I've been here before and know this wasn't always like this. It's along a Main Road and the driveway to the right gets Truck traffic. It looks to me like the 2 short (2-1/2" GRC) extensions were added to get more clearance above the driveway, and the siding is new. There are no clamps or straps on the conduit except for the makeshift ones made out of siding material that are nailed to the facia.



This shot is taken head on and you can see the 2 conduit "supports". If my windshield was cleaner (sorry ) you would also see that the meter is in a disconnected position (rotated) and enclosure is locked.

Obviously someone thought they were going to save some money here... Good Job, right?

Bill

Violation of 230.28 for sure!

2 violations of 230.28:

...shall be of adequate strength or be supported by braces or guys to withstand safely the strain imposed by the service drop...

[...]

Only power service-drop conductors shall be permitted to be attached to a service mast.

[This message has been edited by ThinkGood (edited 08-31-2003).]

The bottom wire(s) look like phone or cable...I believe (here in Cali) that is another violation. The least potentially-fatal, however.

Strong winds in this area? If so, I reccommend driving an alternate route from now on...

Zapped,

I think that's a Phone wire too.
I hear it's a violation here too, but see it on almost every other Mast.

Hey, maybe the winds this weekend will take this one out. I'll keep an eye on it.
The pole is on the same side of the street across the driveway, so it shouldn't be any danger to drivers driving by.

Bill

230.28 says that "only power service-drop conductors shall be permitted to be attached to a service mast". But it didn't always say that. In 1990, there was no mention of that. In 1993 a FPN added that this was the intent of that section. Finally, the 1996 cycle got it right! I still see a lot of foreigh attachments to masts. I guess old habits die hard.

And look, no visible means of support!

Also, what happens when someone opens the door all the way?

Kevin,

Our POCO has long considered the Mast to be their domain and would shoot down an installation if something else was there when they came to look at it, but Telco and Cable do usually get added later and nothing happens.

Bill

Isn't it quite curious then, how power and telephone/cable TV lines hapily co-exist on distribution poles along the street?

Bill:
Had to jump in here....
Here in NJ, the mast is the domain of the utility co's, and IF it's a new install...only electric utility lines on the approved insulator. (period) Anything hitching on & you will not get a tie-in.

As soon as the line crew depart, here comes the cable dude & the phone guy (Verizon)
Cable dude hangs on, goes to the splitter, runs a grd to ??? the rod...no, he puts a piece of flex strap around the 2-1/2" RGC.

Verizon cuts the GEC to the rod & puts a telco approved split bolt on with his #8 solid EGC.

So who gets the "red sticker"??? Cable guy has no lic or permit required; resi phone is "permit not required"; so ???????

All in a fun day's work.

BTW, the utilities here have guy requirements for masts exceeding 3' above the roof

John

John,

It gets interesting when doing a Service Change and they want the old wooden Mast replaced with GRC. Everything was on the old mast but we can't transfer it to the new mast without getting nailed for it. How do we explain that to the customer? What usually happens is we leave the old mast up and tell the customer that they have to call Telco and Cable to move their own cables. They probably do move them to the new mast after some time, I've never heard of any problems afterwards.


BTW, if you're interested in comparing regs our POCO, LIPA (formerly LILCO) has it's "RedBook" online at www.LIPOWER.org and here's some Drawings (pdf file) showing what's required for Mast construction and support in our area.

Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 10-02-2003).]

Bill,
very much similar to our biggest poco CVPS and thier elctric service requirements
save for that D12 direct burial UG, methinks our soil conditions differ a tad

still, someone put a meter and what appears to be a locking meter ring....
(although i'm not overly familiar with them here)

they loath each other here Paul, at least in my little corner in Vermont.

it's a long tawdry tale, and many a sparky has been caught betwix the two ego-utilitairians

Bill A. -- The "rolling bend knot" on D6 of your LIPA Ch. 11 link is great. {More than one way to skin a cat.}