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#3538 08/21/01 07:32 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 37
S
stan Offline OP
Member
in a underground service entrance for a residential home with a 200 amp service were the conduit runs up the power pole and the wires come out of the pipe y arent their a weather head . or are the something thats inside the pipe insulating it from water. Also in a underground service does the power company supply the wire from the pole threw the conduit to my meter?

#3539 08/21/01 08:25 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
Hi Stan;
the 'riser' up the pole should terminate in a wheatherhead or conulator,the chief concern here is ice cracking it, water will enter every service lateral eventually, so that's Y we use URD USE, rated for wet location. You should ask your utility for their specs.... [Linked Image]

#3540 08/21/01 08:28 PM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
>why is there no weather head?
Because your electricity distribution company doesn't use them.

>Is there something inside the pipe insulating it from water?
The conductors are in waterproof insulation.
There may be weep holes in the pipe to allow water to drain at the bottom. A weatherhead would not keep out all moisture anyway.

>Also in a underground service does the power company supply the wire from the pole through the conduit to my meter?
Most all do and some make you pay for it too.

#3541 08/22/01 08:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Typically in this area (SoCA):
Customer supplies and installs all conduit, including primaries, that relate to their job.
Customer supplies any transformer pad, slab box, or vaults and grounding necessary.

These immediately become the property of the utility.

The utility supplies the cable, transformers, and metering. The first 100 feet of cable used to be free, but since deregulation, they charge for everything.

This has caused us to exclude any and all power company charges from our bids, as one doesn't know how much the charge will be until way too late in the construction process.

I've never heard of weep holes in a conduit. To do so here would cause you to miserably fail the utility inspection required for a service. We don't have an ice problem. The conduits going up the pole are wide open at the top (first 10' up must be schedule 80).
On some of the taller risers, I've seen wedges inserted at the top, but these are for mechanical support of the weight, and are far from watertight

#3542 08/22/01 04:07 PM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Try this scenario: The water runs into the riser whenever rains. After a few years the underground conduit is filled with water.

A hurricane comes and the rain runs down the conductors and pole and into the riser. Enough rain follows this path to fill the riser to the height of the meter box. From there water drains into the conduit into the house and runs into the service panel in the basement.

#3543 08/23/01 02:53 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 60
S
Member
I have never seen a weatherhead on a utility companies pole for a riser. The conduit will be filled with water most of the time, regardless.

In fact here in NYC Con Edison has given up trying to seal underground conduit. I see them regularly installing 4" steel conduit with no threads on either end. They fit loosely together with non threaded sleeve type couplings they are only held in place by the dirt around them. They are designed so that the water flows through.

#3544 08/23/01 03:13 PM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 40
G
Member
Quote
Originally posted by stan:
in a underground service entrance for a residential home with a 200 amp service were the conduit runs up the power pole and the wires come out of the pipe y arent their a weather head . or are the something thats inside the pipe insulating it from water. Also in a underground service does the power company supply the wire from the pole threw the conduit to my meter?

As was said already most utilities do not use any form of W/H to keep water out of their conduits. It would be a waste of time and money since it isn't sealed at the other end(below grade pedestal or padmounted transformer). However if a cust installs a riser on a pole it MUST have a W/H installed for reasons already pointed out by others. The utility I work for does not furnish conduit,wire or labor for a customer to pipe up the pole. All of this is at the expense of the cust. Even in URD installations we do not provide a service drop. Only in overhead distribution areas is that provided. Also required here is SCH80 PVC or rigid metallic conduit for the entire length of the riser. Found that out the hard way by installing SCH40(its bad when you are a lineman for a utility and don't know your own rules)geez.

CHeck with your local utility to see what is/ isn't provided.

#3545 08/23/01 03:23 PM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 40
G
Member
On a little different note but still in the range of conduits and such, I would like some opinions.

The utility I work for when they started installing URD around 30+ yrs ago did not use conduit. Everything was direct buried. Over the years we all know what happens to direct buried installations. They got wise and within the past 15 or so yrs everything new gets conduit installed. This means a one time trench and no digging 6' deep to make repairs to faulted primary or secondaries. Now they are talking about NOT using conduit anymore!! WHAT!!? All for the sake of saving a few bucks on new installations. Are these people morons or what? I think so. I would think for the cost of a crew in the middle of the night (on doubletime) digging up primary to splice would more than pay for the cost of some 3" PVC. What do you guys think?

They say the wire we are purchasing nowadays is improved over past wire purchases. Yeah and the manufacturer 30 yrs ago said there is no need for conduit. This stuff will last for a lifetime. Well its lifetime is over in about 20 to 30 yrs.

Sorry for rambling on like that

glenn35

#3546 08/23/01 04:30 PM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 62
J
Member
remember guys local codes prevail


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