Service drop conductors

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wmeek

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
I have a Service on a home that has service conductors coming from service pole over the top of a detached garage. Looking at 230.24(A)EX#2 it says u only have to be 3ft above roof if it has at least a 4/12 slope. just wanted to make sure i am reading this correctly.

Thanks
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
I am using this picture because I believe that 230.24 is addressing the structure to which the service is attached. Not other structures.

They use this verbiage "above the roof surface."

230-24Ax3-UN230-11web.jpg
 

wmeek

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
Hello Mike

Isnt the one you posted refering to 230.24(A) Ex. 3
I am wandering about 230.24(A) Ex.2
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I assume these conductors are installed and controlled by the power company?

If so there is nothing in the NEC that applies to them.
 

wmeek

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
Yes these are Utility conductors. But i am looking in Stallcups Electrical Design book and it shows a picture showing these conductors and show that they are utility conductors. Also shows that they need to be a minimum of 3ft with a 4/12 pitch roof
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Those sections in the NEC only apply if the customer owns and controls the conductors. Otherwise it will be the NESC.


90.2 Scope

(B) Not Covered.
This Code does not cover the following:


(5) Installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility where such installations

a. Consist of service drops or service laterals, and as-sociated metering, or b
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
Yes these are Utility conductors. But i am looking in Stallcups Electrical Design book and it shows a picture showing these conductors and show that they are utility conductors. Also shows that they need to be a minimum of 3ft with a 4/12 pitch roof

That is correct.

The picture is for you to think about the exception.
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
Mike, you are wrong here. No other way to put it

If a EI tried to do this they would be ignoring the scope of the NEC.

230.9 Clearances on Buildings. Service conductors and
final spans shall comply with 230.9(A), (B), and (C).
(A) Clearances. Service conductors installed as open conductors
or multiconductor cable without an overall outer
jacket shall have a clearance of not less than 900 mm (3 ft)
from windows that are designed to be opened, doors,
porches, balconies, ladders, stairs, fire escapes, or similar
locations.
Exception: Conductors run above the top level of a window
shall be permitted to be less than the 900-mm (3-ft)
requirement.
(B) Vertical Clearance. The vertical clearance of final
spans above, or within 900 mm (3 ft) measured horizontally
of, platforms, projections, or surfaces from which they
might be reached shall be maintained in accordance with
230.24(B).
(C) Building Openings. Overhead service conductors
shall not be installed beneath openings through which materials
may be moved, such as openings in farm and commercial
buildings, and shall not be installed where they
obstruct entrance to these building openings.

th412P781Y.jpg

And pools.

904ecmCBfig1[1].jpg
 

wmeek

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
I just talked to POCO and they said that the service drop conductors has to be a minimum of 3ft above detatched garage roof as long as it has a minium of a 4/12 pitch.
 

wmeek

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
I under stand that about the drip loop, It was the POCO Service Drop conductors I was concerned with running over the roof of the detached garage.
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
I agree. 90.2 is as clear as can be and was modified a couple of code cycles ago with some added words about Service Point to emphasize the limits of NEC.

You mean:

90.2 Scope.
(A) Covered. This Code covers the installation of electrical
conductors, equipment, and raceways; signaling and communications
conductors, equipment, and raceways; and optical
fiber cables and raceways for the following:
(1) Public and private premises, including buildings, structures,
mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and floating
buildings

(B) Not Covered. This Code does not cover the following:
(5) Installations under the exclusive control of an electric
utility where such installations
a. Consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated
metering,

Let's see what AEP says:

https://www.aepohio.com/global/utilities/lib/docs/service/Meter/AEP_Meter_Service_Guide_7feb2014.pdf

AEP.JPG
 

jxofaltrds

Inspector Mike®
Location
Mike P. Columbus Ohio
Occupation
ESI, PI, RBO
Couldn't open the link but the thumbnail said "all customer owned equipment is subject to NEC" (or close to that anyway....I could not copy and paste from the thumbnail)

You could use the link to read what I used in context.

I don't know anybody that owns their service drop conductors.

It also said that the customer is responsible to have the local AHJ inspect. That one statement, means to me, that the wiring on the premises is NOT under their total control. Article 92
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Mike, 90.2(B) is very clear about this yet you continue to ignore it.:(

Let me ask this. Do you also require the service drop to be sized per the NEC ampacity tables?
 
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