Copper Tubing used as conduit?

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JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
480sparky said:
I'd say no since it's not a listed raceway.
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I agree. I guess in theory you can use it as a stub or chase, however that's not the application here.

at first I thought it was Mi cable until I looked in the panel. No idea why anyone would have used copper, it's considerably more expensive than an equal size of EMT.
 
gadfly56

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
NewtonLaw said:
I found an electrical panel that has a copper tube apparently being used as an electrical conduit. Is this legal?
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This may be a silly question, but that isn't 3-conductor MI by any chance, is it?

ETA:
OK, missed the second part of JFletcher's post, but why are you sure it isn't MI?
 
P

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
dkidd said:
MI doesn't have insulated conductors, as far as I have ever seen.
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I have never seen MI in the wild but if the conductors are uninsulated how do they prevent shorting to the metal conduit?

ETA: So I went and looked it up and answered my own question. The insulation is stuffed around the bare conductors inside the sheath.
 
steve66

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
petersonra said:
maybe it is actually brass. they do make brass conduit and fittings.
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Yes, possible, and it would have been interesting to see a fitting, or maybe the fitting where it enters the panel. But I'm guessing someone just used copper tubing - maybe because they could bend it easily? Hard to be sure from the picture.

I would question the fill also - looks like the wire is packed in there. I'm surprised they managed to pull the wire in that unless its really short. That kind of makes me wonder if its MI or something like that where the conductors were already part of the assembly.
 
M

MTW

Senior Member
Location
SE Michigan
I never have worked with the stuff, but after a quick look, seems to be MI cable to me. I see an identification tag around one of the conductors.

Appears to be a typical MI termination from what I see here, a epoxy terminated end, with plastic insulated wire termination.

Probably a need for the MI cable at the other end of the termination, would be my guess.

Also noticed the bonding conductor, in the enclosure running through a steel conduit without bonding to it.

http://www.micable.com/products

MTW
600_8957_d1450.JPG
 
gadfly56

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
MTW said:
I never have worked with the stuff, but after a quick look, seems to be MI cable to me. I see an identification tag around one of the conductors.

Appears to be a typical MI termination from what I see here, a epoxy terminated end, with plastic insulated wire termination.

Probably a need for the MI cable at the other end of the termination, would be my guess.

Also noticed the bonding conductor, in the enclosure running through a steel conduit without bonding to it.

http://www.micable.com/products

MTW
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Your Google-fu is very strong. Couldn't find anything useful from Pyrotenax.
 
mbrooke

mbrooke

Batteries Included
Location
United States
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Technician
I see a green sticker on one of the conductors coming out of the tubing... hmmm. It boils down to is that copper or a copper jacket cable assembly.
 
steve66

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
Just going from the photo, now I'm thinking that this stuff looks so much like copper tubing, how do we know a plumber won't try cutting into it sometime?

I'm wondering if the manufacturer puts any markings on the copper jacket? It seems like they should be required to do that, just to make sure it isn't mistaken for copper tubing.
 
Jraef

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
steve66 said:
Just going from the photo, now I'm thinking that this stuff looks so much like copper tubing, how do we know a plumber won't try cutting into it sometime?

I'm wondering if the manufacturer puts any markings on the copper jacket? It seems like they should be required to do that, just to make sure it isn't mistaken for copper tubing.
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Wouldn't make a difference... plumbers don't read.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
steve66 said:
Just going from the photo, now I'm thinking that this stuff looks so much like copper tubing, how do we know a plumber won't try cutting into it sometime?

I'm wondering if the manufacturer puts any markings on the copper jacket? It seems like they should be required to do that, just to make sure it isn't mistaken for copper tubing.
Click to expand...
Just like an electrician shouldn't splice into a circuit if he doesn't at least know if it is the correct voltage for what he is going to splice into it, or verify it is off before working on it, shouldn't a plumber know what kind of media is in the line he is going to cut into and whether it is under pressure or not?
 
G

GerryB

Senior Member
Location
woodbridge, ct. USA
steve66 said:
Just going from the photo, now I'm thinking that this stuff looks so much like copper tubing, how do we know a plumber won't try cutting into it sometime?

I'm wondering if the manufacturer puts any markings on the copper jacket? It seems like they should be required to do that, just to make sure it isn't mistaken for copper tubing.
Click to expand...
They don't use MI cable in residential. Unlikely a plumber would chop it in a hospital or some place like that where it is used.
 
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