# Bent electric riser pole..



## Inspector102 (Dec 4, 2014)

Any mast that exceeds 3 feet above the roof line needs to have some type of support considered. The total span of the overhead lines needs to be considered also. Wind load, snow and ice load can impact the supporting structure. The mast needs to be replaced and guy line supports secured back to the house basically in line with the pulling direction of the overhead lines. Typically two straps or wires are used and placed 45 degrees to each other to get maximum support.


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

Got this from someone in another forum. Is there any validity to this? 



> I don't have access to my code book atm so I can't verify if this has to be straight but I'm not sure that this is bent as you're thinking of it. I'd see if I can see the actual bend. It maybe have been intentionally bent like this. Maybe someone couldn't figure out how to drill at an angle or straight up from the lower hole? If that rigid pipe is coming straight out of the roof and the bend is in the attic space, it was probably intentional.


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

Inspector102 said:


> Any mast that exceeds 3 feet above the roof line needs to have some type of support considered. The total span of the overhead lines needs to be considered also. Wind load, snow and ice load can impact the supporting structure. The mast needs to be replaced and guy line supports secured back to the house basically in line with the pulling direction of the overhead lines. Typically two straps or wires are used and placed 45 degrees to each other to get maximum support.


Since this is fairly new construction, is it worth pulling the inspection report / getting the original contractor involved?


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## WyrTwister (Jul 22, 2013)

You have already purchased the house ?

God bless
Wyr


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

WyrTwister said:


> You have already purchased the house ?
> 
> God bless
> Wyr



Contract is in progress. I've been given money to handle the repair myself post-closing.


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## WyrTwister (Jul 22, 2013)

decoy5657 said:


> Contract is in progress. I've been given money to handle the repair myself post-closing.


 Be sure to water proof / weather proof the roof penetration , very well .

This is something I would do myself . But from the sound of it , I do not recommend you do it yourself .

God bless
Wyr


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## MrElectricianTV (Nov 13, 2014)

decoy5657 said:


> Hey guru's. I'm buying a new house (~3 years old, 1 previous resident) and the only concern is a bent electric riser pole. Picture attached.
> 
> I know it needs to be repaired/replaced but is this something worth contacting the original contractor about? Does the height of the pole and support cables look kosher? Had one guy tell me it's about 450 to replace it. I'm mostly curious why this happened in the first place; Too much stress on the line and it's going to happen again, or if the asphalt truck bumped the line, got heavy from ice, etc...
> Thoughts?


There should have been a guy wire installed near the top of the mast to pull in the opposite direction. I am surprised that it passed inspection without a guy wire.

I had to do a repair like this several years ago. I had the power company drop their overhead line. I (With a helper) removed the weatherhead, disconnected the meter socket terminals and pulled the wires out. It was pretty straight forward to install a new pipe WITH a guy wire. I found a solid piece of wood in the roof and screwed in a heavy duty hook which I covered with roof cement. I used 1/4" galvanized wire rope and added a turnbuckle to take up the slack. I also used cable clamps to make the hoops in the guy wire, but a crimper and sleeves will work also.

When the power company showed up, I expected that they would disconnect the power at the pole. They just went up on the roof, cut the wires, taped the ends and threw the live wires on the ground. They came back a few hours later and put it back. This was in a wooded area and the pole and transformer were on the homeowners property.

A tree branch could have fallen on the overhead wire which would have caused the pipe to bend.


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## Desertdrifter (Dec 10, 2009)

IMO If you're getting money to fix it, then fix it. Find out if the mast needs to be that high. Shorter would be nicer.


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

clw1963 said:


> IMO If you're getting money to fix it, then fix it. Find out if the mast needs to be that high. Shorter would be nicer.


I'm going to fix it. That was never a part of the question.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

decoy5657 said:


> Got this from someone in another forum. Is there any validity to this?


it is kind of odd that the angle of the mast above the roof is just about if not actually perpendicular to the roof


and the incoming cable doesn't appear to be sagging excessively.



