Overhead Service Feed Clearance Question

[Terence McCann]

Looking at code check the clearance from a window is 3' on the sides and bottom. Should it clear the top of the window by 3' too?

The drip loop was about 8" or so from the top of the 2nd floor window.

[Jim Katen]

Looking at code check the clearance from a window is 3' on the sides and bottom. Should it clear the top of the window by 3' too?

The drip loop was about 8" or so from the top of the 2nd floor window.

No, there's no requirement for clearance above an openable window.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Terence McCann]

Looking at code check the clearance from a window is 3' on the sides and bottom. Should it clear the top of the window by 3' too?

The drip loop was about 8" or so from the top of the 2nd floor window.

No, there's no requirement for clearance above an openable window.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Thanks Mr. K.

[Billy_Bob]

FYI - My electric company has what is called "Electric Service Requirements" on its web site. And the rules are different state by state. (They have notes - one state do this, another state do that.)

So might want to see if your electric company has something similar on its web site. This has all sorts of rules for where overhead wires can / can not be run, clearances, etc.

[plummen]

can it be easily reached from open window?

[Mike Lamb]

can it be easily reached from open window?

Why do you ask?

[Marc]

Why do you ask?

There'a an inherent danger in service conductors being within reach of persons from a window.

Marc

[Tom Raymond]

Yeah, but there's no ladder needed to steal service. There's a bright side to everything.

Tom

[hausdok]

Yeah,

Speaking of stealing service; I've always wondered why these grow-op people are so stupid.

It seems like the perfect setup would be a portable disconnect mounted to a plywood stand with a nice long SEC connected to it and nice sturdy jumper cable ends soldered onto the line end of the SEC and to a GEC. It would then simply be a matter of stripping the tape off the compression splice before the weatherhead and clamping the jumper cable clamps to the splices and the grounding electrode then running a feeder with a gentran plug from the portable panel to a gentran panel next to a main panelboard fitted with a gentran switch.

No ugly holes in the interior walls, no hacked up cables. Nice and neat and clean. Need to shut it down in a hurry, you throw the gentran switch, climb up, unclamp the SEC from the drop, the GEC from the grounding electrode, unplug the feed from the gentran panel, roll it up and stick it in the trunk of the car in a duffle bag so it's not in the house if someone shows up with a warrant. Duh!

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Marc]

I've seen one, maybe two instances where taps were installed within the meter box on the line side of the meter. This was when I was a contractor. Takes a very brave (or very stupid) individual to attempt to do that.

Marc

[Mike Lamb]

Plummen said, "can it be easily reached from open window?"

Why do you ask?

There'a an inherent danger in service conductors being within reach of persons from a window.

Marc

I understand but the question was about the code distance from the window.

When you get nipped, as I was, you can start taking code requirements literally. 30" from the upper side of a window can not be "easily reached," by anyone. It's still wrong and I'm writing it up.

[Jack Davenport]

Plummen said, "can it be easily reached from open window?"

Why do you ask?

There'a an inherent danger in service conductors being within reach of persons from a window.

Marc

I understand but the question was about the code distance from the window.

When you get nipped, as I was, you can start taking code requirements literally. 30" from the upper side of a window can not be "easily reached," by anyone. It's still wrong and I'm writing it up.

Just do yourself and your industry a favor. When you write it up , be sure to write it up as a "recommended correction". If you write it up as wrong, then your customer has an electrician come out and open the code book to show your customer that it is correct and code compliant and you are wrong. As your customer is writing a check to the electrician they are thinking about how you stated it as wrong and now cost them $$.