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I have a power cable going from my house to my detached carport. I'm no expert on the US NEC, but I think it's mostly ok except for how it's attached to my house.

Apparently, it's been this way for decades, but I don't like how it's hanging off that metal bracket. It does have a support wire (I forget what those are called). I'm wondering what is the proper way to secure a cable like this. I'm thinking of securing a 90 degree elbow conduit to the side of the house and running the cable through that.

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Thank you for the questions. I'll answer as best I can:

The point of entry to the house is about 7 feet from the ground. The part of the cable that is suspended is 2-3 feet above that. I believe the cable is meant to be secured to the messenger wire somehow, but it is not. (My intention is to secure it after I figure out how to attach it to the house.) It extends maybe 8 feet to the carport, which is an open structure. From there, it is stapled in place. enter image description here

The messenger wire ends at the carport on an eye bolt. I don't know what the spring attachment is for. It connects to nothing. The bracket bolts on the house look precarious, but they're actually quite solid. The one on the left just doesn't go in any further. I may have some slack from the carport side, I'm not sure.

Unfortunately, my AHJ is no help. "We are not in the business of teaching people how to do electrical work."

Mike Gray
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The first step is to get the cable out from behind the bracket. You'll probably have to take out one of the bolts and then slide the cable out sideways, but I expect it might be difficult to reinstall given the tension from the wire.

Alternatively, you might turn off the breaker and cut the wire inside the carport and install an outdoor-rated junction box to re-splice it - you will need more wire in the carport for this, but it will allow you to add a drip loop at the house.

After that, use UV-resistant zip ties to attach the cable to the messenger. Make the zip ties snug, but not too tight - you don't want to ruin the insulation with temperature-related expansion and contraction.

To keep the cable vertical against the house, put one zip tie around the bracket and the wire, but leave that one looser than the others.

Moshe Katz
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