arre ground required on old commercial conduit?

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Gaston

Member
I'am about to start a job that is an old commercial building . The old EMT has been removed for the most part , by the demolition people , but the original homeruns have been salvaged . The interior will change and all the walls will be drywall now , so our plan is to go ahead with MC cable . My question on this is : If I'm keeping the original pipes for the home runs do I need to pull a ground conductor with the new homeruns ?.....:roll:
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
quogueelectric said:
What if it went into the deck and changed to pvc in the deck??????? Will you need that ground now?
By "into the deck", do you mean EMT direct-buried? :mad: If so, boo-hiss! and yes.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
quogueelectric said:
What if it went into the deck and changed to pvc in the deck??????? Will you need that ground now?

250.118 would have that covered.

Roger
 

Brady Electric

Senior Member
Location
Asheville, N. C.
ground required on old commercial conduit

ground required on old commercial conduit

LarryFine said:
By "into the deck", do you mean EMT direct-buried? :mad: If so, boo-hiss! and yes.
I like all those answers. The one that sends you to the code I like first. The simple no is good to. And Larry it is the first time I have ever seen you use the old (boo-hiss). Thanks for the laugh. I think alot of the questions ask on this form should be researched first and then at last resort ask for help. That is called learning your trade. Semper Fi. Buddy
 

Gaston

Member
Brady Electric said:
I like all those answers. The one that sends you to the code I like first. The simple no is good to. And Larry it is the first time I have ever seen you use the old (boo-hiss). Thanks for the laugh. I think alot of the questions ask on this form should be researched first and then at last resort ask for help. That is called learning your trade. Semper Fi. Buddy

I'd like to thank all of the responses from all of you. I had done my research but I wanted to check with the community and gather any concerns beyond mine . I beleive that Some questions seem dumb but at times I rather look silly than beleive I own the trade, and I seek assurance from others in this forum because I have seen the well intentions of the different responses to many of the silly questions .I also believe that some of us might have difficulty unwinding some of the xplanations in the NEC. the code reads

ARTICLE 90.1 ( C ) INTENTION. This code is not intended as a design specification or an instruction manual for untrained persons.

Not all of us in this forum are "top notch " and therefore seek knowledge
from those that have the " grade " . To reach the top or to be better
at what you do you must drop the dumbest questions .

thanks again to all;)
 

bob

Senior Member
Location
Alabama
Gaston said:
My question on this is : If I'm keeping the original pipes for the home runs do I need to pull a ground conductor with the new homeruns ?.....:roll:
By the code you would not need to change. However, if you have the slightest corrosion the conduit would not do the job. I would change it all.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
ground

ground

Although metallic conduit system may suffice as an equipment ground, I think you would find that mnay contractors pull equipment grounding conductors. In this case, where the condition of the conduit is unknown or questionable, I beleive you would find most all contractors would pull an equipment ground rather than take a chance.
 

quogueelectric

Senior Member
Location
new york
pipes in the deck

pipes in the deck

Not that there is a lot of deck work out there but you would need to find someone who could read a print and a ruler simultaneously. Who could add and subtract simple algebra including the use of fractions. For those of us who are cable only electricians the transition to pvc would obviosly be from about an inch or so from the top of the pour to pvc into the concrete. Therefore no ground. No self respecting electrician would run emt in the concrete although I have seen it done on many occasions although not by me. running circuits in the deck in pvc is by far the most cost effective way to make money on a commercial job. However you need a foreman with a pulse and if you put a mirror in front of his lips you could see some sort of condensation on the mirror when he took a breath. A good deck layout guy is worth his weight in gold.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
No self respecting electrician would run emt in the concrete although I have seen it done on many occasions although not by me. running circuits in the deck in pvc is by far the most cost effective way to make money on a commercial
Many specs prohibit the use of PVC even in decks. There is no problem with EMT being used in above grade decks.
The following is from the UL Guide Information for EMT (FJMX).
Galvanized steel electrical metallic tubing installed in concrete on grade or above generally requires no supplementary corrosion protection. Galvanized steel electrical metallic tubing in concrete slab below grade level may require supplementary corrosion protection.
Don
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
don_resqcapt19 said:
Many specs prohibit the use of PVC even in decks.

That must be a Chicago thing. Around here PVC is almost exclusively used in the ground. In fact, to see EMT go underground would be quite bizarre. RMC is occasionally used if required or spec'd.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Peter,
In fact, to see EMT go underground would be quite bizarre.
I didn't say underground...I said there is no problem in using EMT in above grade decks. The UL Guide says you can even use it in slabs that are on grade, but I would only use it in above grade decks.
Don
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
don_resqcapt19 said:
I didn't say underground...

Sorry....I use "underground" in the broadest sense...slabs, dirt, decks, etc. At any rate, EMT in a deck would be quite bizarre around here. RMC or PVC or both is all we use.
 

quogueelectric

Senior Member
Location
new york
pvc in deck

pvc in deck

On many of our spec grade jobs it requires the transition from pvc to steel to be galvanized pipe
so either you stick your first stick through the deck in gal or screw galvanized elbows into female adaptors pvc in the deck then back up with annother rigid elbow when it pops up again.
The galvanized pipe has a little fudge factor involved as it can be hickeyed into or infront of a wall or panel.
However looking at the rigid pipe going into the deck you dont know for sure if turns to pvc which is not a very good ground.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
quogueelectric said:
However looking at the rigid pipe going into the deck you dont know for sure if turns to pvc which is not a very good ground.

An ohm meter can answer this.

Roger
 
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