With fall's crisp air nipping at our noses, it's time to start wrapping up all of those summer paving and improvement projects. But if these projects have left your service boxes further underground than before and harder to access, you can still retain your easy access to them by adding service box extensions. These extensions allow you to still be able to access your service box without having to dig through your new paving or similar obstructions, causing expensive damage that will require time and money to repair. Here's a quick look at how you can add service box extensions to make it easier to access your service box after new work has been completed.

When paving is going on, it's easy to forget that the level of the surface will end up changing. If your water utility is like most, it's pretty common to have your service boxes near or in the pavement for streets and sidewalks. When those paved surfaces are repaired or replaced, the level of the street can change overall, which means that either your service box access is buried or it's lower than the rest of the street, which creates problems for traffic passing on top of it. How do you access your service boxes once this has taken place?

To raise your service box access up to the new level of the street or sidewalk, you'll need to raise the castings to the same level as the new paving. Many water utilities manage this by adding a service box extension to the top of their existing service box access. Service box extensions are long tubes that add to the height of your service boxes, raising the top to the level of the pavement. They're manufactured from hardy Schedule 40 piping to deliver tough, durable performance year after year, giving you an easy solution to changes in paving height.

Available in two different, commonly-used sizes and a range of different lengths from 3" to 24", the service box extension can be quickly and easily attached to your service box using set screws, with available options for one, two or three set screws depending on your needs. Once you've installed the tubing, simply tighten the set screws to securely fasten the service box extension to the top of your existing service box, then place the top back into place at the surface. By doing so, you continue to have easy access through high-quality service box extensions. The addition of a service box extension makes it easy to turn your shutoff valves on and off at the curb stop. They essentially create a long tube through which you can access the controls on your valves.

Service box extensions provide you with a wide range of new options that make it easier to continue having superior access to your service boxes, even after improvements have taken place. But what if you're not sure whether they're the right option for your water utility's needs? The experienced professionals at New Concept Tools are ready to help you find the right solutions for your water utility's needs. Please feel free to contact us today with any questions, to gain additional details about our exceptional water utility products or to discover what kind of custom fabrication options we can provide for your municipality's needs.