burying a C type PVC conduit body

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JoeNorm

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I need to move a service panel that has a number of raceways coming in the bottom. The slab has been cut out of the building and conduits exposed.

One way to do this would be to carefully cut each pipe where is enters the building(under the footing), pull the pipe off the existing wire, install C type conduit bodies, re-pipe everything to new location, pull wire back in through the C, done.

I am trying to avoid pulling all the wire entirely from the pipes due to length of the runs/not knowing how easy it would be to get back in.

The question is can I then make the C fittings non-accessible by embedding them in concrete? There would be no junctions and theoretically they could be fished through in the future seeing as they're straight. I know it's not ideal but sometimes compromises have to be made.

Thanks in advance.
 
JoeNorm said:
The question is can I then make the C fittings non-accessible by embedding them in concrete? There would be no junctions and theoretically they could be fished through in the future seeing as they're straight.
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If there would be no splices in them, why use conduit bodies instead of couplings?
 
because with the C you can have the wire dangling out, do all the piping, then pull the wire in. With a coupling I'd have to sleeve the wire with all the pipe. It's more difficult and i believe the code prohibits it.
 
JoeNorm said:
because with the C you can have the wire dangling out, do all the piping, then pull the wire in. With a coupling I'd have to sleeve the wire with all the pipe. It's more difficult and i believe the code prohibits it.
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Code also prohibits burying, or making inaccessible, a conduit body.
 
JoeNorm said:
I need to move a service panel that has a number of raceways coming in the bottom. The slab has been cut out of the building and conduits exposed.

One way to do this would be to carefully cut each pipe where is enters the building(under the footing), pull the pipe off the existing wire, install C type conduit bodies, re-pipe everything to new location, pull wire back in through the C, done.

I am trying to avoid pulling all the wire entirely from the pipes due to length of the runs/not knowing how easy it would be to get back in.

The question is can I then make the C fittings non-accessible by embedding them in concrete? There would be no junctions and theoretically they could be fished through in the future seeing as they're straight. I know it's not ideal but sometimes compromises have to be made.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
How is the wire going to be long enough if you're moving the panel?
 
JoeNorm said:
because with the C you can have the wire dangling out, do all the piping, then pull the wire in. With a coupling I'd have to sleeve the wire with all the pipe. It's more difficult and i believe the code prohibits it.
Click to expand...
In that case, wouldn't sliding the bodies onto the existing wires be prohibited, too?

If it's not a ridiculous length, I would pull the pipe over the wires anyway.
 
JoeNorm said:
... One way to do this would be to carefully cut each pipe where is enters the building(under the footing), pull the pipe off the existing wire, install C type conduit bodies, re-pipe everything to new location, pull wire back in through the C, done.
Click to expand...

It seems like cutting the conduits with the wires inside them could be even more likely to damage insulation on the wires than sliding the new conduit over the wires.

JoeNorm said:
I am trying to avoid pulling all the wire entirely from the pipes due to length of the runs/not knowing how easy it would be to get back in.
Click to expand...

As an alternative, perhaps you could attach a pull rope to the end of the wires, and then on the other side of the existing conduit pull the wires back just enough so that the wires are no longer below where you want to cut the existing conduit. And to keep from damaging the rope during the cutting, you could slip on a temporary sleeve, or just use some scrap wire/cable that you don't care about damaging instead of a pull rope. Then cut the old conduit as you mention above. Put together your new conduit assembly with a coupling for attaching it to the old conduit. Using a fish tape pull the rope out through the other end of your new conduit. Slide the coupling on the old conduit, and then pull the tape until the wires come out of the new conduit.
 
Could you use a quasite box? It could be flush in the slab, still accessible if needed, tamper resistant bolts on the cover if you’re worried about unauthorized access. Or will it be cosmetically unappealing?
 
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