Electrical service question

[lking (Larry King)]

Attached are a couple of pictures of service wiring. What would you write in the report?
Thanks,
larry

[jfrederick (Joshua Frederick)]

Needs proper clearance for obvious reasons. Have client consult with electrical service provider and/or electrician about corrective options.

[cvilt (Curtis M. Vilt)]

Mast over 5’ needs guy wire.Proper clearence over roof is 3’. I recommend taking interNACHI course on electrical. It gives me reason behind my opinion. It has helped me and its free with membership.

[rmeier2 (Robert Meier)]

Article 230 covers specifics of overhead service drops. You might note that it may damage the roof or the actual conductors themselves besides the Article 230 clearance issues.

There is no 5’ mast rule in the NEC. This maybe covered by the utility company or a local code however.

230.24 Clearances.
Service-drop conductors shall not be readily accessible and shall comply with 230.24(A) through (D) for services not over 600 volts, nominal.
(A) Above Roofs. Conductors shall have a vertical clearance of not less than 2.5 m (8 ft) above the roof surface. The vertical clearance above the roof level shall be maintained for a distance of not less than 900 mm (3 ft) in all directions from the edge of the roof.
Exception No. 1: The area above a roof surface subject to pedestrian or vehicular traffic shall have a vertical clearance from the roof surface in accordance with the clearance requirements of 230.24(B).
Exception No. 2: Where the voltage between conductors does not exceed 300 and the roof has a slope of 100 mm in 300 mm (4 in. in 12 in.) or greater, a reduction in clearance to 900 mm (3 ft) shall be permitted.
Exception No. 3: Where the voltage between conductors does not exceed 300, a reduction in clearance above only the overhanging portion of the roof to not less than 450 mm (18 in.) shall be permitted if (1) not more than 1.8 m (6 ft) of service-drop conductors, 1.2 m (4 ft) horizontally, pass above the roof overhang, and (2) they are terminated at a through-the-roof raceway or approved support.
FPN: See 230.28 for mast supports.
Exception No. 4: The requirement for maintaining the vertical clearance 900 mm (3 ft) from the edge of the roof shall not apply to the final conductor span where the service drop is attached to the side of a building.

230.28 Service Masts as Supports.
Where a service mast is used for the support of service-drop conductors, it shall be of adequate strength or be supported by braces or guys to withstand safely the strain imposed by the service drop. Where raceway-type service masts are used, all raceway fittings shall be identified for use with service masts. Only power service-drop conductors shall be permitted to be attached to a service mast.

[cvilt (Curtis M. Vilt)]

Robert I was referring to NACHI’s electrical education program. I do need to go to the NEC and learn . I have seen the Power Company come out and put a sleeve over the line and let it rub on the roof.?

[rmeier2 (Robert Meier)]

@cvilt

Robert I was referring to NACHI’s electrical education program. I do need to go to the NEC and learn . I have seen the Power Company come out and put a sleeve over the line and let it rub on the roof.?

It’s great that NACHI has you guys looking at the service masts. 5’ may be accepted as a general inspection parameter but it’s not in the NEC that’s why I posted the actual code wording. Who knows what “shall be of adequate strength” really means. The utilities (POCO’s) seem to have their own interpretation since many of them have defined support requirments. I’m unsure if the POCO would provide rub protection on those service drop conductors. Many POCO’s have requirements that say the installation must comply with the NEC. That would bring us back to the Article 230 clearances which this installation fails to meet.

All of this might be outside of the scope of the NEC in the first place. Article 90.2 tells us that service drop conductors are outside of the scope of the NEC.

