# Who maintains DTE service drop?



## salmonslammer (Jan 28, 2001)

Settle a bet.... I say home owner, my buddy says DTE.

Here's a pic of the offending POS pine tree....



















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## J D (Jan 19, 2011)

DTE but good lucky evet having them trim secondary wires utilities just don't but area supposed to 

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## B.Chunks (Dec 3, 2011)

Wow, that looks like you took the picture at my place. Same problem. I have PIE&G and they said that they would cut the tree, but if I wanted the line moved, that was on me. What PO's me about it is that the wire was never that close to the tree. They put in new poles a few years ago and that's how they left the wire running.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

DTE is responsible for everything up to the meter. If I were you, I'd get in touch with the Michigan Public Service Commission. I don't know if you can email them but I'd call them and tell them what's going on. If possible, send them that picture. I bet DTE will take care of it.

A few years ago I had a fight with Comcast over a wire issue in my back yard. I fought with them for a year and a half. Had FOUR appointments to get the situation handled and not one of them was kept! I had enough and contacted the MPSC. The problem was corrected in about a week!


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Just remembered another issue. A couple years ago, I had a problem with the service drop from the pole to my house. For quite a while I had noticed lights flickering now and then. It would happen once or twice and then go away for a while and be fine. Then it would start up again. One day I looked out the back window and noticed that the wire was VERY close to the ground. (I could reach up and grab it) 

I called DTE and was told to call an electrician and have it taken care of. I knew that was BS so I called back, explained the situation. Again, I was told to hire and electrician to handle the problem. I hung up and was furious because I knew that both of the people I talked to were full of it. I'm paying for them to bring service to my house! I'm responsible for everything AFTER the meter. They have to maintain the service TO the meter. 

I got on the phone again and asked to talk to a supervisor. I explained again what was going on. A few hours later, a crew showed up and took care of the problem. The strand had broken and the only thing holding up the service was the two hot leads to the pole! It took them very little time to repair the break and get it back up where it belonged. The lights don't flicker anymore. 

John


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Yeah my experience with getting utilities to come out and look at a problem with a secondary line is that they will do so if your power goes out but not before.


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

I was told they are responsible to the point it touches the house and the drop from the roof to the meter is on the home owner.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

jpollman said:


> Just remembered another issue. A couple years ago, I had a problem with the service drop from the pole to my house. For quite a while I had noticed lights flickering now and then. It would happen once or twice and then go away for a while and be fine. Then it would start up again. One day I looked out the back window and noticed that the wire was VERY close to the ground. (I could reach up and grab it)
> 
> I called DTE and was told to call an electrician and have it taken care of. I knew that was BS so I called back, explained the situation. Again, I was told to hire and electrician to handle the problem. I hung up and was furious because I knew that both of the people I talked to were full of it. I'm paying for them to bring service to my house! I'm responsible for everything AFTER the meter. They have to maintain the service TO the meter.
> 
> ...


My line going to the pole was rubbing on a branch and finally broke. I called DTE and a lineman showed up 2 hours later. He ran a new line to the pole at the opposite corner of the lot. It took him about 30 - 40 minutes in the rain. He told me that the line from the pole to the meter was DTE's responiblity.


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

jpollman said:


> Just remembered another issue. A couple years ago, I had a problem with the service drop from the pole to my house. For quite a while I had noticed lights flickering now and then. It would happen once or twice and then go away for a while and be fine. Then it would start up again. One day I looked out the back window and noticed that the wire was VERY close to the ground. (I could reach up and grab it)
> 
> I called DTE and was told to call an electrician and have it taken care of. I knew that was BS so I called back, explained the situation. Again, I was told to hire and electrician to handle the problem. I hung up and was furious because I knew that both of the people I talked to were full of it. I'm paying for them to bring service to my house! I'm responsible for everything AFTER the meter. They have to maintain the service TO the meter.
> 
> ...


I just replaced my service inside the house and the thick cable that drops straight down from where the line feeds the house above, was sun burned beyond, so we replaced this too. Water was leaking inside the sheathing, down into my fuse box and eventually destroyed the breakers one at a time. Kind of bothers me that my electrician didn't tell me that was DTE's responsibility, and actually cause my box to fail. I would have replaced my box regardless, but really though it was my job to keep this short drop cable in working order.


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## Nighthawk (Jan 8, 2010)

DTE is responsible for the maintaining service wire, but not any tree or branch problem, from pole to splice at house. I had to beg the trimming crew cutting along the mains from pole to pole to cut a branch laying on my wire. This is a tree 2 neigbors away. Then maybe a year later I see my line sparking and smoking from a branch rubbing on it. DTE came and spliced it.
And now I have another branch tugging and rubbing on it. They will respond only after a problem, not before. I keep meaning to go talk to the neighbor about her tree.


