Grounding a mast

[hurk27]

Response to the OP the code will allow you to run all the way around a house with SEC's on the outside, a disconnect is only required when you enter the house either outside or nearest point inside, I have done many service drop over pool relocates where I leave the meter in the same spot and pipe PVC up under the eve and around to the gable end of the house where I put an insulator knob and a weather head on the PVC, the last one I did was over a 50' run to the new location, so you have options to leave the meter where it is.

As to the others that made a commit of the SEC's being by a window, you might want to read 230.9(A) a little more closely, as SEC's have an outer jacket and are allowed within 3' of a window.

As far as the south thing goes, I was born and grew up in south Florida, when I first got into the electrical trade (1974) it was common to not only have the disconnect outside but the main breaker panel also, now get this embedded into the stucco with the riser pipe inside of the outside wall, it must have been allowed for some time after I left as when I visited family down there a few years ago, my sisters house was built in the late 80's and had this very setup, I also hear this is done in some places in California also.

Could you imagine to have to go outside with a towel wrapped around you because you tripped a breaker using the hair dryer:ashamed:

 

[norcal]

Response to the OP the code will allow you to run all the way around a house with SEC's on the outside, a disconnect is only required when you enter the house either outside or nearest point inside, I have done many service drop over pool relocates where I leave the meter in the same spot and pipe PVC up under the eve and around to the gable end of the house where I put an insulator knob and a weather head on the PVC, the last one I did was over a 50' run to the new location, so you have options to leave the meter where it is.

As to the others that made a commit of the SEC's being by a window, you might want to read 230.9(A) a little more closely, as SEC's have an outer jacket and are allowed within 3' of a window.

As far as the south thing goes, I was born and grew up in south Florida, when I first got into the electrical trade (1974) it was common to not only have the disconnect outside but the main breaker panel also, now get this embedded into the stucco with the riser pipe inside of the outside wall, it must have been allowed for some time after I left as when I visited family down there a few years ago, my sisters house was built in the late 80's and had this very setup, I also hear this is done in some places in California also.

Could you imagine to have to go outside with a towel wrapped around you because you tripped a breaker using the hair dryer:ashamed:

For residential, a "all in one" panel is normal in CA, w/ semi-flush used in new construction, this is the panel on my house 200A over head service. SE cable is certainly NEC compliant but it is not in the PG&E Greenbook as a allowable method. Any SE install around here is prob. 50-60 years old.

You cannot beat the low cost of these panels & since basements are uncommon because no need to dig deep footings, that's the way it is......

 

[renosteinke]

Did you hear the one about this Southern Firemen who walks into a bar ....

Come, on, let's get a life.

There's more than one way to skin a cat. No one way is 'perfect,' and regional practices often reflect the preferences of regional suppliers, or choices made long ago. ust because you've always done something one way, it does not mean that's the only way, or even the best way, to do things.

Getting back to the OP, I'm a bit puzzled over what's the problem. I'd either set a small all-in-one with a mast right where the old service was ..... or I'd put it to the right of the window, with a feeder to the old location. If the OP wanted to run SER up to the peak of the roof, good for him. It's not that big an issue.

Cheap? BS. "Market forces" already squeeze our normal installs into the 'cheap' category. Anything less, and you're doing charity; get a receipt and write it off on your taxes.

Poor? Hell, I'm poor. My house doesn't even have hot water or a TV set. OK, I'm working on those .... but anyone who has those things is ahead of me. Back in the days when I was living in the back of my truck, it never ceased to amaze me the folks who cried 'poverty.' My favorite were the 'fixed income' types whose monthly check was double what I grossed. You want to find sympathy, look for it in a dictionary.

In a kinder vein, let me post a challenge: Price this job two ways. Price it doing it 'normal,' and price it as 'handyman hack.' How much difference is there? Did the 'hack' take more time? Now you have your answer as to whether it's worth it to cut corners.

 

[jap]

For residential, a "all in one" panel is normal in CA, w/ semi-flush used in new construction, this is the panel on my house 200A over head service. SE cable is certainly NEC compliant but it is not in the PG&E Greenbook as a allowable method. Any SE install around here is prob. 50-60 years old.

You cannot beat the low cost of these panels & since basements are uncommon because no need to dig deep footings, that's the way it is......

Where is this meter being fed from? or am I just not seeing it?

 

[renosteinke]

You're just not seeing it.

Panel feed is almost certainly underground, coming up to the panel using conduit within the wall.

 

[jap]

I thought he had mentioned it was an overhead service and I was surprised they would let the service conductors travel that far inside the wall.

 

[jap]

Or maybe it is piped up through the roof, I cant tell from the picture but it doesnt look like there's enough recessed for a pipe.

 

[norcal]

Where is this meter being fed from? or am I just not seeing it?

The service is overhead, the panel is suitible for overhead or UG feed. It is a semi-flush in a 2X4 wall w/ a 2" IMC mast.

 

[kwired]

The service is overhead, the panel is suitible for overhead or UG feed. It is a semi-flush in a 2X4 wall w/ a 2" IMC mast.

In places where they do this kind of install, are those conductors considered inside or outside the structure? Remember the overcurrent protection is on the load side of those conductors. NEC only says the service disconnect needs to be "nearest the point of entrance" or something very close to that anyway, which has made some jurisdictions establish their own length of conductor allowed to enter the building before it must hit an overcurrent device. In many places an enclosed mast like that would usually exceed how much conductor is allowed to enter the structure before hitting an overcurrent device.

 

[jap]

In places where they do this kind of install, are those conductors considered inside or outside the structure? Remember the overcurrent protection is on the load side of those conductors. NEC only says the service disconnect needs to be "nearest the point of entrance" or something very close to that anyway, which has made some jurisdictions establish their own length of conductor allowed to enter the building before it must hit an overcurrent device. In many places an enclosed mast like that would usually exceed how much conductor is allowed to enter the structure before hitting an overcurrent device.

My point exactly.

Around here that type of install would not be allowed.
But maybe it is, where this is at.

JAP>

 

[emfforhire]

Service mast

Service mast

Very sloppy existing installation. Glad to hear the inspector wants the upgrade. I would use 2 inch E M T and factory elebows to get you right below the peak. Transition to ridged for the last four feet of vertical conduit strapped to a piece of strut mounted with lags on the face of the soffit. A insulated mast clamp will serve as point of attachment. I am in New Orleans and we never see S E U. , not that there would be anything wrong with it installed properly. We say service increase NOT heavy up.