Black fiber glass conduit

[liquidtite]

Forgot what the trade name is called bc I've only seen it a few times since I started working in NYC

but its black fiber glass conduit . From what I've seen it only gets used from outside green utility transformer underground service to mdp .

But in any case I can't understand why anyone would use this type of conduit it breaks so easy you can't heat it up and bend it like PVC .

On the job I'm on theirs five conduits entering exterior wall through sleves and 3 of them are broken at the sleves the conduit is so brittle it broke from a piece of Rebar falling on it ten feet up

from a guy cutting out the concreat for conduits .

Was as woundering of any other states that use this conduit

I was told that it's used bc if theirs a short that PVC burns up and fire fighters don't want to
smell burnt PVC but it just seems strange


This conduit is garbage in my opion and is terrible to wrk with

 

[infinity]

It's called Reinforced Thermosetting Resin Conduit (RTRC) and is covered under a new Article that was added in the 2008 NEC, Article 355. We've are currently installing miles of the stuff for lightning protection conductors. As you've mentioned it doesn't have the problems that PVC has when heated in a fire so it can be run exposed.

 

[kenman215]

It's called Reinforced Thermosetting Resin Conduit (RTRC) and is covered under a new Article that was added in the 2008 NEC, Article 355. We've are currently installing miles of the stuff for lightning protection conductors. As you've mentioned it doesn't have the problems that PVC has when heated in a fire so it can be run exposed.

Is it as brittle as the op describes?

 

[Cow]

Is this the brand you're using liquidtite? We've used their long radius sweep 90's and never had an issue with them being brittle.

http://www.championfiberglass.com/

 

[mgookin]

Forgot what the trade name is called bc I've only seen it a few times since I started working in NYC

but its black fiber glass conduit . From what I've seen it only gets used from outside green utility transformer underground service to mdp .

But in any case I can't understand why anyone would use this type of conduit it breaks so easy you can't heat it up and bend it like PVC .

On the job I'm on theirs five conduits entering exterior wall through sleves and 3 of them are broken at the sleves the conduit is so brittle it broke from a piece of Rebar falling on it ten feet up

from a guy cutting out the concreat for conduits .

Was as woundering of any other states that use this conduit

I was told that it's used bc if theirs a short that PVC burns up and fire fighters don't want to
smell burnt PVC but it just seems strange


This conduit is garbage in my opion and is terrible to wrk with

ABS is very nasty stuff from a fire protection perspective. It's not even allowed in some buildings (hospitals, for example) if my memory serves. I've never dealt with fiberglass pipe so I can't comment on that.

 

[Smart $]

ABS is very nasty stuff from a fire protection perspective. It's not even allowed in some buildings (hospitals, for example) if my memory serves. I've never dealt with fiberglass pipe so I can't comment on that.

Why do you bring up ABS?

 

[kwired]

Forgot what the trade name is called bc I've only seen it a few times since I started working in NYC

but its black fiber glass conduit . From what I've seen it only gets used from outside green utility transformer underground service to mdp .

But in any case I can't understand why anyone would use this type of conduit it breaks so easy you can't heat it up and bend it like PVC .

On the job I'm on theirs five conduits entering exterior wall through sleves and 3 of them are broken at the sleves the conduit is so brittle it broke from a piece of Rebar falling on it ten feet up

from a guy cutting out the concreat for conduits .

Was as woundering of any other states that use this conduit

I was told that it's used bc if theirs a short that PVC burns up and fire fighters don't want to
smell burnt PVC but it just seems strange


This conduit is garbage in my opion and is terrible to wrk with

Elbows are a good compliment to buried PVC as pull ropes don't "burn through" during pulls nearly as easily as they do through a PVC elbow.
We have one POCO that used to require them in some instances on service lateral runs that the contractor had to install raceway but POCO pulled conductors through. Haven't installed a new service requiring that with that POCO for some time now but would guess it is still a requirement.

Firefighters and burnt PVC? Actually restrictions on PVC and electrical has more to do with toxic fumes and getting occupants out of the building before those fumes effect the occupants, and the restrictions are usually related to PVC in environmental air handling spaces or in places of assembly. Otherwise there are many other plastics in most any building that are just as nasty when they burn. Firefighters use self contained breathing apparatus when they enter a building on fire, or they wouldn't last long with all the toxic fumes that are likely present anyway.

 

[mgookin]

Why do you bring up ABS?

There was talk of black pipe being taboo from a fire protection perspective. Just wondering if he was confusing the two.

 

[ron]

IN NYC, Con Ed will require fibergalss conduit for phase isolated installations into the building. No inductive heating of a RGS conduit.

 

[Smart $]

There was talk of black pipe being taboo from a fire protection perspective. Just wondering if he was confusing the two.

Ahh... you were likely thinking plumbing ABS, as in drain piping. I guess it's a matter of exposure to ABS. A lot of ABS products are black. In a former life I worked for a plastics company. ABS natural color is off white on the tan side IIRC. Additionally, ABS is a thermoplastic, which disqualifies it for use in RTRC.