Access to service drop connections near roof line

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tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
POCO in this area requires ladder access to service drop connections without having a need to walk on a roof. The photo below shows a questionable one (newer garage is in the foreground). I personally do not like it, since there woud be considerable stretching; however, I would like opinions of professionals who have to regularly access these connections.

Also, I am concerned about gas fireplace exhaust near SEC - could not find anything on this.

BTW, SEC is also being pinched between the far end of the gutter and the siding.

Thanks DSCF2640.jpg
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
POCO in this area requires ladder access to service drop connections without having a need to walk on a roof. The photo below shows a questionable one (newer garage is in the foreground). I personally do not like it, since there woud be considerable stretching; however, I would like opinions of professionals who have to regularly access these connections.

Also, I am concerned about gas fireplace exhaust near SEC - could not find anything on this.

BTW, SEC is also being pinched between the far end of the gutter and the siding.

Thanks
Not! :cool:

JMO, accessible doesn't necessarily mean to accommodate work.

Additionally, if the person on the ladder adhered to all safety rules, he'd never truly be able to perform work off the ladder... :happyno:

That looks more like an attic vent than a gas fireplace exhaust. (EDIT: Oh, you're talking about the vent below the upper window. Is that even an approved fireplace exhaust???)

Can't tell for certain from the pic' if the SEC is getting pinched. (It could just be an unusual manner of securing the SEC :p).
 
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tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Not! :cool:

Additionally, if the person on the ladder adhered to all safety rules, he'd never truly be able to perform work off the ladder... :happyno:

Is that even an approved fireplace exhaust???)

Can't tell for certain from the pic' if the SEC is getting pinched. (It could just be an unusual manner of securing the SEC :p).

But if SEC had to be replaced, who and how would this be done? POCO? Here is pic of the pinch.

Could not find any listings on the vent, though there is a gas fireplace inside. On the assumption that it is approved, are there any clearance requirements to the SEC.

DSCF2643.jpg
 

hurk27

Senior Member
POCO in this area requires ladder access to service drop connections without having a need to walk on a roof. The photo below shows a questionable one (newer garage is in the foreground). I personally do not like it, since there woud be considerable stretching; however, I would like opinions of professionals who have to regularly access these connections.

Also, I am concerned about gas fireplace exhaust near SEC - could not find anything on this.

BTW, SEC is also being pinched between the far end of the gutter and the siding.

Thanks View attachment 8019

Unless you could just jump up on the garage roof, I think the drop will still require a ladder to reach it.

As far as the fireplace vent, seems like the wood shaker siding would be more of a problem then worrying about the SEC's as it is much closer to the siding then the SEC's.

As far as the SEC's behind the gutter it looks as if the gutter was installed after the the fact, and looking in the last photo there seems to be no pinching as the SEC's looks like there is a small gap (1/16") so it seems to have the room, I would just make sure they can't move in the wind as it could rub through the jacket
 
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Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
But if SEC had to be replaced, who and how would this be done? POCO? Here is pic of the pinch.
I know of no POCO that does service drops. If it needed to be replaced, simply remove strap screw, and pull the cable and strap out (likely easier after cutting the built-up paint).

Here's a zoomed view. It only appears "trapped", not "pinched", to me.

Trapped SEC.jpg
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Nothing wrong with it from NEC. As said POCO may not approve of it, and they can refuse service if they wish for installations that don't comply with their rules. This is possibly one that they likely will say nothing about - until the day comes when something needs to be done with it.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Isn't the cable supposed to be at least 3 feet away from the window?

Some local codes, maybe. According to NEC, only thing that needs to be 3 feet from a window (only the portions of windows that are intended to open) is the open conductors at the top where they connect to the service drop.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
POCO in this area requires ladder access to service drop connections without having a need to walk on a roof.

It sounds like you (and by implication the POCO) are asking about the splice connections between the POCO wires and the SE cable. Does POCO also care about the physical attachment of the service drop wires to the structure? Or do they assume that a cherry picker will be used for that job if ever needed? The attachment point appears to be even further to the left out of the visible area of the picture.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Some local codes, maybe. According to NEC, only thing that needs to be 3 feet from a window (only the portions of windows that are intended to open) is the open conductors at the top where they connect to the service drop.

open conductors or cable without an outer sheath.

I took the first photo and blew up the area around the top at the weather head, and it looks like the wires coming from the utility are awfully small, if the conductors in the SEC cable are #2, I would guess the wires from the utility side are #10-#8 at most, and they look more like jumpers like in a case where the utility drop was to far to reach with the SEC. Maybe my eyes are going bad LOL
 

hurk27

Senior Member
open conductors or cable without an outer sheath.

I took the first photo and blew up the area around the top at the weather head, and it looks like the wires coming from the utility are awfully small, if the conductors in the SEC cable are #2, I would guess the wires from the utility side are #10-#8 at most, and they look more like jumpers like in a case where the utility drop was to far to reach with the SEC. Maybe my eyes are going bad LOL

It is possible they are cloth/rubber covered solid # 6 hard drawn copper that was used back in the day but the one looks like its white?
 
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