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

It's the HO's responsibility for any trees or foliage interfering with the line.
The utilities only trim primary lines, they haven't messed with secondary lines in years, 
that's DTE
CP may be different.

Edison is only responsible to the point of attachment on the building or dwelling.
If there is a safety issue with the cable to and/or the meter can
they will address it but typically they don't go past the point of attachment.


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## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

That picture could have been my backyard...The tree I have been complaining about in "Sound-OFF" on here for a few years. Its the neighbors tree but my service drop.
I have only worked in one jurisdiction where the service drop from the pole was the homeowners and that was in Southern Ohio. We(I) had to actually do the hook-up on the pole. Yes I about POOPED myself.LOL
Any other place in Mich or Ohio, the service DROP was the Edisons equiptment and the homeowner was only responsible from the "point of attatchment"on the house. Yes the power companies will and do try and pass the buck but after awhile you realize who to contact to get the job done.....if you do it daily.
I have used the "flickering lights" story here at home and it has worked very well. The crew will contact their supperiors and get the branches trimmed up if they are riding on the wires or hitting them. Its NOT a good idea to wait for the BIG icestorm as I did...,When the neighbors tree's branches came down in the domino effect and pulled the drop off my house and damaged sons boat. Thats when it becomes YOUR problem as the limbs were over your property.
If I were you......call the power company and tell them your concerns. Most of the time they will guide you in the correct direction.


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## salmonslammer (Jan 28, 2001)

Thanks fo the info gentlemen...

There is an 80' white pine white pine next to it that is into the trunk line pretty good as well. This tree has lost about %40 of its limbs from ice storms already.

Guess I'll give DTE a call and see if they'll do anything... Wish work would let me bring home one of the 85' JLG lifts for the weekend.... solve that problem real quick!










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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I had a 2nd floor added to my house many years ago. I had trees in my yard that worried my electrical drop, and my contractor had to upgrade my electrical anyway, so he recommended that we bury my drop line. What a great move! I haven't had any problems since, and my backyard doesn't have ugly lines running across it. I have since had to remove all the trees, for one reason or another, though. I like not having a lower line running across my yard.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

When you call about the tree tell them that when it rains you can see the wires arcing {sparking} from the wires to the tree and you want it taking care of ASAP.Also DTE is responsible from the pole to the entrance head Not from where it goes down to the meter can.


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## STICK in the eye (Dec 26, 2008)

micooner said:


> When you call about the tree tell them that when it rains you can see the wires arcing {sparking} from the wires to the tree and you want it taking care of ASAP.Also DTE is responsible from the pole to the entrance head Not from where it goes down to the meter can.


SPOT ON !!! I ran fire rescue for 7 years, and responded to these sparking and arcing calls....get there and the owner said it was the only way to get Power comp to come out !!!:yikes:


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## Hungry Wolf (Mar 26, 2002)

What exactly is a service wire, primary wire, and secondary wire??? I have about a 1/4 mile worth of wire (on poles) running through my farm (that serves only my home). I try to keep everything under them clear in aprox. 30yds. (food plots) but every few years DTE will come out and do some cutting, sometimes contrary to what I would like.

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## mi duckdown (Jul 1, 2006)

exactly. the are resonsable for elec to the house. 
been there done that.


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## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

OPEN PICS BELOW AND COMPARE NUMBER TO PICTURED ITEM 


PRINT + SAVE*

Know who is responsible
When service damage occurs, it's important to understand who is responsible for the repair. Distinguish between areas owned by ComEd and areas owned by the customer.



Item Responsibility Description 
1) ComEd Electrical Service Wire coming from ComEd&#8217;s system (overhead or underground)

2) Customer Attachment (the point where ComEd equipment attaches to customer property)

3) Customer Weather Head and wire drip loop (the weather resistant entry point for customer wires going to the meter box)

4) Customer Riser/Raceway (the conduit that physically protects wires going to the meter box)

5) Customer Meter Enclosure/Box (contains and safely secures the electric meter)

6) ComEd Meter (measures the amount of electricity used by the customer) 





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## jakeo (Sep 14, 2004)

Greenbush future said:


> I just replaced my service inside the house and the thick cable that drops straight down from where the line feeds the house above, was sun burned beyond, so we replaced this too. Water was leaking inside the sheathing, down into my fuse box and eventually destroyed the breakers one at a time. Kind of bothers me that my electrician didn't tell me that was DTE's responsibility, and actually cause my box to fail. I would have replaced my box regardless, but really though it was my job to keep this short drop cable in working order.


Now that I am reading thru these again(about 5th time), Look up the term "DRIP LOOP" and then go look up at your service. At first I thought the "drip loop" was just decoration but after doing a "few" , I figured out they do serve a big purpose. Here in Ohio, some of the crews will not even hook up a service without them.


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