This just looks wrong...

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stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
kingpb said:
I think this is a good example of how the minimum NEC requirements have become the norm, because it's cheap, instead of being practical. It wouldn't take much for a youngster playing around with an hammer and a nail to inadvertently cause some serious injury. IMO: Code or no Code, from an engineering prospective this is unsafe and unacceptable.

Thats why your an engineer... and not an electrician...


I have NEVER gone to a troublecall for SE cable that got damage from not being protected... What I really like is when an ice storm comes thru, and the SE services only require a new weather head and refasten to the building, when anything in pvc has to be completely re-installed.
 
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mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
kingpb said:
It wouldn't take much for a youngster playing around with an hammer and a nail to inadvertantly cause some serious injury. IMO: .
Yeah, that happens quite a bit. When my kids were young, it took all I could do to keep them from hammering nails into the SE cable everytime they went outside to play.

The only damaged SE cables that I have ever seen in my career were those that were cracked from age, weather, and sun. When that happens, the rest of the service equipment is also pretty much at the end of it's life too. It's sorta like the pop-up turkey timers. When the SE cable jacket cracks open, the service is "done".
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
Maybe it's a regional thing, but a lot of people on this forum sure express a lot of shock when they see a service that consists entirely of service cable.

In my neighborhood, a raceway is the exception, not the rule (mast services don't count. ;)) And that hasn't changed. The brand new house right around the corner from me........service cable. And as Bob said, I can drive around in any town or city throughout most of the Northeastern states and see service cable on the side of of just about every dwelling unit.

My advice to those that think this is wrong....expand your horizons a little, and don't throw stones just because something looks different. :) I thought the Western "all in one" services were pretty weird the first time I saw one in person, but that's how things are done there. Same with service cable here.
 

dcspector

Senior Member
Location
Burke, Virginia
Peter, I did not cast a stone just an interpretation....I mean look at 230.50 what are we to think? I have been an EC....not a "wannabe" for 18 years and now an Inspector and I feel regardless of POCO that exposed SE on the exterior is subject to physical damage......sorry.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
dcspector said:
Ok Bob..........

Greg what does that mean?

If I do not agree with your interpretation your upset?

It appears that the entire North East corner of the US sees it different.

What does that mean?

Not much at all other than each area has there own way of doing things that work for them. :cool: :smile:
 

racerdave3

Senior Member
I find all of this "concern" about running services with "unprotected" SE cable to be amusing. I've been doing them with this method for over 20 years now and have not seen a single problem with one of them yet. Now I'm not saying that the installation of the service in conduit is a bad thing, but it is just another method that may be used if the homeowner desires it (or if the situation calls for physical protection). The comment about the kids hammering nails into the SE cable brings to mind people's concerns over lead paint and the risk of kids chewing on the paint of window sills............maybe its the same kids.........they chew on window sills and get lead paint poisoning, then in a disoriented state run outside and drive spikes into the electrical service :grin: :grin: :grin: On a serious note, there was one service that we installed about 18 years ago that was a 200 Amp, installed with SE cable. One night someone decided to hook a chain, rope or cable around it where it entered the house and hook it to their truck and drive away. Needless to say it was quite a mess and destroyed the panel inside. Now this could have been just as easily done if the service was installed in cable, RMC, PVC, EMT or anything else. Lucky for the nimrod that did this that the POCO hadn't come to hook this service up yet. :rolleyes:
 

wanderer20001us

Senior Member
Blame it on Bugs Bunny

Blame it on Bugs Bunny

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod_(slang)#searchInput
A nimrod may refer to a silly or foolish person. This usage most likely originated with the classic cartoon character Bugs Bunny, who referred to Elmer Fudd as a "poor little Nimrod." While this was most likely meant to refer to the biblical character of Nimrod, described as "a mighty hunter," the word came to connote one who was easily confounded.
 

donselectric

Senior Member
Location
nh
se services

se services

i can count on one hand how many sevices i did with se cable.
in my little mind its a cheap fast job and it shows..i do use it out the back of a meter if there is to much of a bend or a tight area. i have seen new se
services wicking the water rite onto the main..
my town does not allow it all services to be in a raceway..

jmo
 

racerdave3

Senior Member
donselectric said:
i can count on one hand how many sevices i did with se cable.
in my little mind its a cheap fast job and it shows..i do use it out the back of a meter if there is to much of a bend or a tight area. i have seen new se
services wicking the water rite onto the main..
my town does not allow it all services to be in a raceway..

jmo


Where are you located just out of curiosity?
 

bikeindy

Senior Member
Location
Indianapolis IN
mdshunk said:
The NECA standards on workmanship don't agree.


I don't care I do better than the standards that are set as minimum. I define workmanship at a higher standard. I can't believe that that kind of work is standard practice anywhere. WHERE DID ALL THE CRAFTSMEN GO! here I made this table for you one of the legs is 1/4" shorter than the other 3 but it meets standars just stick some newspaper under it so it doesn't rock. WHO CARES IF IT LOOKS LIKE CRAP!


I DO! damn
 

big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
DCspector,

I'm honestly surprised you're taking such a stance against the exposed SE. You're in northern VA? I grew up in Alexandria; it's where I got into the trade: I don't know that I've ever seen an over-head residential service in conduit around those parts. I'm sure you must've seen thousands of SE cable services, and comparatively few of them are in danger of failing because of physical damage.

What made you take such a strong stance against them?

-John
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
donselectric said:
my town does not allow it all services to be in a raceway..

Again I ask did you see it in writing or is that just what the inspector said?

I have nothing against raceway, I have a serious problem with inspectors making their own rules.
 
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