It does almost look intentional


but I will say the POCO around me would condemn that riser and require you to make it right.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

clw1963 said:


> IMO If you're getting money to fix it, then fix it. Find out if the mast needs to be that high. Shorter would be nicer.


the line appears to be running over another aprt of the building (see the gutters running to the left). He may not be able to lower it due to clearance requirements.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Got the exact same issue.
Hurricane came though long ago and dropped trees on the lines and bent the pole.
I've sent 10 years trying to get an electrition to fix it.
I have a new mast, weather head, and our power company on speed dial and still after calling at least 3 company's and having a few come by to look at at it, it's still not fixed.
It does not leak.
No reason to hold up a closing.


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

It's not going to hold up the closing. I think I'll add the guy wires to stabilize it so I can sleep better at night. I'll be adding a subpanel for a garage soon... when it's time to connect all of that I can have the power company come out and disconnect/reconnect while we replace the pole.


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## Desertdrifter (Dec 10, 2009)

nap said:


> the line appears to be running over another aprt of the building (see the gutters running to the left). He may not be able to lower it due to clearance requirements.


What's the height requirement for walkable roof?


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## Desertdrifter (Dec 10, 2009)

decoy5657 said:


> I'm going to fix it. That was never a part of the question.


To answer your question of possible reasons this happened, it could have been, the length of the service, tree branch, wind increasing the tension, or a vehicle etc. I've seen all those. 
Depending on your building dept interpretation of clearances and obstacles unseen, you may or may not, as nap pointed out be able to get by with a shorter riser.

Edit- there are minimum clearances for next to house, walkways, driveways and out buildings over which the service crosses.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

clw1963 said:


> What's the height requirement for walkable roof?


here ya go.



> (A) Above Roofs. Conductors shall have a vertical clearance
> of not less than 2.5 m (8 ft) above the roof surface.
> The vertical clearance above the roof level shall be maintained
> for a distance of not less than 900 mm (3 ft) in all
> ...


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## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

clw1963 said:


> IMO If you're getting money to fix it, then fix it. Find out if the mast needs to be that high. Shorter would be nicer.


Not knowing but there may be clearance issues to the left. 

Definitely needs a guy wire. 

Wondering what it looks like lower on the pipe to detemine the length of the pipe and if there might be a coupling at that bend ( break??)


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

ritelec said:


> Not knowing but there may be clearance issues to the left.
> 
> Definitely needs a guy wire.
> 
> Wondering what it looks like lower on the pipe to detemine the length of the pipe and if there might be a coupling at that bend ( break??)



Hard to say. I don't have a better picture right now. It's perfectly straight from the soffit down to the meter which is.... "at the appropriate height"

You thinkin' there's a joint in there?


edit: This probably isn't helpful, but you can kind of see where things go and the scale of it here.


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## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

Maybe a bend or coupling. ??? The bend looks tight though like a Kink or broken coupling. 

Either way getting fixed right. 

All the best with the new house


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

wow! that's a monster. From this perspective it does look pretty screwed up.

and as far as I can tell you should be able to drop the connection down as well.


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## Desertdrifter (Dec 10, 2009)

Curious to see a picture showing the service going to the pole. Looks like it drops quite a bit. Which may be totally due to the bent riser. I agree with nap. That last picture shows the riser possibly could be shorter.


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## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

nap said:


> wow! that's a monster. From this perspective it does look pretty screwed up.
> 
> and as far as I can tell you should be able to drop the connection down as well.


Height from ground ? Looks about 12 to 14 feet ?


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## decoy5657 (Apr 28, 2015)

clw1963 said:


> Curious to see a picture showing the service going to the pole. Looks like it drops quite a bit. Which may be totally due to the bent riser. I agree with nap. That last picture shows the riser possibly could be shorter.


Let me google that for you :laughing: It's amazing what they've got record of!


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## ritelec (Aug 30, 2009)

ritelec said:


> Height from ground ? Looks about 12 to 14 feet ?




10 to 12 at driveway...maybe was 12 ish and bend lowered it... 

I liked the tree limb theory.


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## Desertdrifter (Dec 10, 2009)

Definitely looks like you could get away, legally, with a 2' riser and a mast clamp at 18". IMO


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