How To Look At A House

McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of  

site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes

Why is a leaning electrical service mast dangerous?

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

When the structural integrity of a service mast begins to fail and it leans further and further over—pulled by the weight of the service cables, with the mast as a lever—it can eventually rip the meter lugs from the insulator mounts and leave them dangling. An electrical short will often follow and, unfortuanately, there is no overcurrent protection at most electric utility meters. They are designed to withstand a large current surge, but not to stop one. The main breaker for the home is downstream and will not be triggered, so an electrical fire comes next.

    Here’s an example above of an electrical fire at a meter, one that was caught in time. It had a different configuration (underground service) and different cause (cable short between meter and service panel), but is an example of what can happen quickly with a short at a meter that does not have overcurrent protection.

    There’s also a secondary problem caused by the openings of the leaning service mast at connections that let rainwater run down into the meter box, corrode the interior, and damage the meter equipment.

    So the moral of this tale is: don’t wait too long to fix a leaning overhead service drop. Also, here’s links with answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about ELECTRICAL SERVICE:

What is the minimum overhead electric service drop height/clearance to a house?

 Why is a leaning electrical service mast dangerous? 

• What is the fireman’s switch emergency disconnect requirement for residential electrical service?

• What are typical copper service entrance wire/cable sizes for the electrical service to a house? 

What are typical aluminum service entrance wire/cable sizes for the electrical service to a house?

What is the minimum clearance of overhead electric service drop wires above a house roof? 

What is three phase electric service?

What is a reliable way to tell if the electrical service is 3 phase or single phase? 

What does it mean when I find buried yellow "CAUTION" tape when digging a hole in the yard?

How can I find out the size of the electric service to a house?

What is the difference between the electric service to a mobile home and a site built home? 

What are the clearance requirements for an overhead electric service drop that is directly over or near a swimming pool?  

• What is the minimum size electric service to a mobile/manufactured home?

• Can anything else be attached to a service mast for overhead electric service besides the service cables? 

• What is the electrical "service point" of a house? 

Why is there a 3-phase breaker in a single phase panel with only two bus bars?

What is a service conductor?

• What is the difference between single-phase and three-phase electric service? 

• What is the minimum clearance under an electrical service drip loop of a house? 

     Visit our ELECTRICAL page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. 

Thanks to Craig Eaton for help with this article.

Water Heaters

Water Heater Age

"What Are The

Signs Of..."

Septic Tank Systems

Structure and Rooms

Plumbing Pipes

Termites, Wood Rot

& Pests

Sinkholes

Stairs

When It First

Became Code

"Should I Buy A..."

Park Model Homes

Site

Shingle Roofs

Safety

Stucco

Remodeling

Wind Mitigation

Roof and Attic

"Does A Home

Inspector...?"

Pool and Spa

"What Is The Difference Between..."

Radon

Brick

Plumbing

Concrete and

Concrete Block

Metal Roofs

Foundations

Modular Homes

Rain Gutters

Mold, Lead & Other Contaminants

Condominiums

Older and

Historic Houses

Crawl Spaces

Mobile-Manufactured Homes

Building Permits

Life Expectancy

Clay Soil

Insurance

Floors

Insulation

Toilets

Exterior Walls

& Structures

Generators

Common Problems

HUD-Code for

Mobile Homes

Garages and Carports

Flat (Low Slope) Roofs

Electrical Panels

Sprinkler Systems

Electrical Receptacle Outlets

4-Point Inspections

Hurricane Resistance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Home Inspection

Heating and Air Conditioning

Building Codes

Fireplaces and Chimneys

Inspector Licensing

& Standards

Energy Efficiency

Washers and Dryers

Electrical

Kitchens

Doors and Windows

(placeholder)

Cracks

Electrical Wiring

Click Below  

for Links

to Collections

of Blog Posts

by Subject

Plumbing Drains

and Traps

Appliances

Smoke & CO Alarms

Aging in Place

Top 5 results given instantly.

Click on magnifying glass

for all search results.

Bathrooms

Lighting

AFCI, CAFCI,

DFCI, & GFCI

Sinks

Air Conditioner & Furnace Age/Size

Attics

Electrical Switches

Siding

Search

This

Site

Water Intrusion

Electrical - Old

and Obsolete

(placeholder)

Foundation Certifications

Tiny Houses

About McGarry and Madsen

(placeholder)

Wells

Buying a home in North/Central Florida? Check our price for a  team inspection by two FL-licensed contractors and inspectors. Over 8,500 inspections completed in 20+ years. In a hurry? We will get it done for you.

Moisture Problems

Crawl Spaces

Bedrooms

Closets