[jayp]

I've been renovating an old house and had removed aluminum siding from the entire house except for this final area near where the main service comes in from the power pole and the drip loops attach to the house. First of all, I've never really liked the way this looks but such is life. I would like to at least temporarily detach all of this for long enough to remove the aluminum. Do I need to get the power company to disconnect me while I do this?

 

[NolaTigaBait]

you,....yes....me,...no....technically, i think everyone is supposed to get the utility involved, i guess each state or county, or parish differs....but, you as the homeowner, i would get a licensed electrician to just file the job and move it.....and tell him to get rid of that se...

 

[rgsgww]

Yeah, those SE are unfused, means that its always live. Only the power company should work with it without someone getting hurt or killed.

What they would most likely do it disconnect the line at the pole and then at the house.

You should consider a new SE anyways.

 

[jayp]

school me

Ok, I'm no electrician so feel free to school me here. What do you mean by SE? I had a jackball of an electrician upgrade my service a few years ago before I knew better and his work was less than stellar.

 

[NolaTigaBait]

theres nothing wrong with it....i woulddn't use it though...its legal....se, is a flexible cable used for service entrances, like what you have...

 

[jayp]

ok

YOu're talking about the big cable running down the house? Yeah, I hate that thing too. I was thinking about cutting a piece of pipe in half with the table saw to cover it up.

 

[jamiedolan]

you,....yes....me,...no....technically, i think everyone is supposed to get the utility involved, i guess each state or county, or parish differs....but, you as the homeowner, i would get a licensed electrician to just file the job and move it.....and tell him to get rid of that se...

How would you remove thid with it disconnected at the pole? Just cut and cap up at the but splices or would you cut it at the pole yourself?

To the OP call the power co for a temp disc, they will cut it at the pole.
jamie

 

[rgsgww]

Why not have the SE cable replaced with conduit and a weatherhead, not really expensive.

 

[NolaTigaBait]

How would you remove thid with it disconnected at the pole? Just cut and cap up at the but splices or would you cut it at the pole yourself?

To the OP call the power co for a temp disc, they will cut it at the pole.
jamie

yes, i would call an electrician , he will file the permits and call the utility for a cutin/ cutout...me, if i were not to file it...i would just cut the drop, install a strain relief clamp(which there is no on this drop), and temporarily secure the drop somewhere else while he removes the siding, once he fixes the siding , install an insulator and reconnect the drop...its not that big of a deal, electricians do it all the time

 

[rgsgww]

Some pocos allow electricians to do as nolatigabait just said.

 

[220/221]

Good God that is ugly and unsafe. I don't care if it is legal, it is not a good way to install unfused cable. Stapled to wood siding with metal clamps?

Seems like the wind blowing could cause the wires to move back and forth over the years and cut the strap thru the cable.

Call power company to disconnct while you reside it. Make sure that point of attachment is securly thru bolted thru the framing and re install the cable.

That is dangerously ugly.

 

[goose134]

I'm going to admit that I didn't have my cheaters on and I simply thought the service entrance was rigid bent in the fork of a tree. I was sadly mistaken. Rip it out.

 

[johnnyboy]

I had the service cut by the poco during a siding job, didn't cost anything.... they took the wire and all (it was old)

I put up a new through-soffit, rigid mast, new square D box, looks nice.

poco wouldn't reconnect service until I got new box/mast inspected. Then they charged me a $200 reconnect fee