Don't scold

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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I knew I was going to be scolded, so I will not doing it again! But when cheap boss and client say not to conduit, I found that "insulating" those conductors from rocks was good idea. Mea Culpa.
May actually cost less to get some fill sand to put in the hole before adding backfill that is questionable, especially if the concrete work isn't completed yet and sand is needed anyway, just have them bring a little more so you have what you need as well.
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
Of course, cable for direct burial and at 24" and below
Mr.Esthy what matters the most is that you do what you do because you care not because you're a hack trying to get good for crap work.
I'm sure( I don't know) there is a method out there that was wrong ,then right.
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
I don't know what the reason is either but would have to ask just what does the direct burial rated conductor (assuming we do at least have that) need to be buried in? And what about pulling direct burial rated conductor in a raceway in the first place - that is no longer direct burial.

We run direct bury cables all the time in a pipe (not listed as a raceway) in these parts and have been doing so for years. We do it for rodent protection. But inspectors will not let us use those non listed pipes for conductors not direct burial listed.

I have brought this up before on this site and some think I have done something so horrible I need to go to hell for it.

All I can say to them is right or wrong come here and bid your method against others from the area that use this other method - and it passes inspections - and see who gets the job, unless you find other ways that are code compliant to reduce costs, have a good source price wise on alternate options, or just don't have the same overhead costs.

It is not a bid killer if the underground is a small part of the project - but if most of the project is the underground install like it is for a field irrigation system -- good luck.

Do you use the non listed pipe as a raceway system , able to repull after installation? or as a sleeve protection with buried ends? BTW you don't go to hell for non compliant piping. I use sch 40 pvc for my above ground sprinkler system mounted on the fence.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Do you use the non listed pipe as a raceway system , able to repull after installation? or as a sleeve protection with buried ends? BTW you don't go to hell for non compliant piping. I use sch 40 pvc for my above ground sprinkler system mounted on the fence.
It is a complete system but only because it doesn't do much good to sleeve most of the pipe and but leave the ends exposed. We put elbows on the ends and turn up to emerge with schedule 80. Pulling is either slide the pipe over the conductors laid out on the ground or bury the pipe but pull before completing the ends so you don't have any elbows to pull around.

I remember one time we had a direct bury line near some grain storage bins that kept getting rodent damage and after a couple repairs in a relatively short time we decided to sleeve it in some pipe maybe 20-30 feet out from the area that seemed to be a problem. Wasn't all that long and next failure was just beyond the sleeve - that one was ultimately replaced for the entire length of the run.

Couple years ago I had a line to an irrigation well that lost a phase - direct bury conductors. Had a little trouble pinpointing where the break in the line was, but took my best guess as a first place to dig and did find rodent damage but not necessarily completely open conductors, decided to keep digging until we stopped seeing rodent damage and most likely would find a open spot as well, probably uncovered 75 -100 feet of rodent damaged conductors and told the owner by the time we uncover all of the upcoming potential failures we may as well replace the entire line and he agreed. New line was sleeved in pipe.
 
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