service drop through a tree

[John Dirks Jr]

If the service drop is the responsibility of the power company, what would they do if you called them about a situation such as pictured below?

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[Neal Lewis]

They would probably say don't worry about it. Then I would tell them that the lights flicker when the wind blows...

[hendrix]

I have seen much worse. They just don't seem to care [:-censore

[Jim Katen]

If the service drop is the responsibility of the power company, what would they do if you called them about a situation such as pictured below?

In my area, they might just snap some heavy plastic sheaths around the wires to protect them from abrasion.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[hausdok]

If the service drop is the responsibility of the power company, what would they do if you called them about a situation such as pictured below?

In my area, they might just snap some heavy plastic sheaths around the wires to protect them from abrasion.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Yeah, I've seen that done here on occasion; not just with trees though - sometimes they'll run clean across a roof with the danged cable resting on the ridge and they'll put a sleeve around it. Drives me nuts 'cuz when I called them and asked the rules their response was to look at their installer's manual and everything in their manual shows that all must be done to code. It's always, I dunno, kind of awkward explaining to the client that it violates the power company's own rules, yet they are allowed to break their rules.

The stuff they put around the wires here kind of looks like automotive heater hose and probably is.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Billy_Bob]

In general, someone who is not specifically trained to trim trees around electric lines (a line clearance arborist) should not get within 10 ft. of any electric lines.

So I think if you called them and said you wanted to trim your tree, they would rather do it to be on the safe side. Or they would remove power to the line so you could trim it safely.

So far as trees they trim, they look for "hazard trees". These are trees which are rotten and might fall on the lines or dead branches which might fall on the lines. Or even healthy shallow root trees which are leaning and could fall during a wind storm.

The tree above looks quite healthy, so I don't think they would be in a big hurry to trim it.

So tell them you want to trim it and see what they say...

[hausdok]

Oh,

To answer the IP's original question, my understanding, from one guy I talked to at the utility provider that sounded like Carlton the doorman on the sitcom Rhoda, is that if you call them to complain about a tree here they'll tell you that it's your own responsibility to keep the trees trimmed and that they will only trim the tree if it extends beyond the property line over the public roadway or sidewalk and extends around their wires. Also, that if one doesn't trim the trees on one's own property, and the limbs damage the cable, that they'll bill the homeowner for the cost of repair.

Mr. Electric, if you read this, how about jumping in here.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Steven Hockstein]

In my neighborhood they will not take down trees (that they own) with roots that are heaving my sidewalk because they claim that they want to keep them and maintain the "Beauty" of the street. I have had to replace the sidewalk twice in the last 14 years. They ignore the fact that the tops of the trees look ridiculous because the utility companies have hacked away all of the limbs that are anywhere close to the wires and so now the trees all have weird "V" shaped canopies. Anyone know how to kill a tree?

[Brandon Whitmore]

Anyone know how to kill a tree?

I doubt you are serious, but if you are.......... PM me.

[hausdok]

Anyone know how to kill a tree?

I seem to recall a big stink in the PI years ago where a bunch of view-blocking trees died and they found big copper spikes driven into the trunks.

OT - OF!!!

Mike