How fan can a service drop go?

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tonype

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I always thought that a SD would connect to the SEC somewhere near the front of a building (or the point close to where the drop makes contact). Yesterday, I saw one where the SD went from the front, along the entire side of the home, then draped along the back to the service mast. Photo below shows the SD in the rear (originates from the front). Realizing that this is sort of POCO and not NEC stuff, doesn't this still present a host of problems?
 

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I think you can wrap the building with it if you desire, but I'm pretty sure you'd need to switch to a cabling method designed to be secured to a wall, such as SEU. Not enough coffee yet to open the code book this morning. :)
 
Looks fine from my house.

IMO, the POA is at the first point. It is the installing electricians problem there after. It would be in NE. Conduit could have been run along the surface of the house from the meter to the POA. We do not use SE cable, but that would probably be legal as well.

I would guess the building to the left was built after the original SE was installed.
 
Here is a view from the front - right side shows the SD (sorry for the blur). This is for the "291" home.
 

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If the service point is at the weatherhead, the 'drop' is at best installed per the NESC in effect at the time of installation. Hard to say exactly what NESC requirements were at that point in time, but have historically been more lax than the NEC.
 
I don't know what NESC would have to say, but can see it being possible is secured with proper hardware and at intervals appropriate to keep it from contacting the building when swaying when designed for a maximum wind condition.

Only problem with NEC would be that the cable used is not a NEC recognized cable or conductors on a messenger, otherwise open wiring methods are permitted if properly supported and proper clearances are maintained. Plus there is no limitation on length of service conductors attached to exterior of buildings, you could completely encircle a building with service conductors if you wanted and there is no code section to cite as being violated.
 
George Stolz said:
I think you can wrap the building with it if you desire, but I'm pretty sure you'd need to switch to a cabling method designed to be secured to a wall, such as SEU. Not enough coffee yet to open the code book this morning. :)
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Where is Marc's picture of a house where SE cable was about 1/3 of the top floor's siding?
 
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