zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Repairing the conduit should involve enough reroute so it's not right next to the tree. Also, check the depth.... is it actually compliant as installed? (hard to tell w/o other info)
Conduit/THWN wires cut underground
- Thread starter 1.21 Gigawatts
- Start date
- Status
Repairing the conduit should involve enough reroute so it's not right next to the tree. Also, check the depth.... is it actually compliant as installed? (hard to tell w/o other info)
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
What doesn't work that should? Any breakers tripped?
Maybe it is something that has been abandoned and doesn't even need repaired?
I'd be figuring out what it is and whether there was damage at either end had the conductors been pulled on when this happened.
Would also at very least want to make sure effected items were working again after making any repairs
So regardless I would be finding out what it does and not just splicing wires and then walking away.
I agree with post #22 (kwired) but might add, IF a pool is involved, certain pool circuits are not allowed to be spliced (wet niche lighting) so I definitely would find out where they went originally.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
I think the splices kits are for direct burial only. You can't put splices inside a conduit. Maybe a box at ground level.
PhenixFord
Member
- Location
- Cabot, AR.
- Occupation
- Industrial Systems and Controls
I've done a lot of landscape lighting and pool installation.
The system "as presented" is in conduit with individual strands of wire. So there is no approved method for splicing these conductors underground (direct burial). This service tec is going to need 2 ground boxes to make this repair. Something similar to this. \/ \/ \/
The boxes will need to be set so that the covers are at "surface" level and can be readily accessible.
Relocating the entire system to a new location would not be cost effective. Even if you did, you run the risk of damaging other electrical or irrigation systems. Just my $0.02
The system "as presented" is in conduit with individual strands of wire. So there is no approved method for splicing these conductors underground (direct burial). This service tec is going to need 2 ground boxes to make this repair. Something similar to this. \/ \/ \/
The boxes will need to be set so that the covers are at "surface" level and can be readily accessible.
Relocating the entire system to a new location would not be cost effective. Even if you did, you run the risk of damaging other electrical or irrigation systems. Just my $0.02
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
In a non metallic Junction box rated for underground or moist locations, set in place so the cover is above grade and visually apparent.
Knuckle Dragger
Master Electrician Electrical Contractor 01752
- Location
- Marlborough, Massachusetts USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
So we don't even know if the wires are relevant to anything. They maybe a defunct circuit.
IMO Repair conduit and replace is most ideal way to go. Or two hand holes and a new conduit between the two with proper drainage and direct burial wire nuts of your choosing or making
IMO Repair conduit and replace is most ideal way to go. Or two hand holes and a new conduit between the two with proper drainage and direct burial wire nuts of your choosing or making
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Or repair the conduit and pull new conductors.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Hack, hack, cough, hack. Stagger the butt splices, liquid tape, some 33+, in an over large split pvc conduit repair kit, hack, hack, cough, will work.
Pull new, go home and sleep well.
Pull new, go home and sleep well.
“Landscaper cut a conduit”.
I went back and caught that part...
wires listed for direct burial can be spliced as long as the splices are also listed for direct burial.
if the wire is rated for wet locations only such as THWN but not direct burial, then post #15 is applicable.
looking at the wires it looks like control wiring anyway, maybe an 18awg?
no, they don’t..
utilities use XLP aluminum wire that is rated for direct burial.. splices are also direct burial rated.
GerryB
Senior Member
- Location
- woodbridge, ct. USA
Why take my post out of context? Goggle underground splice kits. They are rated for direct burial.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
He didn't. Utililties seldom would have what OP has, small raceway/small conductors and relatively short length, and if they did would likely repair the conduit and pull new conductors.
Around here anyway, if this had been a service lateral that POCO maintains, they would splice it if it is direct buried, but would repair conduit and pull new conductor if it were in conduit. On top of that if it were a utility controlled service lateral you likely have better chance of the landscaper being reported for not calling the one call underground locating service that is required. The line in this case probably not a utility owned line and wouldn't be located by utilities via the one call system so kind of irrelevant even if they called in this case.
Sorry, didn’t think it would be taken like that...
the nuances in the spoken word is lost in text only...
the comment was more toward “play by their own rules”
Utilities have rules to follow also that are theirs(NESC), but they are bound by the NEC also in many instances..
for instance, a utility would not be able to splice those wires and direct bury them if they weren’t properly listed no more than any EC.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
They don't get inspected like most NEC users do. Most seem to be pretty good about following NESC anymore, and for the most part the linemen that are out in the field don't know much at all when it comes to NEC, but most the time they don't need to make NEC based decisions, SOP's already cover most of what would be NEC based decisions.
GerryB
Senior Member
- Location
- woodbridge, ct. USA
That's ok, I apologize also. A little bit touchy looking at headlines this morning.
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
Off topic sort of, I've shown this image before, Edison certainly has their own rules at times for some underground service supply techniques.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Sure looks to me as if the spliced wire is following the path of the water line, not the utility conductors.
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
The signal finder cable wasn't the concern its the exposed utility cables and that's not a water line, its gas.Sure looks to me as if the spliced wire is following the path of the water line, not the utility conductors.
separation of different utilities sort of went out the way there, huh...
although that looks like a four wire service (NEC)
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