Rule 4A

Rules for Electric Meter and Service Installations (REMSI)

RULE 4A - Secondary Service -- Clearance Information

  1. Clearances Over Areas and Buildings:

    Per the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), cabled service drop, 600 Volts and less, shall have a minimum clearance above:

    1. Roads, Streets, Alleys, Parking Lots subject to truck traffic - 16 feet. Pennsylvania State highways - 18 feet. (Note - Service drops shall not cross limited access highways or the PA Turnpike).

       

    2. Lands traversed by agricultural vehicles such as cultivated, grazing, forest, orchard, etc. - 16 feet.
    3. Roofs accessible to vehicular traffic - 16 feet.
    4. Signs, Chimneys, Antennas, Tanks, etc. - 42 inches.
    5. Communication conductors, cables, and messengers on same structure - 40 inches.
    6. Residential driveways and commercial areas not subject to truck traffic - 16 feet, 12.5 feet 1, 12 feet 2.
    7. Spaces accessible to pedestrians only - 12 feet, 10.5 feet 1, 10 feet 2.
    8. Roofs and balconies accessible to pedestrians - 11 feet, 8 feet 3.
    9. Roofs and projections not accessible to pedestrians - 3.5 feet, 3 feet 3, 18 inches 4, 36 inches 5.
    10. Sloping Roofs per NEC/IRC
      1. 8 feet minimum if slope is less then 4 inches to 12 inches ratio.
      2. 3 feet minimum if slope is greater than or equal to 4 inches to 12 inches ratio.

    NOTES:

    1 Limited to 300 Volts to ground.

    2 Limited to 150 Volts to ground.

    3 Conductors attached to building.

    4 Where service does not pass over more than 48 inches horizontal of the overhang/eaves portion of the roof, and the service is terminated at a through-the-roof raceway or approved support.

    5 Where service does not pass over more than 72 inches horizontal of the overhang/eaves portion of the roof, and the service is terminated at a through-the-roof raceway or approved support.

  2. Clearance Under Communication Company Lines

    Where a service drop crosses under communication conductors, cables, or messengers which are on different supporting structures, the vertical clearance shall be 24 inches minimum.

  3. Clearances Between Gas Facilities and Electric Meters

    These required separations are taken from the NFPA National Fuel Gas Code Section 5.7.2.3 and NFPA Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code Table 3.2.2.2 (d):

    1. Gas meters shall be located at least 3 ft. (0.9 m) from sources of ignition.
    2. LP-Gas or propane cylinders that are exchanged (not filled on site), 5 ft. separation from external sources of ignition; PPL EU requires 6 ft.
    3. For larger cylinders filled on site, 10 ft. separation from a source of ignition.

    See Sketch #55

  4. Clearances Between Satellite Dish and PPL EU Facilities

    1. PPL EU Requires a Satellite Dish be a minimum of 3 feet from PPL EU's facilities and maintain 50 inches of clearance space in front of the meter base. No attachments are permitted to the service entrance, conduit or mast. See Sketch #55A for more information.
    2. PPL EU also requires a 10 foot clearance from the front and 4 foot clearance from the back and sides of a ground transformer case. See CRS 6-14-125 for more information