SEC's in Garage

[tonype]

Townhouse development about 24 years old. 6 meters on the outside of a garage foundation wall - all SEC's travel along the inside of the garage wall very close to the vehicle access area. Shouldn't these have been in conduit or provided with some other means of protection from damage?

 

[Ponchik]

230.50(B)

Unless it is subject to physical damage. Which it seems like it is.

 

[Ponchik]

338.12 Uses Not Permitted
(A) Service-Entrance Cable. Service-entrance cable (SE)
shall not be used under the following conditions or in the
following locations:
(1) Where subject to physical damage unless protected in
accordance with 230.50(B)



230.50 Protection Against Physical Damage
(A) Underground Service-Entrance Conductors. Underground
service-entrance conductors shall be protected
against physical damage in accordance with 300.5.
(B) All Other Service-Entrance Conductors. All other
service-entrance conductors, other than underground service
entrance conductors, shall be protected against physical
damage as specified in 230.50(B)(1) or (B)(2).
(1) Service-Entrance Cables. Service-entrance 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 PVC conduit
(4) Electrical metallic tubing
(5) Reinforced thermosetting resin conduit (RTRC)
(6) Other approved means

 

[masterinbama]

How are the subject to physical damage?

 

[G._S._Ohm]

shall be protected by any
of the following:
(1) Rigid metal conduit
(2) Intermediate metal conduit
(3) Schedule 80 PVC conduit
(4) Electrical metallic tubing
(5) Reinforced thermosetting resin conduit (RTRC)
(6) Other approved means

None of these seems strong enough to resist the shearing force exerted by the side of a car negligently driven along the garage wall.
Maybe the studs in the garage wall cannot even resist this much force.

 

[masterinbama]

If any part of a car gets close enough to scrape the wall that high off the floor, damaged SE cable is the least of their worries.

 

[kwired]

Unless you have a really compact car, and are a pretty small person, or have a convertible, you will never get out of a car while parked in that garage, unless there is more room on the other side of the door, then you could possibly get out on that side.

 

[Cavie]

How are the subject to physical damage?

Let me think. Metal shelving rubing on the cables. Being used a a closeline. Hanging things off them, leaning anything up against them. Subject to rubing insulation off. What if no car gets parked in there and things get stored next to the wall ???? They should have been protected.

 

[RICK NAPIER]

They even look low enough for car doors to hit them.

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

Townhouse development about 24 years old. 6 meters on the outside of a garage foundation wall - all SEC's travel along the inside of the garage wall very close to the vehicle access area. Shouldn't these have been in conduit or provided with some other means of protection from damage? View attachment 7833

WOW!

 

[aftershock]

None of these seems strong enough to resist the shearing force exerted by the side of a car negligently driven along the garage wall.
Maybe the studs in the garage wall cannot even resist this much force.

Looks like a cinder block wall.

 

[tonype]

Looks like a cinder block wall.

It is - outside wall. Garage is only 9'-5" across. I agree with a previous post - cannot effective use for vehicle storage other than a compact car.

 

[kwired]

They should have been protected.

With what? Even RMC is subject to physical damage.

You have to determine what is likely to damage it, but even then there can unusual circumstances that come up.

Most of the time in a garage like that, it is not going to be damaged by vehicles, unless it is an old beater car and nobody cares what happens to the car either.

If this were a passageway for forklifts, that would be a whole different story, and one situation where RMC may not even be enough protection.

 

[Ponchik]

The installer & the inspector with common sense and experience will determine what is subject to physical damage what conduit would work best for protection. You can't protect what ifs. The best that you have available at the time of the installation is RMC. So use it to protect the cables.

 

[RUWired]

The installer & the inspector with common sense and experience will determine what is subject to physical damage what conduit would work best for protection. You can't protect what ifs. The best that you have available at the time of the installation is RMC. So use it to protect the cables.

Use PVC pipe, it'll match the PVC drains on either side of the cables!! (that seem to have passed inspection as well)

 

[squaredan]

Why are 6 meters on this one townhouse? Im guessing for other townhouses SE.. Is that a Common practice in that area, having other peoples SE going through someone elses space?

 

[Cavie]

Why are 6 meters on this one townhouse? Im guessing for other townhouses SE.. Is that a Common practice in that area, having other peoples SE going through someone elses space?[/QUOTE

Give that man a segar!!!!!!