bphgravity
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
This is the overhead service drop from the utility pole to the dwelling service...
Blockmasons & Electrical Safety
- Thread starter bphgravity
- Start date
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Joethemechanic
Senior Member
- Location
- Hazleton Pa
- Occupation
- Electro-Mechanical Technician. Industrial machinery
I guess they couldn't wait. Who handles the install/removal of the drops there? The POCO?
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
What a crappy job, and that's not counting what they did to the drop.
Has an inspector of any sort seen that mess yet?
Has an inspector of any sort seen that mess yet?
cpinetree
Senior Member
- Location
- SW Florida
the blur
Senior Member
- Location
- cyberspace
what about the 36" rule to service the meter pan.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
This reminds me of a thing I saw in Poland a few years back on the news. People had a house built all according to code and passed all the inspections etc. but they had a situation with the phone company, which refused to remove an overhead cable - supposedly due to lack of funds. So these people ended up building the house with a 1/2" thick telephone cable running through four rooms on the second floor at about 5' off the floor and to make it all the more ridiculous, they were on the waiting list for telephone service. Evidently there was some conflict in the codes which allowed the people to build the house and allowed the phone company to refuse to remove the cable. In the meantime, they hung their laundry on it to dry. Finally, after the story made it to the national news, the phone company agreed to find the funds to move the cable. Video in Polish, but it's fun to watch anyway 
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Which rule would that be outside of local rules or POCO rules?
This reminds me of a thing I saw in Poland a few years back on the news. People had a house built all according to code and passed all the inspections etc. but they had a situation with the phone company, which refused to remove an overhead cable - supposedly due to lack of funds. So these people ended up building the house with a 1/2" thick telephone cable running through four rooms on the second floor at about 5' off the floor and to make it all the more ridiculous, they were on the waiting list for telephone service. Evidently there was some conflict in the codes which allowed the people to build the house and allowed the phone company to refuse to remove the cable. In the meantime, they hung their laundry on it to dry. Finally, after the story made it to the national news, the phone company agreed to find the funds to move the cable. Video in Polish, but it's fun to watch anyway
You sure that is not some Polish joke? Haven't heard any of them for a long time
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
the blur
Senior Member
- Location
- cyberspace
I believe there are 2 rules which relate to "work space" or "working space", but I'm not one to cite code references.
I just make sure my installs have plenty of room all around.
But the problem is what happens after the electrician leaves.
Whomever built the structure that is too close to the panel should be responsible for the violation. But the violation usually arise years after the problem was installed, and no one wants to take responsibility.
I just make sure my installs have plenty of room all around.
But the problem is what happens after the electrician leaves.
Whomever built the structure that is too close to the panel should be responsible for the violation. But the violation usually arise years after the problem was installed, and no one wants to take responsibility.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
What applies to 110.26 has been debated to death and no consensus of whether it applies to meter sockets. Many POCO want a specific clearance at meters anyway and not always same clearance as 110.26.
I have seen meter between two buildings (fairly old buildings) where there was not even enough room to easily read the meter for billing purposes. And have seen situation where they fitted it with a 90 degree adapter so it is easy to read, as long as the reader is skinny enough to fit between the buildings.
I remember where one is at, if it is still there I may just take a picture of it and post it.
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Which rule would that be outside of local rules or POCO rules?
You sure that is not some Polish joke? Haven't heard any of them for a long time
Hehe, I wish it were a joke. Unfortunately people there have to deal with ridiculous situations like this all too often. Since I moved back to the US, I've found out that the tax office in Poland lost my most recent returns there and chased my last business partner down for back taxes which had been paid in 2003, I was put on the wanted list and held at the airport this summer for trying to export blacklisted items (my grandmother's pre-1945 music books from Germany) among my personal goods in 2006 and a bank account I had closed long ago was actually never closed by the bank and they claimed I owed five years of maintenance fees on it. These are just a few of the things that happened AFTER I left. I could go on and on about the stumbling blocks I had to deal with while living there for 14 years.
Some say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I say, at some point, it just makes you crazy
- Location
- Massachusetts
I thought this had been debated before. The clearance for a meter base falls under 110.26. The meter base is customer owned equipment and is not under the control of the POCO. The meterbase also falls under article 312. Does an electrician not install the meter base and have it inspected?
