Combined Rigid Steel and PVC Service Riser?

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kerajam

Member
I'm doing a new 200 amp residential service installation and am installing 2" rigid steel conduit for the riser and striking the mast. If I have a full stick of conduit completely supported (inside the wall), is there anywhere in the code that says I can't continue to the primary side of the meter base in PVC? I'm thinking grounding would not be an issue since it's feeding the ungrounded utility side of the meter, and can't come up with a structural reason or find anything in the code addressing it. The reason I ask is an offset will be required to hit the meter base and I'd rather heat up a stick of PVC than deal with bending the rigid steel. I'm in Washington state.

Thanks
 

benaround

Senior Member
Location
Arizona
kerajam,

You can't run service conductors inside of a building ( INSIDE THE WALL ) without first

protecting them with OCPD at the nearest point of entry. If this setup is outside then

the RMC would have to be grounded to the incoming neutral in some compliant manner.
 

kerajam

Member
I'm hitting a flush mount meter breaker combination, running 12 feet down the inside of an outside wall. The WA state code allows 15 feet of unprotected conductors inside the building. My question has to do with transitioning from rigid steel to PVC conduit. Is that allowed?
 

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
What you are wanting to do is NOT A GOOD IDEA. Un-fused conductors (in pvc) inside the wall is just plain dangerous. Your inspector is going to not pass it either. If you run the RGS you can run it inside the wall. Take a look at the note on the right side of the attached detail.


View attachment 4674
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
My question has to do with transitioning from rigid steel to PVC conduit. Is that allowed?

Yes it is allowed however you will have to bond the rigid piece of conduit.

Are you sure the riser wire is allowed inside the wall? The only time the unfused conductors are allowed into the building, around here, is after the meter.
 

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
Yes it is allowed however you will have to bond the rigid piece of conduit.

Are you sure the riser wire is allowed inside the wall? The only time the unfused conductors are allowed into the building, around here, is after the meter.

The POCO is not going to allow it. Not inside the wall in PVC.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
Really don't see differance if its before or after meter. Neither one is fused. We run under slabs all the time and bring it up on an inside wall in PVC. This is just as safe but i do axspect the poco will turn it down
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
I'm hitting a flush mount meter breaker combination, running 12 feet down the inside of an outside wall. The WA state code allows 15 feet of unprotected conductors inside the building. My question has to do with transitioning from rigid steel to PVC conduit. Is that allowed?

In Washington State, it hasn't been 15 feet of service conductors since about 2003, its was changed to 15 feet of raceway, easier to measure raceway than conductor.

The POCO may require Sch 80.
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
I'm doing a new 200 amp residential service installation and am installing 2" rigid steel conduit for the riser and striking the mast. If I have a full stick of conduit completely supported (inside the wall), is there anywhere in the code that says I can't continue to the primary side of the meter base in PVC? I'm thinking grounding would not be an issue since it's feeding the ungrounded utility side of the meter, and can't come up with a structural reason or find anything in the code addressing it. The reason I ask is an offset will be required to hit the meter base and I'd rather heat up a stick of PVC than deal with bending the rigid steel. I'm in Washington state.

Thanks

I had to read your post again. The service mast installation details are very specific and the drawings are the WAC, section 230. The RMC won't be bonded, see NEC 250.80
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Really don't see differance if its before or after meter. Neither one is fused. We run under slabs all the time and bring it up on an inside wall in PVC. This is just as safe but i do axspect the poco will turn it down

Under the slab is considered outside of the building and you probably do not emerge 12 feet into the building before landing on an overcurrent device.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
I have done this but it was on the outside of a outside wall, because the riser had to support the drop, we ran RMC the last 20 feet up through the roof, and secured it to the side of the building, the other 20' was ran in PVC because of some bends we had to make, we bonded the RMC at the top of the riser with a 2" water pipe clamp DB rated,, so the neutral came out of the weather head and hit the clamp before the utility connection.

But I know in Florida and California they run the service pipe down inside the outside wall to hit a meter or a meter/main combo flush mount, but for the most part I have never heard of PVC being allowed for this?
 
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cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
But I know in Florida and California they run the service pipe down inside the outside wall to hit a meter or a meter/main combo flush mount, but for the most part I have never heard of PVC being allowed for this?

They allow us to run it in the wall, because they require it to be rigid, you can't use PVC or EMT for your service riser. Yet if it's an underground feed they'll allow a pvc sleeve, because they run what the call C in C (cable in conduit.)
 

hurk27

Senior Member
They allow us to run it in the wall, because they require it to be rigid, you can't use PVC or EMT for your service riser. Yet if it's an underground feed they'll allow a pvc sleeve, because they run what the call C in C (cable in conduit.)

(in red)

Are you talking about "in the outside wall"?

Because PVC is allowed for a riser pipe if it doesn't support the drop?

But I agree I wouldn't want it in an outside wall. I do what I call a break away riser when I have a service on a gable end, the drop is supported by the insulator knob, and the riser is PVC, so when a tree or large branch falls on the drop the PVC is pulled off the house with very little damage and almost every time it breaks at the male adapter which also protects the SEC from shorting on the can, I come out and glue another male adapter on the pipe and strap it back up install another insulator knob, and the home owner is back in service in less then a hour. we have many old oaks here which get hollowed out by ants, and there heavy, so not much will stop them from hitting the ground.;)
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
(in red)

Are you talking about "in the outside wall"?

Because PVC is allowed for a riser pipe if it doesn't support the drop?

But I agree I wouldn't want it in an outside wall. I do what I call a break away riser when I have a service on a gable end, the drop is supported by the insulator knob, and the riser is PVC, so when a tree or large branch falls on the drop the PVC is pulled off the house with very little damage and almost every time it breaks at the male adapter which also protects the SEC from shorting on the can, I come out and glue another male adapter on the pipe and strap it back up install another insulator knob, and the home owner is back in service in less then a hour. we have many old oaks here which get hollowed out by ants, and there heavy, so not much will stop them from hitting the ground.;)

Not here. The POCO controls to the line side of the meter.
 
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