Code compliant and silly looking.

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Coppersmith

Coppersmith

Senior Member
Location
Tampa, FL, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I'm wiring this generator which is 3 feet away from the building. I could have run the pipe straight over to the wall if I built a support for it but I thought it would look ugly. So I buried the pipe below 18" per the code but it looks kinda silly since it goes down 18" then by the time the 90 flattens out it's only a foot or so across before it hits another 90 to go up. What worse is since a footer was discovered poking out about a foot I can't run the pipe flat against the wall. This is 1.25" and 3/4" schedule 80 pipe. I thought about using IMC and only going down 6", but I thought it would be too difficult without a bender or threader. Was there a better way?


short burial run.jpg
 
If you had grass planted there, the short struts would be a pain for mowing, but as it is, it would not be a problem.
Either a few inches up using driven strut or on the ground with a wooden or plastic "chase" covering it.
 
That will look better than strut which will rot out in a few years. Backfill it and plant grass. Looks fine. About the only thing I would critique is the 3/4" conduit jumping over the 1-1/4". Couldn't you have put the 3/4" on the bottom? Then you would have concentric bends which would look better.

-Hal
 
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hbiss said:
That will look better than strut which will rot out in a few years. Backfill it and plant grass. Looks fine. About the only thing I would critique is the 3/4" conduit jumping over the 1-1/4". Couldn't you have put the 3/4" on the bottom? Then you would have concentric bends which would look better.

-Hal
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Due to the equipment arrangement inside, the 3/4 had to be on top so pipes didn't cross.
 
Coppersmith said:
I'm wiring this generator which is 3 feet away from the building. I could have run the pipe straight over to the wall if I built a support for it but I thought it would look ugly. So I buried the pipe below 18" per the code but it looks kinda silly since it goes down 18" then by the time the 90 flattens out it's only a foot or so across before it hits another 90 to go up. What worse is since a footer was discovered poking out about a foot I can't run the pipe flat against the wall. This is 1.25" and 3/4" schedule 80 pipe. I thought about using IMC and only going down 6", but I thought it would be too difficult without a bender or threader. Was there a better way?


View attachment 21053
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maybe 2 LB's at the house, two threaded LB's at the slab, sealtite into the genny.
 
Maybe bury it all the way to the point of entry on the house instead of exposing it along side of house? How much more work that is depends on soil conditions.

Couplings on your PVC risers are what is likely to break if hit by mowing equipment, should heat up the pipe and bend it without use of those couplings.
 
kwired said:
Maybe bury it all the way to the point of entry on the house instead of exposing it along side of house?
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Then I think he would have the same situation where it comes up out of the ground down there.

I agree that it would look better by not using factory ells and couplings like that. That's so easy to bend.

Ya know, now I'm thinking- you could have poured your pad right up to the house and that would have let you stay high enough under the concrete to be on top of the footer. You would have had to place your PVC first. Also would be better because nobody has to mow back there.

-Hal
 
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kwired said:
Maybe bury it all the way to the point of entry on the house instead of exposing it along side of house? How much more work that is depends on soil conditions.
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Could have I suppose. I tend to minimize trenching because (1) I don't like doing it; and (2) it makes the bid higher.

kwired said:
Couplings on your PVC risers are what is likely to break if hit by mowing equipment, should heat up the pipe and bend it without use of those couplings.
Click to expand...

Good point. I usually don't think about bending the pipe unless I'm making a non-standard angle because it makes the bid higher and owners don't notice the difference.
 
hbiss said:
Ya know, now I'm thinking- you could have poured your pad right up to the house and that would have let you stay high enough under the concrete to be on top of the footer. You would have had to place your PVC first. Also would be better because nobody has to mow back there.
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I agree however I'm subbing for the generator contractor. The genny was already in place when I was hired. The pad is a drop-in, no pouring.
 
Coppersmith said:
I agree however I'm subbing for the generator contractor. The genny was already in place when I was hired. The pad is a drop-in, no pouring.
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I would get a small load of crushed stone, could be decorative if the location warranted, and fill the area between the generator and building, perhaps put down weed block fabric. Cheaper and easier than placing more concrete, and nobody needs to mow or trim back there.
 
1-5/8 strut on the slab with xpansion fittings between the pad and house. Looks better and could be weed whacked.
 
Craigv said:
I would get a small load of crushed stone, could be decorative if the location warranted, and fill the area between the generator and building, perhaps put down weed block fabric. Cheaper and easier than placing more concrete, and nobody needs to mow or trim back there.
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Doesn't change minimum required burial depth like a poured pad does.

If not burying at all, I would be suggesting RMC/IMC for the span between unit and house.
 
Coppersmith said:
Could have I suppose. I tend to minimize trenching because (1) I don't like doing it; and (2) it makes the bid higher.



Good point. I usually don't think about bending the pipe unless I'm making a non-standard angle because it makes the bid higher and owners don't notice the difference.
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They notice broken couplings down the road (some do anyway) A little more time is worth not having callbacks.

1.25 is pushing it a little but 1 inch and smaller is easy to heat enough to bend with simple heat gun.
 
kwired said:
Doesn't change minimum required burial depth like a poured pad does.

If not burying at all, I would be suggesting RMC/IMC for the span between unit and house.
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Agreed, but my suggestion was only for dealing with the existing conduit job, to keep it from being subjected to lawn equipment.
 
Craigv said:
Agreed, but my suggestion was only for dealing with the existing conduit job, to keep it from being subjected to lawn equipment.
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Well kept yard, they remove or spray weeds that grow in the crushed rock you mentioned.

Not so well kept yard and even that rock will eventually have things growing in it and needs mowed anyway.:happyyes:
 
kwired said:
Well kept yard, they remove or spray weeds that grow in the crushed rock you mentioned.

Not so well kept yard and even that rock will eventually have things growing in it and needs mowed anyway.:happyyes:
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If weed block fabric is put down, weeds are minimal and easy to pull. Spraying has never damaged conduit as far as I know. If the yard is unkempt, then nobody is mowing there enough for it to matter, and they're unlikely to care or notice if they smash the conduit. If they notice, it's because they smashed it. Mo' money, mo' money....:D
 
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