical contractor in the Las Vegas Valley for manufactured home communities. If we do not have the part your community needs, we can find it fast. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week 365 days a year.

Meter Pedestals

Meter pedestals are a critical area. They require close coordination of efforts with NVEnergy, the building department, inspectors, community managers, residents, parts suppliers and of course the electrical technician performing the repairs. A break-down in communicaion in any one of these areas can cause both financial and emotinal distress. Over the past 11 years we have replaced over 100 meter pedestals and made repairs to at least as many. We are familiar with a variety of manufacturers, and even more important, a variety of extreme circumstances. We have both new and used mete pedestals on hand for emergency repairs and replacement. Many types of meter pedestals require 5 to 10 working days to order from supply houses.

Meter Banks

We have repaired and replaced many meter banks in the valley. Common problems with meter banks are obsolete meter socket or buss work. Replacing meter banks most often requires underground work and modifiction of underground conduits to match up with configuration of new equipment. Coordination with NVEnergy, building department, inspectors, managers, and residents is a must. If coordination and installation has a glitch, several residents will be displaced for days until repairs and inspections are complete.

Disconnects

By National Electrical Code standards, a means of disconnect is required to be within site and not more than 30 feet from a manufactured home. If the meter pedestal is within this guidline, a separate disconnect is not required. However, elimination of an existing disconnect may not be the best idea because having in next to the home where it was originally located minimizes trenching in the event of a future move-out and re set-up. It is also required that a ground rod be installed at the disconnect. Most existing installations were installed prior to this code requiement and require an upgrade when an new disconnect is istalled. Disconnects may be of several types:

Junction boxes

- These boxes are usuall pad mounted and either bolted down to a concrete pad or direct burial type. The direct burial type are no longer allowed in clark county and require an upgrade in the event of replacement. Junction boxes typically only have a set of connectors for power in and for power out to the home. There are no provisions for an air conditioner or other item is to connected. Most mobile home communities in the Las Vegas area that have junction boxes have many homes that have equipment that has been "double-landed" under the connectors. The National Electrical Code and Local Jurisdictions require that these are replace and properly installed as repairs are made to the units. The simplest repair and upgrade to these junciton boxes are to install 'load center' type disconnect which provide breakers for the home and extras for any other type of equipment installed outside. Junction boxes do not serve as a 'disconnecting means' because in the event of a fire or other emergency the home cannot be easily disconnected without tools to kill power.

Plug-in boxes

- These boxes provide a receptacle for the home to be plug in connected. It serves as a 'disconnecting means' for emergency disconnect because the home can easily be un-plugged in the event of fire or other emergency. Plug in boxes generally only have one plug in for the home, and occasionally a receptacle. They do not have provisions for other permanent connections such as air conditioners.

Fused disconnects

- Fused disconnects serve as a 'disconnecting means'. Fused disconnects come in basically two types. The first is just a connection for power in and a connection for power out. This type of disconnect does not provide a location for the connection of an air conditioner. If an air conditioner is to be installed either a load center needs to be installed for both the home and the air conditioner or the fused disconnect needs to be replaced with a load center. The second type provides two sets of fuses and connectors for both a home and an air conditioner. Sometimes this type provides receptacle for plug-in connections.

Pedestal disconnects

- Pedestal disconnects serve as a 'disconnecting means'. Pedestals are either direct burial or bolted down to a concrete base. The local jurisidiction no longer allows for new installations to be direct burial. Pedestals have breakers that provide for the home and generally other items to be conneted. Pedestals are more expensive than disconnects and because they require a concrete pad for a base cost more for installation.

Load center disconnects

- Load centers serve as a 'disconecting means', Load centers are weather proof breaker boxes generally mounted to a pressure treated post. In some cases they can be retrofitted to an existing junction box. They are able to have several circuit breakers installed so that the home, air conditioner and other items can be connected to them. Load centers provide the most econonomical upgrade or retrofit to existing systems.