Electrical – what is the distance a service drop needs to be from windows

electrical

Hi thank you everyone for your awesome input and help. I'm trying to decide placement for service drop to new electrical service panel/main circuit breaker panel. this is new construction of a two story house and I'm hoping to place it on side wall in between two windows that my service drop pipe has a straight shot up the wall thru the 2nd floor and out the roof. there is only 24" on each side of panel then windows.

Best Answer

The raceway for the service conductors can be where you want. Here is the pertinent National Electrical Code language:

230.9 Clearances on Buildings. Service conductors and final spans shall comply with 230.9(A), (B), and (C).

(A) Clearances. Service conductors installed as open conductors or multiconductor cable without an overall outer jacket shall have a clearance of not less than 900 mm (3 ft) from windows that are designed to be opened, doors, porches, balconies, ladders, stairs, fire escapes, or similar locations.

Exception: Conductors run above the top level of a window shall be permitted to be less than the 900 mm (3 ft) requirement.

Notice this actually refers to the service drop conductors not the conductors down the side of the building. "Open conductors" is the old three wire service drops and "multiconductor cable without an overall outer jacket" is triplex. These are both used for the actual service drop. Once you hit the house and transition to SE cable or a raceway you can put the service where you want as long a step it is adequately supported.

Your conductors are in a raceway and as long as the service point itself has a 3 foot clearance from the windows horizontally you are good.

Now, you said "up the wall" so I presume you are attaching your raceway on the outside of the house. That would be the normal method. Then up through the eave to the service point. Passing the service through the wall before it is protected by a breaker or fuse is a Code violation. The service is supposed to remain outside the home until it reaches the closest point to the main disconnect. Your inspector may have some specific Code interpretation about passing through the eave. This is usually allowed if it just a small slope at that point and is a non-habitable part of the home such as an attic.

Good luck!

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