# Service mast change out



## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

You need to check the hydro for their requirement ..

Imo 12 foot pipe is not long enough so you may have to get 6 foot conduit and keep the long section on upper part.. And yuh you will have to back guyed ( make sure you hit a good rafter or truss ..)

And put a good flashing on it and seal it good.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

jordandunlop said:


> My friend got in contact with me today about changing out his service mast. He says that he needs to change the height of it because when he is on his upper deck the overhead line could be used as a clothes hanger. The existing mast is 9ft from the meter socket and right at the top of the soffit. My question is if I change it to a 12ft mast and go through the roof will this pass code will it be high enough? Here are the pictures. This is in Canada to.


Is that a flat roof. Kinda looks like it. Might be a problem unless your lowest wiring is 8' feet above the rooftop. 

Down here we can go to 18'' above the overhanging portion of a roof per nec,if it is 36'' or less wide, but the poco demands 36''minimum clearance above roofs. They get all sketchy about flat roofs though. So do the local inspectors. Some of the local inspectors. Some know about the overhang exception.


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

Im in Ontario so it might be different then the rest of Canada, check your Canadian code book.

Here I would use Spec 28 'Service mast installation' in the Ontario Code.

The mast has to be 3ft from the roof line minimum. If it's Over 5 ft from the roof line, you will then need a guy wire to support the extra height. So if you're at a 9' mast and below the roof line now, going with a 12ft mast may not be enough to clear the 3ft rule from the roof.

Check you're Canadian code specs.


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## jordandunlop (Feb 28, 2009)

Aegis said:


> Im in Ontario so it might be different then the rest of Canada, check your Canadian code book. Here I would use Spec 28 'Service mast installation' in the Ontario Code. The mast has to be 3ft from the roof line minimum. If it's Over 5 ft from the roof line, you will then need a guy wire to support the extra height. So if you're at a 9' mast and below the roof line now, going with a 12ft mast may not be enough to clear the 3ft rule from the roof. Check you're Canadian code specs.


 what do you suggest I do? Do they make a longer mast than 12ft?


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

jordandunlop said:


> what do you suggest I do? Do they make a longer mast than 12ft?


No.. Get a other pipe and scrrw it together to get the length as need to be..

So just get 6 foot pipe that should take care of your situation.. And keep the short section to lower part .


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

jordandunlop said:


> what do you suggest I do? Do they make a longer mast than 12ft?


Rigid steel conduit. Use EMT at your meter socket and a 10' stick of rigid for your mast.


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## DPWK (Nov 27, 2015)

Ya, your raceway will have to be rigid steel now because the service conductors will be attaching to the mast. Section 6 and Appendix B in the CEC will have all the specific measurements when it comes to clearances and distances from the roof, driveways, decks etc... And I think it was already mentioned but your conduit straps will have to be bolted through a truss or a beam, you can't simply just attach wood screws to the side of the house. Good luck finding those beams, that's going to be tough.


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## DPWK (Nov 27, 2015)

And I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything, but under your name it says "master electrician" shouldn't you already know the code book inside and out? Or do you do more industrial kind of stuff and residential is kinda foreign?


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

DPWK said:


> And I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything, but under your name it says "master electrician" shouldn't you already know the code book inside and out? Or do you do more industrial kind of stuff and residential is kinda foreign?


Maybe his experience is underground.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

99cents said:


> Maybe his experience is underground.


Master electrician that doesn't know pipe is screwed together to make it longer?


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

Alberta here, so be careful:

Back up and take a wide pic of the house. What height are the overhead conductors off the deck?

Leaving the meter as is can you throw a 90 on the conduit and go left or right to clear the deck? Right I guess as you want to stay away from that window. Is your height ok off the ground if you do this?

Here is a graphic Alberta put out...










Check with your inspection department. << sometimes they will treat a deck as a flat roof. They should in my book as it is rare a human can reach 10 feet. The odd basketball player I suppose.

If you go through the roof (can't re-locate the service head left or right) then a mast kit. This has all the components required to seal the roof properly and the bolts that go through the wall to secure the rigid conduit. I always use a 2" kit and mount the clevis at 3' above the roof. So my conduit is 3'6' above the shingles, clevis 6" down. 

So measure 3' above the roof (2' back - overhang soffit type thing)... how far off the deck are you? The roof is at a slant going up so 3' off the roof might be 4' or more higher then current location.