The meter is the only thing owned by the POCO. The cabinet that the POCO installs their CT metering in also has to meet the requirements of 110.26 and 312, just to name a couple. It is customer owned equipment and has to be inspected by the AHJ.
The part about "and associated metering" applies to wiring practices, clearances on poles, etc. when the equipment is owned and maintained by the POCO. In these instances we do not have to have any of our wiring inspected. When we CT meter a building inside a CT cabinet, the inspector inspects the clearances, grounding and bonding inside the cabinet, but not the wiring associated with the POCO metering.
- Location
- Massachusetts
It has and will be again.
That depends on local rules, here the customer must supply the base in other areas the POCO supplies the base, the electrician installs it but it is under the control of the utility.
It does fall under that if it is under customer control, such as the case when I add a meter for say PV production.
I install them, and the inspector comes out to look at the wiring on both sides of it but in most cases IMO the metering equipment, which the base is a part of is outside the NEC.
That is your opinion, it is not a code fact.
I happen to disagree with it but that is also an opinion.
Please point out the wording in the NEC to support that statement.
It amazes me how hard people dig their heels in on this.
I am not saying that no code applies, I am just saying it will be the NESC and not the NEC when the equipment is under the control of the utility. In my area the POCO terms of service make it clear that the customer has to contact the power company if they want to access the meter base. That IMO makes it under the control of the utility.
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
Gee Bob, I was wondering when you would get into this thread.
We have already been through this and disagree, so I am not going to rehash my view to death.
Hv, good luck.
We have already been through this and disagree, so I am not going to rehash my view to death.
Hv, good luck.
I will have to get back to you. After reading some case law, WE BOTH may be arguing a very grey area that has no decisive conclusions. Although I will admit, the argument about sealing the base could put the enclosure exclusively under the POCO control. My concren here is IF the meter enclosure is under the exclusive control of the POCO, who is responsible for maintainance?It has and will be again.
And you have never dug your heels in to argue your opinion?
Sorry jumper, he MAY have a convert. I am going to discuss this with some people tommorrow.
I haven't worked in all areas of the country, only been to Mass. for an ice storm a few years back, but around here, an inspector will fail an installation if the meterbase isn't properly mounted with the 1/4" air space and proper clearances. I have had one fail me because I installed the meterbase before the vinyl siding had been put on a couple of years back. (Now I use a "J block")I am going to ask their opinion and see if they are overstepping their authority.
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
I will have to get back to you. After reading some case law, WE BOTH may be arguing a very grey area that has no decisive conclusions. Although I will admit, the argument about sealing the base could put the enclosure exclusively under the POCO control. My concren here is IF the meter enclosure is under the exclusive control of the POCO, who is responsible for maintainance?
And you have never dug your heels in to argue your opinion?
Sorry jumper, he MAY have a convert. I am going to discuss this with some people tommorrow.
I haven't worked in all areas of the country, only been to Mass. for an ice storm a few years back, but around here, an inspector will fail an installation if the meterbase isn't properly mounted with the 1/4" air space and proper clearances. I have had one fail me because I installed the meterbase before the vinyl siding had been put on a couple of years back. (Now I use a "J block")I am going to ask their opinion and see if they are overstepping their authority.
You are agreeing with Bob on this.............No,No,No................aargh........:rant::rant::rant:
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
I don't see how the EC would be at fault for this in my area. The POCO spots the location and not the EC. Looks like there is clearance from the side yard to me. Also looks like the POCO was too cheap as even if there was an empty lot the drop should not traverse someone else property. They should have installed a Bridal.
Joethemechanic
Senior Member
- Location
- Hazleton Pa
- Occupation
- Electro-Mechanical Technician. Industrial machinery
As close as that house and building are. It kinda looks like the house and the building belong to the same owner.
Tell you the truth, around here, they don't let you build that close to someone else's place. My way of looking at it is, the block mason started work, the drop was supposed to be moved, whoever was supposed to move the drop didn't show, and the mason got ticked off and did that.
Tell you the truth, around here, they don't let you build that close to someone else's place. My way of looking at it is, the block mason started work, the drop was supposed to be moved, whoever was supposed to move the drop didn't show, and the mason got ticked off and did that.
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