another do it yourselfer story

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Sparky555

Senior Member
PCN said:
I guess I'm just being too nit picky. I know it would work w/ UF but when a guy slides 1 1/2" pvc inside a 2" pvc to "reduce it" it gives me instant heart burn. My instinct says runaway man..... runaway. It just ain't right.
Click to expand...
Always go with your gut. RUN!
 
Mule

Mule

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
PCN said:
Went to look a job awhile ago, new spec house being built, foundation was in, floor was poured in the basement. The HO was the GC. I went to measure the underground service to give him an estimate. So I meet the guy there and we walk into the basement, and I see this white 4" plumbing pipe poking up thru the concrete floor. I say is that your sewer pipe? He proudly states "no that's the underground conduit for the service." (1st red flag). I explain that we really can't use plumbing pipe for electrical work. So I shine a flashlight down the pipe and sure looks like he used an elbow to 90 in under the foundation. (2nd red flag) Sure enough he used a plumbing elbow at the slab for the padmount xfmr as well! (which is about 500' from the house) Imagine pulling 350's thru that. At this point I'm ready to run, but I just had finish the tour with him just for sheer entertaiment, he had a conduit going out to a detached garage, 2" in the house, out in the foundation of the garage it was 1 1/2", ????? He said he ran out of 2" so he "stepped down to 1 1/2" somewhere under the driveway! :D :D I think I lost his phone # on the way home .:D

My point of this rant is I see more and more GC's and developers taking care of the underground power. How is this done legally? Maybe less so now that the building boom is over. It does not seem right. Even though most of them aren't as clueless as this guy.
Click to expand...

You know, Im a conservative guy and all, but this guy is going to cover this stuff up, and sell it to some poor soul for big dollars, and they will sleep in it, with little babies.......We need more licenses, and inspections IMO. This gets me fired up....:mad:
 
PCN

PCN

Senior Member
Location
New England
Mule said:
You know, Im a conservative guy and all, but this guy is going to cover this stuff up, and sell it to some poor soul for big dollars, and they will sleep in it, with little babies.......We need more licenses, and inspections IMO. This gets me fired up....:mad:
Click to expand...

That's part of the problem, he'll gump this place up, live in it for while (which legally allows him to wire it himself ) then sell it to some unsuspecting buyer.

I just hope code enforcement is on top of it. We've done some work for this guy in the past at his business, he's always trying to cut corners, like trying to have us install used panels with every knockout taken out, missing a cover, used receptacles etc... we've butted heads before.

I thought I'd give this job a look. But the plumbing pipe was just the icing on the cake. I fully expect to see an old Federal Pacific panel mounted in his new house.:grin::grin:
 
Mule

Mule

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
PCN said:
That's part of the problem, he'll gump this place up, live in it for while (which legally allows him to wire it himself ) then sell it to some unsuspecting buyer.

I just hope code enforcement is on top of it. We've done some work for this guy in the past at his business, he's always trying to cut corners, like trying to have us install used panels with every knockout taken out, missing a cover, used receptacles etc... we've butted heads before.

I thought I'd give this job a look. But the plumbing pipe was just the icing on the cake. I fully expect to see an old Federal Pacific panel mounted in his new house.:grin::grin:
Click to expand...

Well code enforcement is not on top of it....with concrete already poured covering up electrical conduits....Give me the AHJ's phone number and project address..:D
 
petersonra

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
growler said:
Maybe and maybe not. The most common mistake made when a homeowner runs conduit has not even been mentioned. The fact that he used plumbing pipe and may have used different sizes is one thing but what is the burial depth of any of this conduit that's already installed and not inspected.

Most homeowners think that about a foot ( measure 9 inches) is plenty deep enough for a conduit run. Under a drive way you are lucky if they scratch a 6" trench.

It doesn't matter what type of cable that gets pulled in the conduit you still have to meet correct burial depth.
Click to expand...

Nobody said anything about the burial depth. Different problem.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top