90.2 Scope.
(A) Covered. This Code covers the installation of electrical conductors, equipment, and raceways; signaling and communications conductors, equipment, and raceways; and optical fiber cables and raceways for the following:
(1) Public and private premises, including buildings, structures, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and floating buildings
(2) Yards, lots, parking lots, carnivals, and industrial substations

(3) Installations of conductors and equipment that connect to the supply of electricity
(4) Installations used by the electric utility, such as office buildings, warehouses, garages, machine shops, and recreational buildings, that are not an integral part of a generating plant, substation, or control center.
(B) Not Covered. This Code does not cover the following:
(1) Installations in ships, watercraft other than floating buildings, railway rolling stock, aircraft, or automotive vehicles other than mobile homes and recreational vehicles
FPN: Although the scope of this Code indicates that the Code does not cover installations in ships, portions of this Code are incorporated by reference into Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 110–113.
(2) Installations underground in mines and self-propelled mobile surface mining machinery and its attendant electrical trailing cable
(3) Installations of railways for generation, transformation, transmission, or distribution of power used exclusively for operation of rolling stock or installations used exclusively for signaling and communications purposes
(4) Installations of communications equipment under the exclusive control of communications utilities located outdoors or in building spaces used exclusively for such installations
**(5) Installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility where such installations
a. Consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated metering, or **
b. Are located in legally established easements or rights-of-way designated by or recognized by public service commissions, utility commissions, or other regulatory agencies having jurisdiction for such installations, or
c. Are on property owned or leased by the electric utility for the purpose of communications, metering, generation, control, transformation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy.

[mcyr (Marcel Cyr, CMI)]

General notes that may help.

Without exception, no parts of swimming pools, wading pools, hot tubs, etc. shall be placed under existing service-drop conductors or any other open overhead wiring. Nor shall such wiring be installed above the following:

A. Swimming pool, wading pool, hot tubs, and the area extending 10 feet horizontally from the inside of the walls of the pool or tub.

B. Diving structures.

C. Observation stands, towers, or platforms.
Other Clearances

The minimum clearance for the service drop conductors to any building or other structure is:

A. 12 feet above finished grade, sidewalks, platforms, decks, or building projections, from which the conductors might be reached (areas subject to pedestrian traffic).

B. 12.5 feet over residential driveways.

C. 18 feet over roads, streets, and other areas subject to truck traffic.

D. Three feet from windows, doors, porches, fire escapes, or similar locations.

E. Where the voltage between conductors does not exceed 300V and the service drop conductors pass over the roof of an intervening building, clearance of three feet is required.

F. The service drop attachment shall not be higher than 25 feet above finished grade unless it is stipulated in the metering specifications.

G. The service drop conductors are not to pass over more than four feet of a building’s roof to reach the point of attachment.

H. The point of attachment (POA)shall be placed so the service conductors do not rub, or come in contact with the building, its eaves, or any intervening building or structure. Any intervening trees on the customer’s property, which may interfere with the service drop, are the customer’s responsibility to trim, or remove.

I. No part of service drop conductors, their drip loops, or their weather head shall come within 12" of communication cables or conductors.

Overhead Service Requirements

[gbeaumont (Gerry Beaumont)]

@Robert_Meier

It’s great that NACHI has you guys looking at the service masts. 5’ may be accepted as a general inspection parameter but it’s not in the NEC that’s why I posted the actual code wording.

Funny thing is that I wrote that course and knowing what the NEC does say, I am pretty sure there is no mention of a 5ft minimum clearance, the 5ft issue is about guide wires on taller masts.

Here’s iNACHIs own image from the course

Regards

Gerry

[lking (Larry King)]

Thanks everyone!

[pabernathy (Paul Abernathy, CMI®, CMECP® Electrical Code Academy,Inc.)]

Regardless of being outside the scope of the National Electrical Code. The fact that unprotected conductors are in contact with the roof surface, and an abrasive roof surface at that would indeed warrant being included in your report. The fact is regardless of the compliance to codes, this is a safety concern that should be spoken about in order to remove the HI from any future liability.

I would not spit out references to the National Electrical Code as it is a service drop BUT just keep in mind that if this was a feeder from a seperate structure that the NEC would indeed play a role in it under Article 225.

All in all…I would write up, “improper clearance on unprotected service drop conductors which could cause a hazardous condition in the future if left uncorrected. Consider contacting your local power company for potential corrective solutions.”

Enjoy…