Schedule 80 along residential driveway

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sroc2006

Member
Is Schedule 80 NM Conduit allowed for electrical service along 200 amp residential driveway according to 2005 NEC? Granted it is subject to damage, and I realize that PoCo's sometimes have the say. Our POCO is saying it's okay, but AHJ says 2005 code doesn't allow for it...can't find this anywhere.
 

Minuteman

Senior Member
What the heck is Schedule 80 NM Conduit?

Do you mean, pulling NM cable in Schedule 80 PVC conduit? NM is not listed for wet locations.

300.5 (D) (5) "cables and insulated conductors installed in enclosures or raceways in underground installations shall be listed for use in wet locations"
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Minuteman said:
What the heck is Schedule 80 NM Conduit?
I took it to mean non-metallic conduit, a.k.a. PVC. He didn't specify the conductor type.

SROC, do you mean exposed or buried?
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Here is info from the 2002 NEC I believe it is unchanged in the 2005.

230.50 Protection of Open Conductors and Cables Against Damage — Above Ground.

Service-entrance conductors installed above ground shall be protected against physical damage as specified in 230.50(A) or (B).

(A) Service Cables. Service cables, where subject to physical damage, shall be protected by any of the following:

(1)Rigid metal conduit

(2)Intermediate metal conduit

(3)Schedule 80 rigid nonmetallic conduit

(4)Electrical metallic tubing

(5)Other approved means
 

suemarkp

Senior Member
Location
Kent, WA
Occupation
Retired Engineer
Perhaps this area is considered exposed to SEVERE physical damage. That usually ups the restrictions. Will this conduit be buried, laying on the ground, or like a "guard rail"? Are the conductors service conductors (art 230) or other conductors?

But in searching the 2005 code for "severe physical", I only get a handful of hits. The closest thing that may be confusing him is 388.12 for surface non-metallic raceways. But I don't think sch 80 PVC is considered a surface non-metallic raceway.

He could also be reading 352.10(F) or 352.12(C) which prohibit RNC from use where exposed to physical damage. However, there are many places in the code that specifically permit the use of sch 80 when exposed to physical damage. Iwire provided one source if these are Service conductors.
 

roger

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Location
Fl
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Retired Electrician
Schedule 80 PVC is listed for use where exposed to physical damage, (this goes along with what has already been pointed out) so the inspector has no grounds there.

UL MARK
The Listing Mark of Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Schedule 80 conduit has a reduced cross-sectional area available for wiring space and is suitable for use wherever Schedule 40 conduit may be used. The marking ‘‘Schedule 80 PVC’’ identifies conduit suitable for use where exposed to physical damage and for installation on poles in accordance with the NEC.

Roger
 

bikeindy

Senior Member
Location
Indianapolis IN
I'm sorry I take above ground to mean where it is along the house or on a wall but are you saying I can run permanent Sch 80 conduit along a driveway above ground? I have never seen this done what about burial depths?
 

roger

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Location
Fl
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bikeindy, If it is not buried there is no minimum depth to worry about.

Roger
 

iwire

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Location
Massachusetts
bikeindy said:
I'm sorry I take above ground to mean where it is along the house or on a wall but are you saying I can run permanent Sch 80 conduit along a driveway above ground? I have never seen this done what about burial depths?

Strictly speaking you can run conduits on top of the earth as long as you can secure them.

That aside I did not assume that was what was happening here.

I could be wrong but in my mind I am imagining an overhead service with PVC from weather head down the side of the house to the meter and panel.

The service being located on the side of a house with the driveway up to it.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
I also imagined the installation as Bob does, but I was replying to the fact that if the conduit (whatever the type) is not buried, there is no coverage to worry about.

Roger
 

wireman3736

Senior Member
Location
Vermont/Mass.
I never gave a thought to running it along a drive way on the surface, matter of fact I have never even seen anyone run it on the ground other then under a trailer and then it has to be securely fastened and secured at the appropriate locations. And also if it's in a cold climate don't forget the slip joints.
 

hillbilly

Senior Member
sroc2006....Give a little more info. Is it buried? How close to the drive? Is it for service cables?
Hello...anybody home?
steve
 

paul

Senior Member
Location
Snohomish, WA
wireman3736 said:
I never gave a thought to running it along a drive way on the surface, matter of fact I have never even seen anyone run it on the ground other then under a trailer and then it has to be securely fastened and secured at the appropriate locations. And also if it's in a cold climate don't forget the slip joints.

I'll try to remember my camera Monday. I have to do something to a temp service we just installed where we ran 740' of 3" PVC on the top of the ground, secured by tye-wire to the temporary construction fence. I was absolutely shocked (not literally) when I showed up to help with the wire pull. BTW, it was originally designed by someone in our service department management to not have a fused disconnect installed at the xfmr. Our service guy who installed it insisted on the fused disconnect, which is good, because they had him run sch 40. It still got turned down because of 225.30/31, but I'll fix that Monday when I install the main breaker kit in the panel.
 
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roger

Moderator
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Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Nick, read the UL info I posted earlier.

Now, if this is a buried installation why is schedule 80 needed at all, schedule 40 would be fine.

Roger
 
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