DIY Network

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petersonra

petersonra

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Northern illinois
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Semi-retired engineer
I was watching DIY network tonite. Ed the Plumber said it was "against the code" to put electrical lines and water lines in the same trench "for obvious reasons", and in fact was running a water line from a pond pump in one trench while the electric line to a pond pump had been run in a seperate line. It left me wondering what the obvious reasons are since they have yet to occur to me.

On an earlier show, they showed a home improvement expert wiring up a ceiling fan under a canvas awning in PVC conduit using Romex. I thought Romex was not allowed outside.
 
Re: DIY Network

There is a very good reason for not having water and power in the same trench. The water has to be deep enough to keep it from freezing (about 4 ft. here). You do not want to dig that deep to get to the electric lines for repair. If the water has a leak, you do not want to dig through the electric to get to the water. IMO this reason is not obvious. If we can direct bury with a gas line, why not water if we are in a milder climate where the water doesn't have to be so deep?

It seems to me that most of the experts on those shows are not. :roll:
 
Re: DIY Network

The water line trench they dug did not look all that deep, although they did talk about bringing the pump inside in the winter so it would not freeze.

So are you saying there is good reason not to put them in the same trench or that its a code violation? I've seen water and electrical lines run together before and just wondered about it when I saw Ed the Plumber prononce this against the code.

[ November 04, 2004, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: petersonra ]
 
Re: DIY Network

Having viewed some of the DIY programs, it can sometimes be a little scary. Many times they provide information about how to do something but fail to stress the importance of code and how it may vary from one place to another. Many times they also illustrate how to do something in such a way that actually violates the code. Makes me wonder if they can somehow be held accountable for misinformation in the event of a situation gone bad.
 
Re: DIY Network

Most of the time they seem to council potential DIYers to "check with your local inspector". To me this is about as bad advice as you can give.

There are many good DIY books available that give basic advice in common DIY electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc that actually give good safe instruction on how to do these things. It seems to me they would be better off telling their viewers to read a good book rather than call the local inspector for advice.

I can't imagine any of them giving you advice on how to wire up something if you can't even talk the talk. And if you can talk the talk, you probably don't need advice from an inspector, except for maybe some questions about local procedures or the way they "prefer" things be done, or what code the local area enforces.

[ November 04, 2004, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: petersonra ]
 
Re: DIY Network

The inspections department here has a little handout they give DIYers when they apply for permits to do electrical work on their houses. It shows a lot of common code requirements with illustrations, but it also says that the information is by no means all-inclusive and directs them to consult DIY books.

The handout also tells DIYers not to bother inspectors with questions about how to do stuff, as it's not their job to teach them these things. The inspectors will gladly (well, maybe not so gladly) answer code questions, but that's it.

It's kinda sad that the DIY shows and books often gloss over code requirements, but they usually cover themselves with a disclaimer by saying they are merely passing along information and that people should hire a professional if they are unsure as to how to do the work properly.
 
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