# Service Entrance/Weather head placement



## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

I wanted this weekend off but a friend is moving into a house and wants a service upgrade from the FP panel currently in the house. I've got to get it done tomorrow. I don't do much residential work but in looking at how the drop comes in and how the weather head is articulated on the old service, I suspect I won't pass with the new one installed at the same angle. I didn't get a hold of the inspector that handles this part of town early enough to find out. The point here being I believe they will want the weather head up on more of a vert angle to keep water out of it yet the location of the insulators would make me have to really twist it around the last one at a hard angle. I don't like my work looking like it wasn't done by an experienced pro so wondering if any of you other experienced sparkies might have any ideas on how best to run this line to the drop and still keep it neat. It of course would be easy to just keep the new entrance running on the same line of the roof as this old one but my concern is the shallow angle of the weather head. This old line looks like a homeowner job. The line wasn't even attached to the side of the house so it was obviously never inspected in the prior install. Not a complicated job but the angle of the weather head concerns me for passing inspection if I would keep it the same.


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

Forgot to attach a photo...


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## flyboy (Jun 13, 2011)

Your photo didn't upload.


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

Try again. 

Use "Go Advanced" click on paper clip, choose file, upload.


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

Looks like photobucket isn't working so I can't u-load an image of it


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I went to your Photobucket account and looked at it.

I have installed them on angles, but never that shallow of an angle. While ugly, in your situation I might turn it downward a bit so that I can turn it back to vertical near the peak.


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

Okay HackWork, thanks for saving me the time. For whatever reason I can't get the photobucket link to take. Your idea was what I was also thinking but as previously mentioned, I hate having to do anything that doesn't look good or 'right'. That shallow an angle on the roof however and I would bet I would get gigged for it were I to run the new service and keep the new weather head on the same shallow angle. I'm thinking just in looking at that top most insulator I will have to run it down below that and turn it hard back to vertical once around it. Yeesh, ugly is right but whatever it takes to pass I suppose.


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

.. In other words over the top of the first 2 insulators the SE passes then down under the last top most insulator and around to vertical.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

If looks matter, run it in pipe and it won't matter what angle the weatherhead is.


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

HackWork said:


> If looks matter, run it in pipe and it won't matter what angle the weatherhead is.



Yea, they matter some, but not that much ! :icon_wink:


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

The other thing I'm concerned with on this job is the condition of the old drop. There are no pigtails to tie the SE into. What's there now is strapped on I suppose with splits but the condition of the drop wires is bad to say the least. Insulation exposed 2+ feet from entrance etc. Duke generally changes them at some point after the release notice from inspection but I'm nearly tempted to see what their time frame would be to replace the drop first before I even do the job so I've got decent wire to work with. If the poco will even do that. As bad as they look I'm wary of dropping one from the anchor while tying in the new SE


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Kamo said:


> The other thing I'm concerned with on this job is the condition of the old drop. There are no pigtails to tie the SE into. What's there now is strapped on I suppose with splits but the condition of the drop wires is bad to say the least. Insulation exposed 2+ feet from entrance etc. Duke generally changes them at some point after the release notice from inspection but I'm nearly tempted to see what their time frame would be to replace the drop first before I even do the job so I've got decent wire to work with. If the poco will even do that. As bad as they look I'm wary of dropping one from the anchor while tying in the new SE


Only the PoCo could tell you that, it doesn't hurt to ask. 

I HATE those separate conductors, I like the triplex drop with a single point of attachment.

But if you have to work with that, I would cut the conductors right as they left the existing weatherhead, and then splice onto that end with the new setup. Let the power company take care of the rest.

Here is your picture:


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## Kamo (Aug 3, 2017)

Thanks for posting the pic for me HackWork. I couldn't get it to load. I agree about the triplex. I helped a fellow sparky complete a job in Feb of this year with a similar setup and it was a real chore getting the 4/0 SE turned on the long radius around the last anchor. To top it off the drop had nearly -0- slack in it and was pulled tight right where it was. We let it warm up but it was 12 deg outside so it didn't stay warm and pliable for long. It's 2017 and I'm still surprised at how many of those old non triplex drops are out here and this house isn't out in the boondocks somewhere but right in a nicer suburb. I already tried both the inspector responsible for this area as well as the Duke project coordinator for the same area and of course neither returned my calls. I'm just going to run the new SE along the roof line like the old one is and either over the first 2 insulators and then under the top one or under all three and then vert. I'll decide once up there and up looking at it closer.


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