Does The Service Mast Need To Upsize For 320 Meter Socket
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The Service D rop
The overhead service drop , or clandestine service lateral, are the electric conductors that come from the utility pole , pedestal or footing-mounted transformer to the home. Changes to the service drop will e'er be completed by the utility company , and the cost for most changes are the responsibleness of the customer. The major safety upshot here is that the service drop conductors have no fuse , excursion breaker or any kind of overcurrent protection at their supply end ; they are dir ectly connected to the utility ' s distribution grid and are energized at all times .
There are 3 conductors coming to the service mast in the overhead service drop , 2 ungrounded conductors ( hot legs ) and a separate grounded conductor ( neutral ) . The hot legs have blackness thermoset, polymer or other nonmetallic usher insulat ion . If all three wires are connected to the service mast that runs through the roof , and/or downwards the outside wall of the house in a service-entrance conduit , you lot tin can usually assume there is 2 4 0 – volt service for the firm since each hot leg measures 120 – volts from each hot leg to the neutral .
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Who Owns What?
Power line regulations and responsibilities volition vary from 1 municipality to another and volition depend on whether a power line is public or private. Public lines are installed and owned by a public utility company. Sometimes they are on public property, but sometimes they are on private property. Utility companies own everything upwardly to the service point, the point of connection betwixt the serving utility and the house premises wiring system , and the service point is often on private property . Different utility companies ascertain where that service bespeak is exactly located , and it can vary greatly depending on whether the electric service is overhead or hugger-mugger, the size of the electrical service rated in amperes, where it originates at the utility equipment, and where it terminates at the customer's equipment . Private ly owned electrical distribution lines are sometimes found in gated communities, apartment complexes, mobile home and RV parks, college campuses, big industrial facilities and elsewhere.
So if a tree does autumn on a mast or service drib, the nautical chart to a higher place will give you an idea who is responsible for what, but it ultimately depends on where you lot live and which utility company services you.
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The Mast Has I Purpose
For safety reasons, d o not attach television, telephone, cable or other wires to the service mast. Only the electrical util ity conductors are permitted to exist attached to the service mast.
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Avoid Trees
Be certain the overhead service driblet conductors are free and clear of trees, limbs, debris and vegetation. T rees that grow upward into service conductors can harm the conductors and attract lightning strikes , both of which cause many power outages every year. Remember, a iv-f oo t tall, 2 -f oot wide tree might grow to exist 60 -anxiety tall and thirty -feet wide. Some utility companies have instituted tree replacement programs to assistance customers in properly planting the right trees in the correct identify to avoid future problems . For information about growth potential and planting near power lines, c ontact your utility company, your Canton Extension office, Land'due south Department of Agriculture office, Commune Forester, or local plant nursery.
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C learances for Service Drops
- Except at the baste loop, at north o time less than 12-feet above last class
- Where overhead service drop conductors terminate at a through-the-roof raceway or mast, there is a one thousand aximum of half dozen -feet of conductor length over the roof
- A m inimum of xviii – inches of clearance to a higher place whatever part of a sloped roof
- The service mast must be no more 4 -feet from the border of the roof measuring horizontally
- The service mast should not exist more than iii-f eet vertically in a higher place the roof line ; most utilities will crave bracing or guy wires for additional back up of any mast that is taller than 3-anxiety.
- Flat roofs need to have at least 8-anxiety of clearance and balconies need at least 10 -feet of clearance
- O verhead conductors must have a horizontal clearance of 3-feet from all windows that can be opened, doors, porches, balconies, ladders, stairs, burn down escapes, or similar locations. No ane should be able to catch a service usher from these areas .
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Additional C learances for Overhead Service D rop Conductors
- Westward hen located near a swimming puddle, the overhead service conductors must exist at least 10 -anxiety away from the puddle horizontally and at least 22 .5 -feet loftier .
