Grain Bin Clearances
Planing a new grain bin?
Start with Woodbury County REC
Before planning to build a new grain bin, contact us to review the specific safety clearances, along with the electrical safety service requirements and associated charges.
Woodbury County REC will provide assistance in planning for a safe environment for everyone working and living around grain bins. The State of Iowa requires specific clearances for electric lines around grain bins, with different standards for those filled by portable and permanent augers, conveyors and elevators.
Below, is drawing of the specific clearances required for both scenarios. If you have any questions concerning the drawings, please contact your electric cooperative. Or download information here.
According to the Iowa Electric Safety Code found in Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 199 -- 25.2(3) b. An electric utility may refuse to provide electric service to any grain bin built near an existing electric line which does not provide the clearances required by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)C2-2012 “National Electrical Safety Code,” Rule 234F. This paragraph “b” shall apply only to grain bins loaded by portable augers, conveyors or elevators and built after September 9, 1992, or to grain bins loaded by permanently installed augers, conveyors, or elevator systems installed after December 24, 1997. (As adopted by the Iowa Utilities Board)
The cooperative is required by the Iowa Utilities Board to provide an annual notice to farmers, farm lenders, grain bin merchants, and city and county zoning officials. If you have any questions concerning clearance regulations, please contact us.
Disclaimer: These drawings are provided as part of Iowa electric cooperatives’ annual public information campaign and are based on the 2012 Edition of the NESC as corrected. To view the actual drawings refer to 2012 Edition National Electrical Safety Code and the Errata to 2012 Edition National Electrical Safety Code Correction Sheet issued April 29, 2013. Every care has been taken for the correctness of the contents of these drawings. However, the IAEC and its member cooperatives accept no liability whatsoever for omissions or errors, technical inaccuracies, typographical mistakes or for damages of any kind arising from the use of the contents of these drawings, whether textual or graphical.