The city of Newton Illinois Electric Department has a requirement for a electric service entrance that mandates
3' of clearance from a door or window.
This is a very common requirement that is based on NEC 230.9 (A). It requires upper floor doors and windows to
have at least a 3’ clearance from the weather head and the exposed conductors.
The Newton Electric department interprets this rule to read that the meter socket and disconnect have to be at
least 3’ from a door or window, and that if any repair of the existing service is required it must now meet the 3’ rule.
The major problems with this are first it is a gross misapplication of the electrical code and causes repairs that
would of cost in the hundreds to potentially cost in the thousands, and in many instances it is very impractical to
move the meter location and in the case of storm repairs considerably delays the repair.
Another problem is the fact that the city passed the 2002 NEC as the electric code law for the city but this is
contrary to that. The city can amend the code if they want to but that has not happened, this 3' window rule has
been dreamed up by the electric department.
3' of clearance from a door or window.
This is a very common requirement that is based on NEC 230.9 (A). It requires upper floor doors and windows to
have at least a 3’ clearance from the weather head and the exposed conductors.
The Newton Electric department interprets this rule to read that the meter socket and disconnect have to be at
least 3’ from a door or window, and that if any repair of the existing service is required it must now meet the 3’ rule.
The major problems with this are first it is a gross misapplication of the electrical code and causes repairs that
would of cost in the hundreds to potentially cost in the thousands, and in many instances it is very impractical to
move the meter location and in the case of storm repairs considerably delays the repair.
Another problem is the fact that the city passed the 2002 NEC as the electric code law for the city but this is
contrary to that. The city can amend the code if they want to but that has not happened, this 3' window rule has
been dreamed up by the electric department.
Mayor Bolander’s house is a good example of where it would be very expensive and impractical to move the meter
socket and disconnect.
There are no obvious places where the meter and disconnect could be moved and have 3' of window clearance, not to
mention all the new holes to drill and old holes to fill in a brick house.
So if say that tree went down in a storm and bent the mast you would then be forced to move the meter so it was 3'
from a window?
socket and disconnect.
There are no obvious places where the meter and disconnect could be moved and have 3' of window clearance, not to
mention all the new holes to drill and old holes to fill in a brick house.
So if say that tree went down in a storm and bent the mast you would then be forced to move the meter so it was 3'
from a window?
He are a couple of actual violations of NEC 230.9 (A) What this code is all about is someone
reaching out a upper floor window and touching the wires or weather head (Circled area)
reaching out a upper floor window and touching the wires or weather head (Circled area)
Ameren has 2.4 million electric services, a massive engineering department and are known to be very particular when it
comes to following code, below is their rule on electric service clearance from windows.
"The minimum clearance for the customer’s service conductors of 3 feet from the communication wires or other
conductors, fire escapes, stairways, balconies, down spouts, gutters, windows, doors, porches and other similar locations
shall also be maintained for the service head and the open wires from the service head to the service drop."
comes to following code, below is their rule on electric service clearance from windows.
"The minimum clearance for the customer’s service conductors of 3 feet from the communication wires or other
conductors, fire escapes, stairways, balconies, down spouts, gutters, windows, doors, porches and other similar locations
shall also be maintained for the service head and the open wires from the service head to the service drop."
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Newton Illinois Electrical Service Entrance 3' from window code
This 3' from the window code is totally unnecessary on new construction but can be
fairly easily accommodated.
When it comes to existing services it is a really expensive problem that residents of
Newton do not need.
fairly easily accommodated.
When it comes to existing services it is a really expensive problem that residents of
Newton do not need.
The event that brought this to my attention involved a house that had been without
power for 48 hours from storm damage, the service had been repaired exactly the
way that Raymond had requested then after the repairs were made the electric dept
refused to reconnect because of the 3' window rule with no concern for leaving a
resident out of power because of a BS rule.
power for 48 hours from storm damage, the service had been repaired exactly the
way that Raymond had requested then after the repairs were made the electric dept
refused to reconnect because of the 3' window rule with no concern for leaving a
resident out of power because of a BS rule.
Below is from the NEC Handbook which goes into more detail
and gives examples of application of the NEC
and gives examples of application of the NEC