Hand Holes

[Alwayslearningelec]

The attached pic has a half shaded(square) hand hole for fire alarm. There is conduit and fa cable that enter and exits it. I have two questions.

What is the purpose of hand holes? Is it for access?
Whenever you come into a hand hole do you always splice or can the wire just run right through?

Thanks as always.

 

[Volta]

The attached pic has a half shaded(square) hand hole for fire alarm. There is conduit and fa cable that enter and exits it. I have two questions.

What is the purpose of hand holes? Is it for access?

Yes. Ungerground conduits automatically lose ~180 degrees of bends, so the run in your drawing probably has at least 225 degrees minimum in it already, so a good point to pull from, or splice.

Whenever you come into a hand hole do you always splice or can the wire just run right through?

Thanks as always.

Either or both.

 

[MichaelGP3]

.....Whenever you come into a hand hole do you always splice or can the wire just run right through?

Thanks as always.

Preferable for the wire to run straight through. Up to you as to whether to leave a loop in order to make future splicing possible.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

Can someone explain the process/setup/ whata involved(kinda step by step) how the wire pulling works when you have a long run(maybe several hundred feet) and a few hand holes. Thanks very much.

 

[Volta]

Depends. If the crew pulling the wire didn't install the raceway, then it is raining, one string is missing, one broke trying to get it to budge, and the handhole that got buried is unearthed to show broken PVC stubs.

Those get fixed with the string in place only to realize that the line still won't move. So you send in fishtapes from each direction and narrow the problem down to a section that the cement trucks were driving over for weeks.

That gets dug up, the broken PVC section replaced, and you load up and go home for the night hoping tomorrow is better.



But if the pulling crew installed it, then the birds are chirping, the jokes are funny, and the wires don't tangle. The boss got long pieces so no splices are needed and you finished early but got paid for the whole day.


Your mileage may vary :grin:.

 

[Okie Sparky]

But if the pulling crew installed it, then the birds are chirping, the jokes are funny, and the wires don't tangle. The boss got long pieces so no splices are needed and you finished early but got paid for the whole day.


Your mileage may vary :grin:.

Somebody is hallucinating!

 

[iwire]

Yes. Ungerground conduits automatically lose ~180 degrees of bends,

 

[Smart $]

While other possibilities exist, he is saying the conduit run requires a 90? upturn at each handhole termination, thus leaving only another 180? for changing direction in the balance of the run.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

Can't you enter a handhole right from the side(straight in)?

 

[chris kennedy]

Can't you enter a handhole right from the side(straight in)?

Sure, but in order to meet the requirements of 300.5, your looking at a large $500 hand hole.

 

[Volta]

Sure, but in order to meet the requirements of 300.5, your looking at a large $500 hand hole.

Yeah, it looks like the run goes under a driveway or similar just to the left of the FA hand hole, so you're a couple feet down.

 

[chris kennedy]

Yeah, it looks like the run goes under a driveway or similar just to the left of the FA hand hole, so you're a couple feet down.

760.3 tells me 300.5 does not apply so there in no guaranty that conduit is 2' down.

 

[Volta]

Ok, thanks. I have to start reading again, that is the second 7xx.3 I've been wrong on in two days :roll:.

 

[Volta]

I do see in 760.32 that a PLFA circuit extending beyond one building and run outdoors either shall meet the installation requirements of Parts II, III, and IV of Article 800 or the instalation requirements of Part I of Article 300.

Art. 800 parts may be hard to comply with, though some grounding of protectors, which you may want anyhow, otherwise might be 24" below grade into the left side of that hand hole after all .