Overhead power line connection

[sleek98]

I am selling our lake house and one item that came up in the inspection was "loose connection insulators on main service entrance needs repairs along with separation of service wire connections for safety."

I have attached the picture from the report. I have already called the power company as these connections are in between the power pole and the meter. The rep didnt quite understand what I was talking about but said they will put in a request to have it inspected.

My question is what am I looking at? Are the black caps that are split really the only insulation on the connection, and if so are they easily replaced by a lineman? Is this really a big deal? Buyers are concerned over it, I remodeled the entire house so this was really the only "big" item on the report.

 

[FMB4]

From the Internet:
In most cases, the electrical service meter is the point where the utility’s responsibility ends. Any repairs required in the service drop or service meter are made by the utility with no charge to the customer.

Have the power co repair the problem and move forward with the sale of your house.
Good luck!

 

[nadogail]

In my community; you are looking at aa problem that belongs to the utility.

 

[mike93lx]

Agree, that's almost certainly a poco problem.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Typical ignorant inspectors.

Those connections are the PoCos responsibility...

I doubt theyre loose as theyre hydraulically crimped in most cases.

The only thing that is loose are the insulators which can be fixed with some tape...

 

[Skooterj]

I would call you PoCo. Everything before the meter should be their responsibility. Unfortunately, you have no way of turning off the power to those wire because the fix would be the quickly rap the connectors with some tape. I almost guarantee the guy your PoCo sends out will put on his glove and wrap them and be done in about 5 minutes. I've actually never seen the PoCo not tape them when they install them. The insulators are supposed to snap closed and stay closed, but every lineman I know also wraps them real quick.

 

[sleek98]

Thanks. I wasn’t sure if it would be as easy as taping the caps back on or if they would have to run new lines.

Either way hopefully the poco gets it knocked out no problem.

 

[mike93lx]

I would call you PoCo. Everything before the meter should be their responsibility.

Not exactly. In my experience, you own everything except the lateral and meter, so that includes the pan, riser, and weather head. The connection to their wire is their territory though

 

[u3b3rg33k]

what I see in the picture is loose insulation. the crimps may be fine.

Typical ignorant inspectors.

Those connections are the PoCos responsibility...

I doubt theyre loose as theyre hydraulically crimped in most cases.

The only thing that is loose are the insulators which can be fixed with some tape...

I've had them be bad before - I heard sizzling. poco guy redid them. and he redid them wrong, so they came out again and crimped AGAIN. then it was good.

Thanks. I wasn’t sure if it would be as easy as taping the caps back on or if they would have to run new lines.

Either way hopefully the poco gets it knocked out no problem.

I wouldn't be touching those, they're hot. don't wanna be on an aluminum ladder and touch one. bam!

 

[sleek98]

I have ZERO interest in messing with these.

I was trying to figure out enough information to see if the poco is blowing smoke if they call back and try to tell me I need to hire an electrician to fix it.

I know recently if the meters go bad they have been moving them from the house to the pole with a breaker at the bottom and saying your on your own from there.

 

[rlitman]

Thanks. I wasn’t sure if it would be as easy as taping the caps back on or if they would have to run new lines...

Doesn't matter, since it is 100% PoCo responsibility. They might choose to just replace the plastic, or tape it shut, or replace the whole crimp. In any case, they'll glove up and bend the wires further apart.

Around here, they use clamp connectors.

 

[FMB4]

Agian, it is the power company's problem if the issue is upstream of the meter.

 

[65ranchero]

When I had my electric panel upgraded POCO disconnected power and electrician ran a new wire from the panel to the meter and up to the insulator.
Electrician did crimps to the line from the pole to the insulator and we called the POco to come back and hyd. finishe the crimps and taped them off.

 

[JohnKal]

Not exactly. In my experience, you own everything except the lateral and meter, so that includes the pan, riser, and weather head. The connection to their wire is their territory though

This is correct

 

[FMB4]

Again, stated in a different perspective: everything down stream from your meter is your issue. And everything upstream from the meter (including the meter) is the power company's issue.

 

[mike93lx]

Again, stated in a different perspective: everything down stream from your meter is your issue. And everything upstream from the meter (including the meter) is the power company's issue.

This isn't true. You generally own the wire from the connection on your roof, up to the meter. This includes the weatherhead

 

[JohnKal]

Again, stated in a different perspective: everything down stream from your meter is your issue. And everything upstream from the meter (including the meter) is the power company's issue.

Again, this is not correct

 

[BillK]

Again, this is not correct

I dont think anyone can say that for certain except for their own jurisdiction and POCO. Where I live everything to the meter is the POCO's property. Might be different where you live and might be completely different where the op lives.

 

[Terry D]

The crimp connectors are the worst connectors that I have seen the utility use, and I'm going on experience here. I have seen so many burnt up. All they use here now is parallel connectors, the steel ones, not the cheap aluminum ones

 

[Bert_]

The inline connectors are meh... I pretty much always use H crimps for wires like this. Very rarely have one fail. Utility companies here use the same.

I'm surprised that some use mechanical connectors. The H crimps are cheap and very reliable. Really no reason to go mechanical unless you're a diyer who wouldn't want to buy the tool.

 

[David Paul]

I had the EXACT same situation at my house. JCPL our poco came out, replaced the plastic covers and called it a day.

 

[Terry D]

I had the EXACT same situation at my house. JCPL our poco came out, replaced the plastic covers and called it a day.

The plastic cover is not the part that is failing. Its the loose connector that is creating heat.

Edit: now that I looked at the pictures again, they dont appear to be melted.

 

[Bert_]

The plastic covers break down in the sun. The clips that hold it together breaker off. It's pretty common.