Eddy Current
Senior Member
Where in the NEC does it mention drains and what the regulations for using them are?
Does NEC mention drains?
- Thread starter Eddy Current
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kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Can you be more specific? You wanting to drain condensation out of raceways or enclosures?
iMuse97
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicagoland
Are you referring to the practice of using a vertically mounted Tee at the bottom of a run of RMC to drain the pipe?
If so, NEC doesn't care one way or another. But I've worked for facilities where they are required at the lowest point(s) of the conduits.
If so, NEC doesn't care one way or another. But I've worked for facilities where they are required at the lowest point(s) of the conduits.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Not trying to be a smarty pants, but where else do they think you are going to put them?
Eddy Current
Senior Member
Yeah that's the kind i was talking about, so no code for them?
That's because they know it is futile to try to keep the water out.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
For general purpose locations I often just drill weep holes in boxes or conduit bodies that are located at low points. NEMA 3R enclosures typically already have weep holes designed into them.
You have likely tried to remove devices from bell boxes only to find the bottom device screw is rusted and will not come out and often you destroy the box trying to deal with it. Drill a weep hole in the bottom of the box when you install it then it will not fill up with water and this will not happen nearly as easily. If box does not have a bottom raceway entry it fills even higher with water and the live parts of the contained device also suffer severe corrosion.
iMuse97
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicagoland
I've been known to be good at mastering the obvious, but at the place I worked at (fortune 500 facility), you could easily imagine them having a meeting where they decided to put drains at the halfway point, or some other such thing.
We always say, if it makes sense, they won't have us do it that way.
iMuse97
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicagoland
Not directly, no. But good installation practice in an outdoor facility or an unconditioned building would consider the effects of condensation in all pipes and enclosures, and make allowances for this. Kwired has some good ideas.
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