- If the home has a apartment roof, there must be 8 -feet of clearance , and if your dwelling has a pitch roof of 4 – inches in 12-inches , or greater , there must be a minimum of 3 -anxiety of clearance .
- W hen the voltage to ground does non exceed 150 -volts , at that place must be 10 -feet of clearance from the lowest signal of the drip loop at the electric service entrance to buildings and the finished class, w alkways , decks, patios, etc. The clearance is raised to 12 -feet where the voltage does not exceed 300 volts to ground , and raised to15 -feet where the voltage to ground exceed due south 300 volts.
- T here must be an 18 -f oot clearance over public streets, alleys, roads, parking areas that may have truck traffic, driveways other than on residential property, and areas used by farming and construction vehicles .
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Service Driblet Drip Loop
The overhead service drop conductors are spliced to the service-entrance conductors at the home. This connection is called the drip loop . The drip loop is required to proceed water from traveling forth the length of the service-entrance conductors and entering the service-archway conduit at the weatherhead . Overhead service-archway conductors are fastened to service masts with clamp-on porcelain or similar nonmetallic insulators. Overhead service-entrance conductors that terminate at the side of a business firm, under a roof eave , or on the roof fascia board are attached to screw-in porcelain or similar nonmetallic insulators.
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Flashing
Service masts that penetra te the roof must take a covering boot properly secured at the roof line to foreclose water leaks. The roofing boot must exist properly sealed, glued and screwed flush with the roof membrane. If nails are used, they must be sealed properly. Nails can corrode over time and the membrane can divide so be certain to utilize the right tools for the job and take the time to be sure it is properly sealed. Mast brac ing must also be sealed with flashing at the roof line intersection.
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Supporting a mast above the roof
The typical service mast consists of two-inch rigid metal conduit . Sometimes you 'll see a through -the-roof service mast that appears to be leaning from tension in the overhead service drop conductors . This tin can exist repaired by adding a brace , tie back or guy-wire supports. Masts over 36- inches usually require a mast caryatid or necktie – back supports such as a No. 6 Copperweld Aircraft Cable ; although some municipalities allow the mast to be as much as 5 -feet above the roof line before needing a guy wire for extra support . The brace must exist installed at a minimum 45-deg ree angle.
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Supporting a Mast Below the Roof
The service mast must be p l umb (not leaning) and properly attached to the frame of the habitation by installing securely fastened metal conduit straps every iii -anxiety . Malleable pipe straps and 4-inch lag screws in studs may sometimes be substituted. T here volition exist a raintight threaded conduit hub where the service mast enters the pinnacle of the meter socket enclosure .
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The Meter
Electric utilities oftentimes require the meter to exist mounted 4-anxiety to 6-feet from the ground , which is a reasonable elevation for utility workers to do their job in a safe manner . Meter bases for the sockets are furnished at no cost in most areas .
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Underground power lines
Utility companies install electrical distribution either beneath footing or to a higher place ground , and they make the conclusion on which one will be used in your installation. The long-term overall cost is less for overhead electrical distribution compared to underground distribution , merely sometimes the utility will install underground distribution , but it comes with an additional installation and maintenance cost to the belongings possessor. T he location of the electric meter will be determined by the electric utility based on the size of the service, the blazon of service and the type of distribution equipment, such as a transformer or distribution pedestal .
Rubber
Utility companies are very strict when it comes to breaking seals or removing meters . In addition to the obvious safety hazards, liability and theft of electricity are major concerns for utility companies. Always consult with the utility visitor before accessing the interior of the meter socket enclosure or endeavor repairs to a service mast.
About the author
Lisa Archer, Possessor of BPG/Memphis Inspections Service & Nationwide Pest Control
901-826-7500
www.memphisinspections.com
Find out more most Xcel'south requirements here
Does The Service Mast Need To Upsize For 320 Meter Socket,
Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/what-you-need-to-know-about-electrical-service-masts/
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