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Anthony Alderman
06-16-2008, 03:33 PM
Ok 99.9% of the time I see a weather head at the service connection..... but this morning I saw that the power company has connected directly to the service cable and it goes directly into the box. It just looks wrong to me... so what do you think????

Tony
Gunnar Alquist
06-16-2008, 04:03 PM
Ok 99.9% of the time I see a weather head at the service connection..... but this morning I saw that the power company has connected directly to the service cable and it goes directly into the box. It just looks wrong to me... so what do you think????

Tony

Umm... wrongo?
Eric Mayberry
06-16-2008, 04:05 PM
NO DRIP LOOP?
Anthony Alderman
06-16-2008, 04:12 PM
I'm thinking no drip loop, no weather head ,and no conduit from weather head to box....
Billy Stephens
06-16-2008, 04:13 PM
Umm... wrongo?

We might go down in flames Gun, But I'm with you.

Unlike overhead service drop conductors, the service entrance conductors are part of the building. Service Point is usually the splice point at the drip loop. [ Both Missing. ]
Anthony Alderman
06-16-2008, 04:17 PM
Why would the power co even hook that up???? OH I FORGOT It' Duke power oh well.....
Jerry Peck
06-16-2008, 04:18 PM
Sort of needs a service head ... as shown in that photo, yes.

However, *IF* (that big IF, which they did not do) they had installed a gooseneck at the end of the service cable, then no service head is required.

The purpose of the service head (weather head) is to restrict the possibility of rain water from getting down into the (for service entrance cable) space between the outer sheathing and the conductors. Once water is in there, water runs downhill, as does the service entrance cable, down into the box the service entrance cable goes into. And THAT ain't a 'good thing'.

From the 2008 NEC (which has slightly changed wording from 2005, but the same section and basic requirements have been in there for years). (underlining is mine)
- 230.54 Overhead Service Locations.
- - (B) Service Cable Equipped with Service Head or Gooseneck. Service cables shall be equipped with a service head. The service head shall comply with the requirement for fittings in 314.15.
- - - Exception: Type SE cable shall be permitted to be formed in a gooseneck and taped with a self-sealing weather-resistant thermoplastic.

The exception to requiring a service head was not done in that photo.