Something Old, Something New

[hausdok]

This one was a hoot.

They'd apparently replaced an old 125 amp panel with a new 200amp panel and mast. Guess they didn't want to do any demo, so they left the old mast in place. There are plenty of things to criticize about the strike, the way the mast is sealed, height of the mast (It's a low slope - essentially flat roof), height of the conductors above the roof, etc., but what I thought was really "special" was the way they'd connected the neutral cable from the utility to the neutral conductors on both the new and old strikes.

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The second picture shows what I think is the end of the old conductors from the strike to the old panel. Note the flexible metallic conduit. Had me scratching my head about what it must have looked at at the other end where those cables left that and entered the mast. You'll get a chuckle out of the owner's doorbell transformer solution hanging there cobbled onto the previous one. Lots of stuff in this house. Bank owned 50's house that had been owned by some elderly folks. Lots of did-it-myself-cuz-I-live-on-a-fixed-income scary stuff done throughout the home.

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So, electrical gurus, you know electrical is kind of like math to me, pretty mysterious, what bad things, if any can happen? I'm thinking that old grounded service entrance cable would like nothing better to find a new path to ground like someone grabbing the end of it while touching the plumbing or something like that.

What say ye all?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Richard Moore]

The new service is grounded and bonded, yes? If so, I'm having trouble imagining how this would be more of a shock hazard than any other bonded metallic bit, such as the panel itself or metallic piping. It's goofy, and I think it should be tidied up by removing the old neutral feeder, but I don't see it as that much of an immediate threat.

[Bill Kibbel]

What's a strike? I've never heard that term used for any part of electrical systems.

[Richard Moore]

What's a strike? I've never heard that term used for any part of electrical systems.

I never use the word myself as I'm not sure exactly what part of the service mast it applies to. But it actually is an "official" term here in Seattle.

From...Seattle City Light customer application ( http://www.seattle.gov/light/electricse ... ackage.pdf )

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But when Googling that, I also came upon a couple of Electrician forums where Sparkies were asking the same "What's a strike?" question. Must be one of those very regional things.

[Marc]

'Strike' might be term common to Linemen that work for the utility. It seems to loosely refer to the entire service drop from weatherhead to meter box or main disconnect (for CT applications).

Mike, going by the info that I can discern from the photos and your text, the only electrical issue that I can see is the lack of sufficient clearance from the roof deck to the service drop. The service drop conductors should clear the flat roof by 8' or more. I'm assuming that all ungrounded conductors are completely severed from the old service drop and connected equipment.

Marc