3" PVC "sleeve" in concrete floor - how to please all parties involved in project
We are putting in a new feeder into a new building that has a concrete floor. During the pouring of the floor, the owner put in a 3" PVC sleeve in the concrete floor which goes down 2 to 3 feet below the floor and then turns 90 degrees through the foundation wall. The plan was to run 2" schedule 40 PVC electrical conduit underground which would then connect to the 3" sleeve. We would then run THWN through the conduit and up through the sleeve to a main lug panel. I thought they put in schedule 40 or 80 PVC electrical conduit for the sleeve through the floor, but they put in a mix of black high pressure PVC plumbing pipe (vertically) and then a white PVC plumbing pipe 90 degree fitting and short horizontal section through the foundation wall as the sleeve. I couldn't believe it. It was a lesson that you need to do your own inspection and don't trust anyone you shouldn't trust.
I know the plumbing pipe is not allowed by the NEC because it is not listed for that use. The easiest solution in my book is to abandon the sleeve and run the conduit up the steel building wall and punch through to the main lug panel inside. The inspector agrees with my assessment, however the owner refuses to abandon his idea and thinks he can bully the inspector. If I was a contractor, I would just cut my losses and fire the client, but I work for the client. Other ideas we floated were to run 2" non-metallic liquid tight inside the 3" pipe, but it is not flexible enough. Another idea OK'd by the inspector was to put in a handhole to terminate the schedule 40 PVC electrical conduit and an underground splice and then run single conductor direct burial wire from there through the "sleeve". I believe this is the best idea that would satisfy all parties since we would only be talking about a 90 degree bend and a short horizontal pull even though 2/0 aluminum would not be easily pulled through a tight plumbing 90. Am I dreaming here, or do you think that would work? The plumbing 90 is much tighter than an electrical 90, so I am hesitant to believe that would work.
Is there any product out there that might work for this situation? Does the inspector have the power to waive the listing requirement for the plumbing pipe and let us run the THWN through it and then transition back to electrical conduit at the floor? I know they have some discretion under the NEC code, but I don't know how far it goes. Any help would be appreciated.
We are putting in a new feeder into a new building that has a concrete floor. During the pouring of the floor, the owner put in a 3" PVC sleeve in the concrete floor which goes down 2 to 3 feet below the floor and then turns 90 degrees through the foundation wall. The plan was to run 2" schedule 40 PVC electrical conduit underground which would then connect to the 3" sleeve. We would then run THWN through the conduit and up through the sleeve to a main lug panel. I thought they put in schedule 40 or 80 PVC electrical conduit for the sleeve through the floor, but they put in a mix of black high pressure PVC plumbing pipe (vertically) and then a white PVC plumbing pipe 90 degree fitting and short horizontal section through the foundation wall as the sleeve. I couldn't believe it. It was a lesson that you need to do your own inspection and don't trust anyone you shouldn't trust.
I know the plumbing pipe is not allowed by the NEC because it is not listed for that use. The easiest solution in my book is to abandon the sleeve and run the conduit up the steel building wall and punch through to the main lug panel inside. The inspector agrees with my assessment, however the owner refuses to abandon his idea and thinks he can bully the inspector. If I was a contractor, I would just cut my losses and fire the client, but I work for the client. Other ideas we floated were to run 2" non-metallic liquid tight inside the 3" pipe, but it is not flexible enough. Another idea OK'd by the inspector was to put in a handhole to terminate the schedule 40 PVC electrical conduit and an underground splice and then run single conductor direct burial wire from there through the "sleeve". I believe this is the best idea that would satisfy all parties since we would only be talking about a 90 degree bend and a short horizontal pull even though 2/0 aluminum would not be easily pulled through a tight plumbing 90. Am I dreaming here, or do you think that would work? The plumbing 90 is much tighter than an electrical 90, so I am hesitant to believe that would work.
Is there any product out there that might work for this situation? Does the inspector have the power to waive the listing requirement for the plumbing pipe and let us run the THWN through it and then transition back to electrical conduit at the floor? I know they have some discretion under the NEC code, but I don't know how far it goes. Any help would be appreciated.
