In-law's house

[grich]

I hate going to a relative's house and finding problems, but I look for trouble, figuring no one else will notice.

Went to the F-I-L's house today and saw this:



I wonder what will happen first...the neutral connection loosens or the metal fascia cuts through the insulation.

Showed it to the S-I-L...we'll see how fast it gets dealt with.

 

[LarryFine]

A good example of the wrong hardware. The hole should be drilled through and an eye-bolt installed; there should be attic access.

 

[Hv&Lv]

A good example of the wrong hardware. The hole should be drilled through and an eye-bolt installed; there should be attic access.

House knob is used by almost every utility in the country. The ones that don’t require the electrician to mount the support point.

 

[hillbilly1]

Even older installations would use three screw in porcelain knobs with a seperate wire dropped to each one. They had that on the house I grew up in. The service was installed in the early 60's. The insulation was mostly gone of the wires by the late 80's, and the wind had whipped two of the conductors around each other. Called the poco and told them to come out and replace it before it went boom boom! They sent out three or four trucks including a bucket, but had to borrow my fiberglass extension ladder to fix it on the house! LOL! (They went back with triplex)

 

[goldstar]

That's why I always use the "screw egg" with a long lag bolt.. You have a much better chance of hitting a roof rafter. The short lags sometimes only screw through the fascia board that's made of soft pine. Not many EC's that I know doing a service upgrade are going to drill a hole completely through and use the threaded bolt & nut type porcelain insulator.

 

[infinity]

That's why I always use the "screw egg" with a long lag bolt.. You have a much better chance of hitting a roof rafter. The short lags sometimes only screw through the fascia board that's made of soft pine. Not many EC's that I know doing a service upgrade are going to drill a hole completely through and use the threaded bolt & nut type porcelain insulator.

For the longest time PSE&G actually gave you a huge lag hook to install. No nut and bolt, no insulator. I still have a bunch of them. Our other local POCO Orange and Rockland requires an insulated attachment point so most guy used what's show in the photo.

 

[ptonsparky]

My F-I-L would have ranked a bit higher then most.
I was still able when he was alive and it would have been fixed that, or the next day.

 

[qcroanoke]

My F-I-L would have ranked a bit higher then most.
I was still able when he was alive and it would have been fixed that, or the next day.

Poco should be called, at least around here that insulator is their problem.

 

[Little Bill]

We had a major ice storm here a few years ago. A lot of times during these type emergencies POCO will reconnect just about anything. But one of the POCOs (I deal with several) refused to hook up if an eye bolt & nut wasn't used on a riser that didn't go through the roof. No screw in attachment points were allowed on a repair.

 

[hbiss]

Con Ed here requires a 5/8" eye bolt and nuts through the framing members. If you can't get at it from the attic, too bad. You get to cut the wall or ceiling out. Those "stick pins" just don't cut it.

-Hal

 

[busman]

Here Dominion provides the anchor, but the electrician is responsible to install/replace it. They still hand out the insulated anchors shown in the photo, but they will give you one for thru bolting, if you want it.

Mark

 

[hbiss]

The Con-Ed guys will give you them too if you see them stopped, sitting in their truck, drinking coffee.

-Hal

 

[grich]

My F-I-L would have ranked a bit higher then most.
I was still able when he was alive and it would have been fixed that, or the next day.

In my younger, stupider days, I would have screwed it back into the fascia myself, probably on an aluminum ladder with no PPE.

 

[grich]

Poco should be called, at least around here that insulator is their problem.

That's the S-I-L plan...she's also concerned about the pole in front of the house leaning. I mentioned the only way to straighten that pole is to end up with a guy wire anchor in Dad's front yard.

 

[ptonsparky]

That's the S-I-L plan...she's also concerned about the pole in front of the house leaning. I mentioned the only way to straighten that pole is to end up with a guy wire anchor in Dad's front yard.

Those small details change everything. Insulator with bolt will help hold the pole up for a while.

 

[goldstar]

Poco should be called, at least around here that insulator is their problem.

A lot depends on the POCO requirements. In my area of NJ I have 3 POCO's to deal with but all of them pretty much have the same requirements. They own the triplex from the pole to the house. Once it hits your house - everything (except the meter) on the house is your responsibility. If there is storm damage and the triplex gets disconnected they will come and re-attach the triplex to the house and even install a hook or porcelain insulator if required. If the triplex just gets pulled from the house but doesn't get disconnected it's the HO's responsibility.

 

[goldstar]

For the longest time PSE&G actually gave you a huge lag hook to install. No nut and bolt, no insulator. I still have a bunch of them. Our other local POCO Orange and Rockland requires an insulated attachment point so most guy used what's show in the photo.

The porcelain insulator shown in the OP's photo is the "short lag" type. They make a longer lag bolt that should get you beyond the rake and into the roof rafter

 

[readydave8]

Con Ed here requires a 5/8" eye bolt and nuts through the framing members. If you can't get at it from the attic, too bad. You get to cut the wall or ceiling out. Those "stick pins" just don't cut it.

-Hal

many times these work where no attic access

 

[hbiss]

many times these work where no attic access.

That's pretty sad. How much weight and tension do you think that 1/4" toggle will support? And what if it's only into the siding?

Nope. POCO here wants a 5/8" eye bolt just like out on the pole, through the framing. So if a tree comes down on the drop it will either break the drop or pull the side of the house off.

-Hal

 

[readydave8]

That's pretty sad. How much weight and tension do you think that 1/4" toggle will support? And what if it's only into the siding?

Nope. POCO here wants a 5/8" eye bolt just like out on the pole, through the framing. So if a tree comes down on the drop it will either break the drop or pull the side of the house off.

-Hal

you're right, pulled that pic off Net and didn't notice how much smaller than the ones we get from Ga Pwr, I think they are 1/2"