On Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:16:34 -0600, wrote:

On Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:10:46 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:20:29 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

He just clarified that 4th unconnected wire is
one of the insulated conductors. So, like he says,
if that is what;s there, then it's apparently a 240V
service that might have been 3 phase before.

I would still like to see a picture. If that messenger is truly "not
connected to anything" (not bonded) it is a NESC violation and a
safety hazard, no lineman would allow to happen.since they are the
ones who are in danger,

I bet that when we actually look at it we find it is crimped onto the
strand between poles where everything else is bonded. There won't
usually be a direct connection to the transformer and maybe that was
the confusion.

How much clearer can I make this.....
One of the insulated wires is NOT connected to anything, (on either end
of the cable). It's not taped or capped in any way, it's just there
doing nothing. This might be a code violation, I'm not sure, since the
wire does nothing. I'd still think it should be capped somehow. But if
this is code, I'd think the Po Co would have capped it.

The bare wire IS the neutral and is connected that way. The other 2
insulated wires are connected in the normal manner that any 240V
overhead cable would be.

Then you have a 3 phase supply cable repurposed, and the unused
insulated conductor SHOULD be grounded at the(preferably) supply end.