Weatherhead

A weatherhead, also called a weathercap, service head or service entrance cap, is a weatherproof entry point for above-ground electrical wiring or telephone lines into a home or business. It is used at a service drop, where overhead wires from a utility pole supplying power or telephone service enter a building. At the building the wires enter a conduit, a protective metal pipe, and the weatherhead is a waterproof cap on the end of the conduit that allows the wires to enter without letting in water. It is shaped like a hood, with the surface where the wires enter facing down at an angle of at least 45°, to shield it from precipitation. A rubberized gasket makes for a tight seal against the wires. Before they enter the weatherhead, a drip loop is left in the overhead wires, which permits rain water that collects on the wires to drip off before reaching the weatherhead.

Weatherheads are required by most electrical codes and/or building codes. They are also used on utility poles where overhead power lines enter a conduit to pass underground.

What is a Weatherhead?

A weather head is a weatherproof electrical service point for your overhead electrical service feed. The weatherhead connects to the top of the electrical service pipe and has a cap over the connection frame. Since it sits atop the pipe, has a cap on top of it, and makes the connection weatherproof, it is called a weatherhead.

The weather head is connected to the pipe with a bracket, complete with two screws, that encompasses the pipe. The wires that feed the electric meter feed up through the pipe and come out of the weatherhead access holes. These holes are facing downward at an angle so that the rain cannot run into the holes. These wires are what the utility company connects their feeder wires to. There are different sized weatherheads, depending on the size of the electrical service and wire size.