*Installing a mast ...*

The mast kit comes with a couple of 1/2" bolts to secure the rigid. In the house find a stud. Easy, measure off a receptacle or something. Long 3/16 or 1/4 drill bit. Drill through the house wall (stud) at the appropriate distances (one at soffit height the other below). The small 1/4 hole will eventually let you run your 1/2 auger through for the bolts but not yet.

Hole saw... sized to the flat washers that come in the kit (1"?). Insert the holesaw in the 1/4 holes you have drilled and go in an inch or so. Break it out. You will now be able to conceal the nut and washer. 1/2 auger out, drill through the wall (stud). Bolts through, mark them a 1/4 inch or so less than the wall. Bolt them in. Fill the two holes. Owner paints the wall.
*
Stuff...*

You could of course re-locate the meter box to one side to clear the deck and get the pipe away. Where she LBs in just go left or right then up to the new meter location then from there to the new point of attachment.

As others have said you add EMT if you are short but standing on the ground with the meter at 6' center and a 10 foot pipe the POA is like 16 feet. No?

*Stuff 2...*

If you want to use the same location but just go through the roof to gain 4' of height or so you will have to destroy the wall inside to put a couple of headers across the stud bay to support the mast bolts. Still not the end of the world as it can be patched and repainted.

*Stuff 3...*

Careful, you might have stucco under that siding. Hard on bits.


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## Aegis (Mar 18, 2011)

DPWK said:


> And I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything, but under your name it says "master electrician" shouldn't you already know the code book inside and out? Or do you do more industrial kind of stuff and residential is kinda foreign?


I had never changed out a mast through a roof line until I became a Master. I read up on my code and got a fellow electrician whose changed tuns of them to give me a hand. 99% of my time has been in commercial and I still don't know everything. What's great about this forum is that we can exchange ideas/code rules about things we may not have a lot of experience in


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Aegis said:


> I had never changed out a mast through a roof line until I became a Master. I read up on my code and got a fellow electrician whose changed tuns of them to give me a hand. 99% of my time has been in commercial and I still don't know everything. What's great about this forum is that we can exchange ideas/code rules about things we may not have a lot of experience in


I did my first one through the roof four months ago. New service to the garage and then overhead triplex to the house. With some advice off this site (thanks, Dave) and a call to the inspection office, I figured it out.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

daveEM said:


> Alberta here, so be careful:
> 
> Back up and take a wide pic of the house. What height are the overhead conductors off the deck?
> 
> ...


Yeah, I might think about cutting out a piece of drywall stud to stud, peeling back the insulation and putting the headers in.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

It is funny how different things are in different parts of the country. I bet at least half the services we change out are mast type services.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

Specification 28 is where you'll find the drawing with all the dimensions and code references for the service mast installation itself in the CEC.


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## LuckyLuke (Jun 1, 2015)

DPWK said:


> And I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything, but under your name it says "master electrician" shouldn't you already know the code book inside and out? Or do you do more industrial kind of stuff and residential is kinda foreign?


I have never personally touched a residential service in my career of 24 years and wouldn't know stuff like this without looking it up. You may not be trying to be an asshole but........


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## jordandunlop (Feb 28, 2009)

I have done overhead services before just never had to extend a mast before. Thats why i asked in the first place on this site and get more info. Just because im a journeyman doesnt mean i know it all. Far from it.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

In my experience, local requirements are vastly different and the power company is usually the one who sets the rules.

Contact them. All we can do is speculate.

If you need more than 10', get a 20' piece (possibly at a plumbing supply) and cut it. Our local POCOs have (logical)specifications on where you can add couplings.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

jordandunlop said:


> I have done overhead services before just never had to extend a mast before. Thats why i asked in the first place on this site and get more info. Just because im a journeyman doesnt mean i know it all. Far from it.


Don't sweat it. I have never been to Carberry, Manitoba but I'm thinking small town and rural. If a city boy like me tried to work in your area, I would be completely lost. I'm sure you have stories to tell and some of your own advice to give. :thumbsup:


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## pjholguin (May 16, 2014)

I know this 45 days old, but they make 20' sticks of RMC.


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## 271sparky (Mar 30, 2016)

Some option we do at times instead of going through the roof is run pipe along the roof line away from any obstructions as we just have to be 10' above the ground


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## 271sparky (Mar 30, 2016)

Maybe rerouting the conduit to a different location would keep you away from the deck


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