Flush mounted electrical meter

According to the NEC it says that once the service conductors enter the building/structure they are required to immediately go to the service disconnecting means. That’s why they’re typically run on the outside of the building/structure. These conductors are unfused so keeping them on the outside is a good thing. The NEC also defines what outside of the building actually means.

230.70(A)(1) Readily Accessible Location. The service disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors.

230.6 Conductors Considered Outside the Building. Conductors shall be considered outside of a building or other structure under any of the following conditions:
(1) Where installed under not less than 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete beneath a building or other structure
(2) Where installed within a building or other structure in a raceway that is encased in concrete or brick not less than 50 mm (2 in.) thick
(3) Where installed in any vault that meets the construction requirements of Article 450, Part III
(4) Where installed in conduit and under not less than 450 mm (18 in.) of earth beneath a building or other structure
(5) Where installed within rigid metal conduit (Type RMC) or intermediate metal conduit (Type IMC) used to accommodate the clearance requirements in 230.24 and routed directly through an eave but not a wall of a building

One could argue that once the service conductors are enclosed by the structure finish they are no longer outside of the building and are therefore only permitted to be there if they meet one of the five conditions in 230.6. If they penetrate the side of the building and run into an attic, basement, garage, etc. they would need to immediately enter the service disconnect. 230.6(5) has a provision that allows for a mast to penetrate the structure and run up through an eave.

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Do you remember what year this came about? I know it hasn’t always been the case. I regularly find unfused feeders running all over attics… usually with tools, luggage and Christmas decorations piled on the cable.

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I’ll see what I can dig up from my old versions of the NEC. This is from the 1965 NEC.

230-70. General.
(a) Disconnection from Service Conductors. Means shall be provided for disconnecting all conductors in the building or other structure from the service entrance conductors.
(b) Location. The disconnecting means shall be located at a readily accessible point ~nearest to the entrance of the conductors, either inside or outside the building or other structure. See also Section 230-45 and Section 11O- 15.

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I checked the 1937 and 1940 versions of the NEC and the nearest to the point of entrance of the service conductors is not in the 1937 NEC but does appear in the 1940 NEC.

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Cement splash block for the downspout, sunk into ground a bit (which is ok).

Only OK if it has a positive slope. I think Roy was pointing to the cable.

An underground electrical service feeding directly into the exterior wall from underneath with a flush-mount meter and main disconnect is quite common in CA. The black cover to the right is the main disconnect.

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Ok. I agree with Jeff then. In this pic, looks like a stick.

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Look like some quality AC system installation.

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