Schedule 20 PVC

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romeo

Senior Member
Schedule 20 pvc

Schedule 20 pvc

No we can not run db in it because it is not listed and labeled 110.3
Now I am open to criticism for approving a violation. ( common sense)???

It is not always easy, we only have the NEC to guide us like it or not. I am sure if anything happened that the ec would never point the finger at the inspector.

Sorry, for being long winded

Thank you again.

One more comment trying to call a 300ft. pvc run a sleeve by creating a 1/4" space will only serve to p the inspector off. LIKE my name is Tucker not SUCKER

LOL A little humor is always nice.

My last comment
 

shepelec

Senior Member
Location
Palmer, MA
I guess

I guess

Nobody cares enough to do the fact checking on this subject. So I will do it for you.

Type EB and Type A conduits are UL listed and are recognized in the NEC.
Look at Chapter 9 page 70-675 in the book. They are in fact governed under Article 352. These are both Sch20 products.

The listing does require them to be concrete encased as I'm sure the install that started this topic was not, but to make a blanket statement that it is not allowed at all is a little silly.:roll:

Here is the link to UL as well.

http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com/scopes/0651a.html
 
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Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
One more comment trying to call a 300ft. pvc run a sleeve by creating a 1/4" space will only serve to p the inspector off. LIKE my name is Tucker not SUCKER

LOL A little humor is always nice.

My last comment


Your missing the point. Yes he is pushing the limit and sure you don't like it but fact is with the gap you should agree you do not have what is called a legal raceway.
Now lets deal with what he does have.
He has DB wire that can be covered with dirt, that is about as min as i think it can get.
He is covering it with something bit better than dirt , PVC
Your job will never be easy as you will often see installs that are not how you would done it.
What your required to do is apply NEC and local codes. Nec would make this seem like a violation but what gets in the way is that the portion your concerned with never required a raceway. No it's not what you normally see. Why he picked this method is not up to you.
The only point i will give you is by it being complete you do have an illegal raceway. But he is not needing a raceway because this is DB. But seems like your backing off a bit so is no need to go on about it. He can not get credit for depth because it not a raceway. Only issue i see is as been pointed out is someone might repull it someday and think it is 40. That is neither yours or his problem. When we start assuming we take on all issues. More than once i have got caught looking stupid for assuming.
I think there is little to nothing here you can really get him on.
I would request the label as suggested but its up to him.
The 4 wire has nothing to do with the raceway issue.
I think i would demand ground rod at the pole where meter is because it is a STRUCTURE.
And when it arrives at the building i want another ground rod and disconnect as i am sure you know is required.
Mark this up to the 1 of a kind installs and keep going.
 

romeo

Senior Member
Schedule pvc

Schedule pvc

I agree that the GES needs to be at the meter pedestal ( Line side of the Main Disconnect )

Only one ground rod at the building?????
 
New York Inspector

New York Inspector

Have you contacted the manufacturer to determine if the conduit in question is listed for the application the electrical contractor is using it in? If so and if it is approved are expansion joints used. We require conduit if there are stones in the soil greater than 3 inches in diameter; that meets the local utility requirements also.

If the manufacturer does not list it for that application too bad. In NY I would fail it as I do drainage tile.
 

iaov

Senior Member
Location
Rhinelander WI
The only issue I have with the install is that if the wire neeed to be removed the EC will not know that the pipe in the ground is schedule 20. He may install THHN wire assuming it's a legal raceway.

I think if he is using db cable then I am not sure the raceway must be listed even if it was a complete assembly. I don't think you will find a solid answer to this.

Is schedule 20 that much cheaper? I don't know why he didn't use schedule 40 with thhn to begin with-- seems like that would be cheaper.

Jim are you sure you're not from NYC. :)
My question also. Is sch 20 that much cheaper. Sch 40 and even 80 are pretty darn cheap
as it is.
 
schedule 20 in the ground

schedule 20 in the ground

pulling direct burial wire in sch 20 pvc is fine as everybody has said, infact a good inexpensive way to install the cable. This gives you the option to extract the wire as previously mentioned. From the burial depth change over to listed and labled method comming out of the ground. Don't even think about pulling this cable through sch 20 fittings if there is such a thing, the rope will just cut the pipe and drag the wire through jagged plastic. That's it, now get the wire pulled before the inspector see it, you might have the ditch open another week. PV
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
My question also. Is sch 20 that much cheaper. Sch 40 and even 80 are pretty darn cheap
as it is.

Yes it is far more costly.
Personally i would want sch 40
Not because of the use here but because as mentioned it might not hold up and then your back to digging it up..
What he has in my opinion is a sleeve not conduit
Problem is next guy might repull it with thhn / thwn and think it is a legal conduit
But as brought up here often we can not concern ourself with what might happen.
 

MAK

Senior Member
Sleeve or raceway?

Sleeve or raceway?

How do you determine it is a sleeve and not a raceway? I looked up the definition of raceway and it does not say anything about it having to be continuous. I did not find a definition of a sleeve in the NEC. I presume that these 20 foot lengths would be glued together for at least the majority of the length of the run. Even if you cut a 1/4" off to make it non continuous would that not just make it two raceways?
I am having trouble understanding how or why a cable run through a conduit that may not be continuous is considered a sleeve and not a raceway. The NEC does not seem to make a distinction between the two.
Is it because of the cable type that is being used? Is there another NEC definition that I am missing.
Also where is it stated that schedule 40 and 80 are permitted but not schedule 20? All I could find is a FPN that said schedule 80 shall be used in places subject to physical damage.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
How do you determine it is a sleeve and not a raceway? I looked up the definition of raceway and it does not say anything about it having to be continuous. I did not find a definition of a sleeve in the NEC. I presume that these 20 foot lengths would be glued together for at least the majority of the length of the run. Even if you cut a 1/4" off to make it non continuous would that not just make it two raceways?
I am having trouble understanding how or why a cable run through a conduit that may not be continuous is considered a sleeve and not a raceway. The NEC does not seem to make a distinction between the two.
Is it because of the cable type that is being used? Is there another NEC definition that I am missing.
Also where is it stated that schedule 40 and 80 are permitted but not schedule 20? All I could find is a FPN that said schedule 80 shall be used in places subject to physical damage.
a race way needs to be complete from box to box
A sleeve does not need to be complete as it is only for protection.
The problem here is it was complete so looks like a raceway but was only being used as a sleeve.
 

lakee911

Senior Member
Location
Columbus, OH
Even if you cut a 1/4" off to make it non continuous would that not just make it two raceways?

Interesting ... That seems like a valid concern to me.

Why don't you just remove a 1/4" out of each of those two "raceways." If you kept it up, at some point the length of the raceways would approach 1/4" and it would disappear all together... :D
 
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