Service Drop Clearance

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starsandstripes

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I have a 240 volt single phase residential service drop passing over a porch eight foot wide to a service mast attached to the side of the house. If the porch roof slope is less than 4/12, do I need eight feet of clearance? Is it acceptable to put a coupling in a service mast? This would be 2" rigid for a 200 amp service. Thanks.
 
starsandstripes said:
I have a 240 volt single phase residential service drop passing over a porch eight foot wide to a service mast attached to the side of the house. If the porch roof slope is less than 4/12, do I need eight feet of clearance?
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Yes 230.24(A) ~not exception #2.
Is it acceptable to put a coupling in a service mast?...
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Per NEC, yes, BUT all fittings shall be identified for use with service masts 230.28. Possibly special order. Plus most POCOs won't allow, for good reason. Best to have a solid 10' stick on the top. It can be ordered in longer sections too.
 
If the service drop is property of the utility company it is not under the purview of the NEC or the local inspector. How far does it travel over the roof?
 
stars13bars2 said:
If the service drop is property of the utility company it is not under the purview of the NEC or the local inspector.
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But if you are installing the point-of-attachment, and the clearance cannot be maintained, it will not comply with the NEC because of the mast attachment placement.
How far does it travel over the roof?
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I don't know, have you been to the site yet?
 
Volta said:
But if you are installing the point-of-attachment, and the clearance cannot be maintained, it will not comply with the NEC because of the mast attachment placement.
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It does not matter the NEC does not apply.

As long as the correct NEC clearance is provided at the point of attachment the NEC is done.
 
I would make two phone calls. One to the inspector in that area and one to the POCO. See what they tell you. Although I agree it is a POCO issue, as one poster in a previous thread learned (the hard way) the inspector can cause you problems.
 
starsandstripes said:
I have a 240 volt single phase residential service drop passing over a porch eight foot wide to a service mast attached to the side of the house. If the porch roof slope is less than 4/12, do I need eight feet of clearance? Is it acceptable to put a coupling in a service mast? This would be 2" rigid for a 200 amp service. Thanks.
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You'd better read this

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=125383
 
iwire said:
It does not matter the NEC does not apply.

As long as the correct NEC clearance is provided at the point of attachment the NEC is done.
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Bob I do understand where you get that opinion but I'm I'm not so sure that it's correct.

90.2 (B) (5) (a) not covered, Installation under the exclusive control of the electric utility where such installations consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated metering, or ect , ect.

Is this installation under the exclusive contol of the utility? Not really because the utility has no control over what you build there. The service drop is not what is in question here it's the distance between the service drop and the roof. Sure they can't make you raise the service drop ( that belongs ot the power company) but the roof of the porch is now in violation because it is to close to the service drop.

230.24 can easily be seen not as a height requirement for the service drop but how much clearance is required for you to build a porch, have a drive way or even a lawn for residential use ( private use not under the control of the utility ). The service drop is not under their control but the right to build a legal structure is under the control of the AHJ.

Just something to think about or another way of looking at things. :)
 
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