- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Say this new installation on my neighbors house. Never saw a permit in the window so I can guess that there will be no inspection. Should this pass if there was in inspection?
Drip Loop
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Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
Not in my neck of the woods.
That aside where is the drip loop?
That aside where is the drip loop?
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
Is there an actual rule that requires a drip loop or is it just customary?
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
I'm looking at the photo and not finding a clear violation. It meets (1) and (2) no?
Now we are just trying to apply a similar definition that the Supreme Court used for pornography, "I know what a drip loop is when I see it."
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Granted there's no drip loop but the weather head is higher than the point of attachment. I can't see the possibility of any rain water getting into the SE cable through the weather head (unless there's a hurricane and the rain is falling sideways). However, while the EI may pass this installation the POCO may not. POCO's in my area require that you leave at least 24" of the SE cable conductors out of the weather head. If you're working in a coastal area where there is a lot of misting salt air coming off the ocean they don't allow weather heads at all because they'll corrode. You have to bend a goose neck in the SE cable or use PVC.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Yes, if I remember correctly the local POCO requires at least 2' of conductor for a 100 amp service and 3' for a 200 amp service. Like some others have stated a drip loop is not defined but IMO that isn't one.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Little Bill did post the 'definition' of drip loop. I am not going to say if the picture meets those requiments or not due to the picture angle and size.
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
I was just answering your question of whether the NEC required a drip loop or not.
I agree with the other's, the POCO usually has specs for drip loops. Here it is defined a little different. They want a minimum 18" from the top of the roof to the bottom of the drip loop. So I normally leave about 24" of conductor out of the weather head for them to tie to.
Ragin Cajun
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate S.C.
Seen a WHOLE lot worse.
I would have passed it. Obviously it was ok with the POCO as well.
RC
I would have passed it. Obviously it was ok with the POCO as well.
RC
pjholguin
Senior Member
Is it me or do those splices look sloppy? The norm in most of the areas I have worked is to use properly rated Hy-press for the splices.
Say this new installation on my neighbors house. Never saw a permit in the window so I can guess that there will be no inspection. Should this pass if there was in inspection?
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
Most likely the install/connection was done by either an electrician (poorly) or a "handyman". OP said he hadn't seen a permit in the window, so probably no inspection.
Also, the area of the OP, electricians (anyone?) are/is allowed to make connections. Then POCO comes later and re-does the connections if the proper splice/crimps were not used.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
The conductors and point of connection are lower then the "weatherhead", what more do you want from this undefined "drip loop"? As is it will not easily allow water to enter the service conductors/cables/raceways, and that is about all the quoted section asks for.
Permit in the window? May be required in some places, I have never placed a permit in a window. I hardly ever see my permits anywhere besides my own computer screen. If inspector has any issues all I need to do is give him the permit number and he can look it up. That number is only going to be tied to one permit and he will have all information related to that permit once he has the number. He usually knows what permit number is relevant before he comes to the site so displaying it on site is fairly meaningless to me or the inspector.
Permit in the window? May be required in some places, I have never placed a permit in a window. I hardly ever see my permits anywhere besides my own computer screen. If inspector has any issues all I need to do is give him the permit number and he can look it up. That number is only going to be tied to one permit and he will have all information related to that permit once he has the number. He usually knows what permit number is relevant before he comes to the site so displaying it on site is fairly meaningless to me or the inspector.
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
You have a somewhat unique situation. There are a lot of corn fields between you and your customers.
When you get into highly and densley populated areas (like the metro areas around NYC or Boston) inspectors ride around first looking for any construction or specifically electrical work going on and then for a permit sign in the window. No permit sign, he stops the job and will call the police to enforce if necessary. Folks are much nicer in Nebraska.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
I would guess no permit just from the work. The POCO always makes their own permanent connections. These splices, likely barrel crimps, were made by the sparky doing the work. My guess is that the POCO would fail it simply because their required minimum amount of conductor isn't even close.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Sometimes the work is in the cornfield:happyyes:You have a somewhat unique situation. There are a lot of corn fields between you and your customers.
And yes folks are generally nicer, if not we have plenty of cornfields to hide the bodies in
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
230.54(C) exception even allows the POA to be higher then the WH if it not practicable to install it lower:
But a drip loop would still be required just not sure how much more it would prevent water from entering a cable or raceway if the POA is already below the WH?
I would say that the photo at least meets 230.54(G)
But a drip loop would still be required just not sure how much more it would prevent water from entering a cable or raceway if the POA is already below the WH?
I would say that the photo at least meets 230.54(G)
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I agree.
No matter what code says you are wise to either place attachment point below weather head, or to at least make a drip loop that is lower then the weather head to prevent water from following the conductor right into the weather head.
You are also wise to either place your conductor connection points either below the weather head which creates a "P trap" for water that gets inside the conductor insulation and it can not make its way past the weatherhead because it is higher then the connection.
Or at least point the ends of the conductor downward if they have to be higher then the weatherhead for some reason so water doesn't enter the inside of the conductor insulation and run down to your equipment via the inside of conductor insulation.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Along the same lines, I can see the utility wanting the splice point to be below the rest of the service drop going back toward the pole.
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
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