Customer didn't bury enough conductors

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tshephard

Member
Customer buried (as a feeder for a garage) a cable with 2 insulated conductors and a bare conductor, all within an overall jacket (like a 12/2 w/g uf, only larger.
Garage system has 2 driven and bonded grounding electrodes and conductors.
Inspector rejected and listed 250-40 (as insulated neutral error [while a 240V system]), which I cannot find (I have 96 and 03, they are 99).
I got system passed as 120V circuit with H, N, bare G, and N and G separated in panel, but customer wants 240V for compressor.
Since I have driven grounds, can't I ID the copper conductor with white tape at both ends (it is insulated by overall jacket), and let the EGEC be the EGC grounds?
(Detached garage, buried cable, only other metallic connections are phone and cable TV)

[ April 26, 2005, 07:32 PM: Message edited by: tshephard ]
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

Im pretty sure that the neutral has to be insulated hate to tell ya but break out the shovel and have fun
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

Run away ,run away....Legal aspects will get you not the penny pinching customer.Tell them you don`t do brain surgery and they shouldn`t do electrical work both kill :eek:
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

Inspector was right, customer wrong, he should have asked first. With metallic paths, he out of luck. 120V OR re-feed and re-inspect.
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

You are not allowed to use the bare wire in types NM and UF as a neutral. Period.

An alternative to burying a new cable is to locate the air compressor inside of the house and bury an air line. This will get around the problem that a lot of consumer or even industrial air compressors deliberately overload the motor and wiring.

Tell this CUSStomer that you have to bury a new cable to run 120/240 volts. Use the existing 10/2 or whatever they buried for a switch loop if you can but you may have to install a 3rd cable to get a legal switch loop.

However, if you try to bury the new cable(s) right next to the old one you might dig up the old one.
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

OK, thanks for the help(s).
By the way, the cable is #6 or #8 for mains, I just couldn't spin it enough to read the type.

1. Anyway, so code wise, the neutral (in a 3 wire 120/240 feeder) must be insulated the entire length, in addition to the overall jacket. I take it there is no real physical reason, just the code. Correct?

2. Addition grounding system at garage removes the need for 4th wire in cable, correct? So really, the only fault is the N not being either indentified or insulated along it's length?

THX, Tim
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

There is another solution....

Set a disconnect for the compressor on the 220v line, use the ground as intended.

Set another disconnect on the 220v line and add a small transformer (220-220/110). Then install a small panel or switch w/ neutral, drive a ground rod to ground the xfmr neutral, and that will give you what you need.

This is not necessarily cheap, but it is legal and safe.
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

Duh, great solution!

I had looked at 12kva Xfrmrs (50 A @240, $500-600),to derive a neutral for the entire load but with your thinking, I really only need to convert enough for lights and rectps., much cheaper.

Thanks
 
Re: Customer didn't bury enough conductors

If the conductors he burried are alum the bare conductor will only last a few months anyways. I agree with the other post, walk away.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top