Electrical service in the way of the gutter.

Specific Inspection Topics Electrical Inspections
1

I was working at a home this week building an access ramp for a wheel chair. Above where we were working I noticed that those silly electricians put the incoming electric wires at a place that would interfere with the rain gutter system…the nerve.

Sorry I was unable to photograph, but the aluminum K gutter was installed in a manner that was actually pushing the ‘service drop’ (hope I got my termonoloy right, I go to Paul’s class at the end of the month) down around it.

My questions;

  • what is a comfortable minimum distance between the gutter and the incoming service.
  • how would or should something like this be stated in a report so as not to send flags and flares
  • who should yeild here, I suspect the gutter as it is the easiest to move yet in this case it would cause the meter base to have no protection from the water coming off of the roof because of the design of the home.

Thanks for any input

2

There are no clearance requirements between any guttern and the service cable. I will add, however, that if the gutter is pressed up against the service cable so hard such that it may split the jacket at some point, that would be a cause for concern on a more fundamental level.

3

Thanks, Marc. Are you enjoying the weather here in central PA, I think it’s great until I go out.

4

Agreed-
Often, the utility company will cover the conductors with neoprene where they are likely to contact building surfaces.
I for one, would not like to leave it. The gutter is the least flexible of the two systems. If you want to make in issue of it, the SE should be rerouted, reshaped, etc…