paul renshaw
Senior Member
- Location
- Cordova, Maryland
Is it legal to strap/run an electrical conduit on a chain link fence framework? We have a few differing opinions in the shop, wanted to see more.
Fence
- Thread starter paul renshaw
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
I've have seen it done and IMO it's code complaint when done correctly.
Carultch
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
I don't see any part of the NEC that would make it not legal. Structural codes and fencing standards might tell a different story.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
As long as you secured the conduit to the poles I think it would be fine.
I am less sure about it if you tried to secure it to the chain link part.
Low-impendence2017
Member
- Location
- Tallahassee Florida
NEC 225.22
NEC 225.22
NEC 225.22 What type of raceway are you installing on the fence?
NEC 225.22
NEC 225.22 What type of raceway are you installing on the fence?
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
I dont know of any chain link fence with posts <8+' apart, so *if* the links are out, many exterior raceways would also be out.
I am also thinking the fence would have to have an EGC to the service, possibly multiple ones or a continuous one, tho the code section that might require that escapes me at this hour.
paul renshaw
Senior Member
- Location
- Cordova, Maryland
There is PVC there now, that would eliminate any grounding issues of the raceway. I couldn't find anything definitive to prohibit it either.
Carultch
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
Be careful. PVC expands A LOT. Make sure to strap it in a manner than allows motion, install expansion joints, and keep it out of direct sunlight. Even though it is "sunlight resistant" by listing, it still degrades in sunlight.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
I don't know if they still do, but they used to make a one hole strap that attached to chain link.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
I would not accept the fence fabric as a conduit support, and unless you are running large size PVC, the support posts are probably at a greater spacing than shown in Table 352.30.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I recently installed a 1.25" PVC conduit run about 100' long on a chain link fence. I fastened it with zip ties to the fence fabric. I made sure it was at least 12" off the ground to avoid physical damage from mowers and put a liquidtight 90 on each end for expansion. The inspector passed it.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Why not? What code section would preclude using the chainlink itself as a support?
Also, would a chainlink fence that supports a conduit need to be grounded back to the service? If it were building steel, it would be grounded, yes? I seem to recall needing fencing bonded/grounded, perhaps that was around substations, or maybe I am remembering completely wrong. :?
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Just the AHJ's opinion that the fence fabric is not a suitable support....remember everything has to be "approved".
I don't see anything in 250.4(A) that says the fence needs to be grounded, unless it is "likely to become energized". I don't think that is likely where conduit wiring methods are used.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
As far as I know zip ties are only suitable for securing and supporting flexible wiring methods.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Code reference please.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Someone's preference does not make for a code requirement, although I must admit I am not real thrilled with the idea of using the fence fabric itself to support the conduit or using tie wraps to support conduit.
Not saying there is a code issue to doing so, but I would want to think about it some more before I said yea or nay.
And even the inspector's preference does not count for much.
The inspector just is not the AHJ so has no say in what is or is not approved. he may think he does, and act like he does, and some contractors may think it works that way, but it doesn't. now in the real world some things are worth fighting over and some are not.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
If the fence were falling down I would agree with you. However please find a chain link fence in good repair and run head long into the fence fabric. I believe you will find it is very solid and makes for a good support for conduit. Zip ties (that are proper to use for this purpose) are UV resistant just like UV resistant conduit which is allowed outside. They are very strong. I believe I have seen them used as handcuffs when rounding up large groups of criminals.
Not sure how it is in the rest of the world, but the chief inspector here is the AHJ.
Agree. Last year I changed a panel and got red tagged. The inspector wrote he didn't like the way I did a couple of things. I (politely) countered that regardless of his personal opinions, the installation was code compliant. He said he would check with his boss and get back to me. His boss corrected him and he changed the result to pass.
- Location
- Massachusetts
If I was an inspector I might cite 300.11 if I did not feel the fence fabric gave good support.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Funny story told to me by a mechanical guy: He gets pulled over and has some heavy duty zip ties in the back seat. Officer wants to know why he has handcuffs in the car.
- Location
- Massachusetts
More likely an authorized representative of the AHJ.
The AHJ is the person or group that adopts the NEC.
- Status