I have a question.....my dads house was built in the early 70's and the service entrance wire is an old cloth type with 2 conductors and bare stranded neutral.it is exposed with no conduit.the outer jacket has deteriorated and the bare neutral is exposed throughout the run.the two hot wires still has their cloth jacket on them.how safe is this???????i told my dad that he needs to call the power company and have them come change it.with the bare neutral showing,isn't that a shock hazard??????just wanted to double check before he called them... thanks for any replies.......
service entrance
- Thread starter orr30
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charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
Re: service entrance
The cable you are discussing is old SE cable. The outer jacket should be in tact but the responsibility is the home owner, not the electric utility. Please contact an electrical contractor to replace your dad's service entrance cable, this could be dangerous.
The cable you are discussing is old SE cable. The outer jacket should be in tact but the responsibility is the home owner, not the electric utility. Please contact an electrical contractor to replace your dad's service entrance cable, this could be dangerous.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: service entrance
Calling them "Charlie's Rules" is giving them more than their due. But I am the "Charlie" who wrote them, not "Charlie E." There is nothing formal. It's just a few observations that I have made over the centuries. One of them can be found here.
This question is beyond the context of the original topic. But I'll answer it, somewhat briefly.
Calling them "Charlie's Rules" is giving them more than their due. But I am the "Charlie" who wrote them, not "Charlie E." There is nothing formal. It's just a few observations that I have made over the centuries. One of them can be found here.
Re: service entrance
if this is a service drop, the line from the power co. to the house, this is common practice. It is not the homeowner's responsibility. it is the poco's. However, if this is the conductor that runs from the meter to the interior, or main breaker to the interior, then it is not up to current code. that still may not be such an alarming hazard.
paul
if this is a service drop, the line from the power co. to the house, this is common practice. It is not the homeowner's responsibility. it is the poco's. However, if this is the conductor that runs from the meter to the interior, or main breaker to the interior, then it is not up to current code. that still may not be such an alarming hazard.
paul
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
Re: service entrance
OK, I am surprised. We install the service drop, make the connections from the service drop to the service entrance conductors, and set and seal the meter. Everything else is the customer's responsibility.
I highly recommend you contact the serving electric utility to find out what their rules are.
OK, I am surprised. We install the service drop, make the connections from the service drop to the service entrance conductors, and set and seal the meter. Everything else is the customer's responsibility.
I highly recommend you contact the serving electric utility to find out what their rules are.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: service entrance
Yep Charlie there are area's that wont let us laymen even do any connections all the way to the main breakers/disconnect (not in this area though) I guess they don't trust us with unprotected wires? :roll:
Yep Charlie there are area's that wont let us laymen even do any connections all the way to the main breakers/disconnect
(not in this area though) I guess they don't trust us with unprotected wires? :roll:
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
Re: service entrance
That doesn't make sense to me but each electric utility is different.
Re: service entrance
For some POCO's, the customer is responsible from the weatherhead down and it is not an uncommon practice to install SEU cable that is secured to the side of the structure from the weatherhead to the meter; I have seen a lot of this in the northeast
For some POCO's, the customer is responsible from the weatherhead down and it is not an uncommon practice to install SEU cable that is secured to the side of the structure from the weatherhead to the meter; I have seen a lot of this in the northeast
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
Re: service entrance
We did it all the time in the Va. Beach area back in the 70's
megawatt
Member
- Location
- Central Kentucky
Re: service entrance
The biggest problem I've seen this situation cause, is water getting into the service entrance cable, running down between the two phase conductors directly onto the neutral connection in the meter base rust & corrosion then cause a bad neutral connection,more often than not, damage electrical appliances, & electronics inside the home.
It's not a question of IF this will happen but WHEN.
The sad thing I often see is a Customer who has to pay to bring their service up to code, & also replace that big screen TV because They didn't act sooner.
This needs to be upgraded as soon as possible.
Good Luck to You !!
The biggest problem I've seen this situation cause, is water getting into the service entrance cable, running down between the two phase conductors directly onto the neutral connection in the meter base rust & corrosion then cause a bad neutral connection,more often than not, damage electrical appliances, & electronics inside the home.
It's not a question of IF this will happen but WHEN.
The sad thing I often see is a Customer who has to pay to bring their service up to code, & also replace that big screen TV because They didn't act sooner.
This needs to be upgraded as soon as possible.
Good Luck to You !!
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