Aerial Drop Clearance and Bonding at a Manufactured Home
A technician is installing a drop to a manufactured home. The existing aerial drop crosses a residential driveway at 13 ft 6 in. above grade at its lowest point, attached to a 25-ft wooden pole with a 3-ft span to the house. The customer plans to park a 13-ft-tall travel trailer under it and asks you to 'just tie it higher' on the same pole. The service drop is also bonded to a separate 8-ft ground rod driven at the house, not to the electrical service grounding electrode, and the ground wire has a 14 AWG section. The pole has a visible split 6 ft up and a guy wire is missing. The customer is polite but says the last technician said it was fine.
1. Identify the safety and standards issues and decide whether you can proceed with the customer's request.
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Issues: (1) 13 ft 6 in. clearance over a driveway is below the usual 15 ft minimum, and a 13-ft trailer leaves almost no clearance; (2) the pole is split 6 ft up and missing a guy, so it is unsafe to climb or load; (3) the separate ground rod is not bonded to the electrical service grounding electrode, which is a code and safety problem; (4) the 14 AWG section may be undersized for the bonding jumper depending on the installation. Do not proceed with tying the drop higher on that pole. Stop work, barricade or flag the area if the drop is low, and escalate to a supervisor or construction. The customer's request is understandable but cannot be met safely as described.
2. What options can you offer the customer?
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Options: reroute the drop to a new attachment point on the house that provides at least 15 ft over the driveway, install a new pole or a stub pole in a safe location, or convert to an underground drop. If the drop must cross the driveway, a construction crew may need to raise the strand or relocate the pedestal. For the bonding, run a proper bonding jumper to the electrical service grounding electrode or use a listed bonding device, not a standalone rod. Schedule the work and explain the temporary status.
3. How do you handle the customer's claim that the last technician said it was fine?
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Say: 'I understand the last technician told you it was fine, but I can't safely raise this drop on a split pole, and the clearance is too low for your trailer. I can arrange a construction visit to move it.' Do not criticize the previous tech; focus on the hazard. Document the pole condition, clearance measurement, and customer conversation. If the customer insists, do not perform unsafe work; offer escalation. Follow your company's refusal policy.