Service Entrance Wires only 6 foot off ground -!!

[chris vis]

31727

I know this is a safety hazard, but what i do not know is how can a utility company even hook this up in the first place. Look at the glass entrance doors to the patio enclosure to the right. The bottom of the drip loop does not even clear the sliding glass door height off the ground.

The home was built in in 1961.31728
If that were not enough, this is the only panel.

I know this has been discussed many times, including a previous thread of mine. I really just wanted to say if anyone is out in my area Electrician-wise (Cleveland, Ohio) you can let me know and I can always drop your name. Homeowners are always asking me for someone, and many times they are new to the area so they like a good reference.

[Mark Hagenlock]

.......and I think the utility company might say, "how can they construct an entrance with a landing there, without contacting us to alter the electrical service entrance."

[Jerry Peck]

.......and I think the utility company might say, "how can they construct an entrance with a landing there, without contacting us to alter the electrical service entrance."

Unless that overhang is 12 feet in height (which would make that one tall sliding glass door).

Sooo ... regardless if any changes were made or not - that service does not meet the minimum 10 height at the drip loop of the final span.

[Mark Hagenlock]

Unless that overhang is 12 feet in height (which would make that one tall sliding glass door).

Sooo ... regardless if any changes were made or not - that service does not meet the minimum 10 height at the drip loop of the final span.


Right. Welcome to Mark's tunnel vision.

[Dwight Doane]

New Definition of "Roof Line" :p

I am a bit puzzled by this one , it would seem to me that this would be a bit older but I am going to guess that it was originally installed in the 50's but the connectors on the wires are telling me it is more recent (or a recent re-attachment of the power lines)

Meter box is quite old and so is the breaker box (always tough to figure the age out here) - my guess is that it was in an area where codes were a suggestion at the time and running the wire back over the roof was just convenient - no one ever said it was perfect in the beginning


I like stuff like this - I find it fun to try figure the age -

of course if I were inspecting this for a customer I would have a discussion as to the safety of the entire electrical system and want to check for insulation breaking down - plugs , switches all becoming brittle along with DYI repairs (my favorite was electronic hook up wire as an extension to a wall switch [no rating]) along with the fitness of the breakers. No telling what other things are going on here as well but a closer look at everything is in order (that means more money for you :amen:

[Jerry Peck]

Sam,

Do you have a photo of the top of the panel that is in good enough focus to zoom in on and look for aluminum wire at the top (and side) where all those wire nuts are?

The usual reason for lots of wire nuts like that is that the panel was replaced, but the original wiring was too short to reach the new longer panel ... emphasis on "the original wiring", as in "not necessarily *original to the house* but original (existing) at the time of the panel replacement.

Curious if the house, or some of the house, could have been rewired in the 1970s when aluminum wiring was common.

[Kathleen Clinton]

No mention of the FPE panel with Stablock breakers?

[Gunnar Alquist]

Sam,

Do you have a photo of the top of the panel that is in good enough focus to zoom in on and look for aluminum wire at the top (and side) where all those wire nuts are?

The usual reason for lots of wire nuts like that is that the panel was replaced, but the original wiring was too short to reach the new longer panel ... emphasis on "the original wiring", as in "not necessarily *original to the house* but original (existing) at the time of the panel replacement.

Curious if the house, or some of the house, could have been rewired in the 1970s when aluminum wiring was common.

Jerry,

For some reason, this seems to have posted in an old thread. I assume you meant for it to be here:

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/electrical-systems-home-inspection-and-commercial-inspection/51714-aluminum-ground-wires.html

[Jerry Peck]

Jerry,

For some reason, this seems to have posted in an old thread. I assume you meant for it to be here:

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/electrical-systems-home-inspection-and-commercial-inspection/51714-aluminum-ground-wires.html

Gunnar,

I was on that thread, looking at those photos, and posted to (I thought) that thread ... that is when I got that message I mentioned.

I wonder if that other post I mentioned with the Trane document was posted to some other thread too? Don't know what is going on, but something appears to be.

[Elizabeth Chambers]

I didn't do it!

[Gunnar Alquist]

I don't buy the plausible deniability defense.

Elizabeth's fault.