Emt in parking garage

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SRD

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Field Foreman
We are on a job now new apartment build with 4 floors and 2 lower levels of parking garage. We have installed 4 inch emt for the feeders for the meter banks on 2 of the upper levels. The lower lever parking area is not sealed but block wall with openings our runs are not even near any of the openings. Now where the pipe goes up to the next parking garage level same deal not sealed area. But the pipe runs in the middle of one open area and the opposite from that block walls with openings. We already ran 2000 feet plus. The inspector said all couplings need to be replaced with compression......... Yeah thats alot to do. The pipe will never get wet. Can anyone help me out here!
 
I can't see how the inspector it's correct unless it's considered a wet location. I don't recall set screw EMT fittings being for dry locations only.
 
infinity said:
I can't see how the inspector it's correct unless it's considered a wet location. I don't recall set screw EMT fittings being for dry locations only.
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The inspectors view was this. Well what if you get a strong wind blowing through and the rain hits the coupling. The pipe is 60ish feet away from any opening.
 
We usually use 45 degrees as the measure of whether something is exposed to rain.

Ask the inspector to invite his boss down for a look-see. Everyone has a supervisor for a reason.

By his reasoning, everything in an attic or crawlspace is subject to wind-blown water.
 
LarryFine said:
We usually use 45 degrees as the measure of whether something is exposed to rain.

Ask the inspector to invite his boss down for a look-see. Everyone has a supervisor for a reason.

By his reasoning, everything in an attic or crawlspace is subject to wind-blown water.
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Well he is the supervisor that's the problem.
 
SRD said:
We are on a job now new apartment build with 4 floors and 2 lower levels of parking garage. We have installed 4 inch emt for the feeders for the meter banks on 2 of the upper levels. The lower lever parking area is not sealed but block wall with openings our runs are not even near any of the openings. Now where the pipe goes up to the next parking garage level same deal not sealed area. But the pipe runs in the middle of one open area and the opposite from that block walls with openings. We already ran 2000 feet plus. The inspector said all couplings need to be replaced with compression......... Yeah thats alot to do. The pipe will never get wet. Can anyone help me out here!
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That's a good question. How about condensation being an issue, lot of temperature change in NJ. One thing I've noticed around here also is pigeon mess in the garage and from time to time the city will wash it down. On the bright side did you pull any wire yet:) Let us know how you make out.
 
GerryB said:
That's a good question. How about condensation being an issue, lot of temperature change in NJ. One thing I've noticed around here also is pigeon mess in the garage and from time to time the city will wash it down. On the bright side did you pull any wire yet:) Let us know how you make out.
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No wire has been pulled!! Thank god!
 
SRD said:
The inspectors view was this. Well what if you get a strong wind blowing through and the rain hits the coupling. The pipe is 60ish feet away from any opening.
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60' really? I don't see how that even comes close to meeting the Article 100 NEC definition of a wet location. As Larry stated 45° is often used to determine where a wet location ends.


Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete slabs or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject
to saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing areas; and in unprotected locations exposed to weather.
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The NEC provides a definition of a wet location, 60' from an opening doesn't meet the definition. It's that simple. If you get no satisfaction call the DCA.
 
SRD said:
I was thinking the same thing a new building is going up down the block.
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I had a job hooking up a temporary job trailer, inspector came out and turned me down saying the trailer would be there for more than 90 days, and wanted it hooked up permanently. So I did that, but driving from the job site, I see another job trailer at a school under construction just a block over. The OH temp pole was nailed to the side of the trailer, open wiring ran into the trailer. Apparently passed inspection, because there was a meter in it. Found our later, it was political, the city was pissed off at the contractor I was doing the trailer for, and was making it as hard as possible for them.
 
SRD said:
Do you know the article for this?
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Start with this one, 358.42. Next you need to determine the condition of the location. I posted the NEC Article 100 definition of Location, Wet in post #13 (I'll post it again at the bottom). By definition your location is a damp location or Location, Damp. Nothing in 358.42 says anything about a damp location.

358.42 Couplings and Connectors. Couplings and connectors used with EMT shall be made up tight. Where buried in
masonry or concrete, they shall be concrete tight type. Where installed in wet locations, they shall comply with 314.15.
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Location, Damp. Locations protected from weather and not subject to saturation with water or other liquids but subject to
moderate degrees of moisture.
Informational Note: Examples of such locations include partially protected locations under canopies, marquees, roofed open
porches, and like locations, and interior locations subject to moderate degrees of moisture, such as some basements, some
barns, and some cold-storage warehouses.
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Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete slabs or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject
to saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing areas; and in unprotected locations exposed to weather.
Click to expand...
 
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