# Duct Seal at Weatherhead



## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Does any one here ever use duct seal around their conductors exiting the weatherhead to seal against blowing rain?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Not to seal against blowing rain. To seal against bees and wasps. Especially PVC weatherheads.


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## The Lightman (Jan 9, 2010)

007 style JK- No, but I heard silicone works against sucky snow.
Seriously, shouldn't a good drip loop and cap work well enough?


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

Gosh lightman, I've never seen a weatherhead like that. I've never used anything extra to seal a weatherhead. Just wondering. This is the kind of crap I spend a lot of my time thinking about.:laughing:


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

doubleoh7 said:


> Does any one here ever use duct seal around their conductors exiting the weatherhead to seal against blowing rain?


Very rare I use the duct seal on the weather head but for bee/ other critter yeah I have to seal it up.

Merci.
Marc


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

I saw a fully grown man, a poco lineman, almost cry after yellow jackets came swarming out a new weatherhead I put up a week or so before and hit him in the face a few times. I felt like crap after that. Now I either duct seal the holes or I use expanding foam to fill the whole weatherhead up.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> I saw a fully grown man, a poco lineman, almost cry after yellow jackets came swarming out a new weatherhead I put up a week or so before and hit him in the face a few times. I felt like crap after that. Now I either duct seal the holes or I use expanding foam to fill the whole weatherhead up.


 
I think I will have to seal it up every time I do the weatherhead to prevent like this kind of event.

I know some peoples are allgeric to bee/ yellow jacket.

So that make sense.

Merci.
Marc


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> To seal against bees and wasps.


Same here. Stupid things seem to love conduit, weather heads and enclosures, I do everything possible to keep them out.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

When I use 2/0 copper thhn/thwn -2 for a 200 amp service in conduit, the black plastic entry cap has multiple holes you can knock out. The bigger ones are so large there is a big gap around the conductors. Then there is two holes that would work fine but the third (neutral) hole in that set is reduced and wont allow a 2/0, and I tried to unibit ream it once before, but that just cracked the cap so I use the big holes and have to pack sealant in them.


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

I've broken one of those plastic pieces before. I had not thought about wasps and bees, I was just thinking about a HARD driving rain. Occasionally, I install some pretty expensive QO meter paks and I want them to last a LONG time.


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

don't use ductseal but do carry a can of wasp spray,if there are wasp around i will get stung


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Yes i use duct seal at the weather head keep's the bee's out.
And in those 4" weatherhead's it keeps the bird's from making a birds nest up there.


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

I say "Yes" to your question Lightman in post #3. Ampman, I do the same. It's a b*tch to run into, but I have never heard of duck sealing heads.

How often does a service mast get serviced???????


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

76nemo said:


> I say "Yes" to your question Lightman in post #3. Ampman, I do the same. It's a b*tch to run into, but I have never heard of duck sealing heads.
> 
> How often does a service mast get serviced???????


Once every 100 years:laughing:


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

macmikeman said:


> or I use expanding foam to fill the whole weatherhead up.


No problems with the foam and the wire insulation? I would assume not. I think this is a great idea for keeping out moisture and bees.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

nitro71 said:


> No problems with the foam and the wire insulation? I would assume not. I think this is a great idea for keeping out moisture and bees.


The problem is you have a half empty can of foam left which will now be pretty much useless unless you figure out what other holes you can use it up in at the same time.....


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> No problems with the foam and the wire insulation? I would assume not. I think this is a great idea for keeping out moisture and bees.


None that I've ever encountered. Also if you ever have to pull the wires out, if you haven't gone crazy with the stuff, its a fairly easy task to pull the whole bundle of wire out and separate them from the foam.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

macmikeman said:


> The problem is you have a half empty can of foam left which will now be pretty much useless unless you figure out what other holes you can use it up in at the same time.....


I wouldn't use it on a cut rate, low ball job. But for reasonably priced work it seems like it adds some value to the install. Pretty much you're using the can once unless you can buy extra nozzles?


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## iminaquagmire (Oct 1, 2008)

14/2 sheath or any tubing with a 1/4" ID works


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> The problem is you have a half empty can of foam left which will now be pretty much useless unless you figure out what other holes you can use it up in at the same time.....


Take the plastic nozzle/straw thing off and push a #12 scrap in it and let it dry, when you want to use it again pull out the wire and the nozzle/ will be as good as new.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

iminaquagmire said:


> 14/2 sheath or any tubing with a 1/4" ID works


 
:blink::blink:


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## wayne g (Nov 28, 2010)

Duct seal or silicone is the easy and best way to keep both bees and more important "water" from entering the weather head.


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## DIRT27 (Aug 25, 2010)

macmikeman said:


> The problem is you have a half empty can of foam left which will now be pretty much useless unless you figure out what other holes you can use it up in at the same time.....


I have used foam cans over a month after I used them the first time. You leave it together after you use it. A little bit a foam comes out the end and seals the can off. Cut a couple inches off the straw when you are ready to use it again.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

Never used duct seal on a weather head not likely that I ever will.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

great stuff, just enough to expand and wipe off the drips. Use it on all 2 1/2 and larger w/heads. I get birds aside from bees and what name you otherwise setting up camp in my work.


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