Huh?

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infinity

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Location
New Jersey
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My guess is that they used it as a chase to get power to an upper floor. You might find a similar setup where the pipe enters the attic from below.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
My guess is that they used it as a chase to get power to an upper floor. You might find a similar setup where the pipe enters the attic from below.

Sad thing is there is probably a chase around this waste pipe that would be easier to fish through than drilling the waste pipe:slaphead:
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
Is it safe to conclude that this does not meet NEC?

If the drain pipe is no longer being used as a drain, it could concieveibly be used as a chase for a conduit.

However, IMO, looking at that picture, there is no code compliant they could have conduit ran inside the pipe. I'm assuming they just stopped the conduit where it enters the pipe, and they pulled wire through the drain pipe.

So, no, not legal.
 

infinity

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Location
New Jersey
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Journeyman Electrician
There is no way that this is code compliant. For one thing you've destroyed the integrity of the sewer line. Secondly if the sewer pipe became clogged below this point the sewage would back up and come out of the conduit body creating not only a mess but a potential health hazard.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
There is no way that this is code compliant. For one thing you've destroyed the integrity of the sewer line. Secondly if the sewer pipe became clogged below this point the sewage would back up and come out of the conduit body creating not only a mess but a potential health hazard.

Which could still happen to an actual drain pipe tapped to the same point should there be a clog.
 

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Which could still happen to an actual drain pipe tapped to the same point should there be a clog.

Although this is an old cast iron pipe the entire system is supposed to be watertight. A good plumbing inspection would require you to cap off all outlets and fill the entire system with water by inserting a hose in the top of the vent on the roof. There should be no leaks.
 

texie

Senior Member
Location
Fort Collins, Colorado
Occupation
Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
Wow, just when you think you've seen it all! Even if it is just a vent I see all kinds of plumbing and electrical violations. Also all kinds of practical reasons why this is a dumb idea.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Although this is an old cast iron pipe the entire system is supposed to be watertight. A good plumbing inspection would require you to cap off all outlets and fill the entire system with water by inserting a hose in the top of the vent on the roof. There should be no leaks.


OK how about something reasonable tapped into that line, if you tapped into that line (maybe a little lower than these raceways) and connected a sink drain nearby, and the cast iron pipe were to become plugged it will back up into the sink unless some kind of back flow device is installed.. that is what I was getting at before.

And don't forget to cap off all outlets if pressure testing with that method. I did that once a long time ago thinking I could clear a clog - it backed up into the dishwasher and when it was opened ... lets just say there was a lot of water in it.


I thought something like that, too. Level or flow switches or sensors of some sort.

Maybe but there would probably be more to it than just a raceway fitting entering the pipe.
 

maghazadeh

Senior Member
Location
Campbell CA
I thought something like that, too. Level or flow switches or sensors of some sort.

I think you all got it wrong,:ashamed:(except for K8MHZ, and mayanees that are kind of close):huh:. I think this is mostlikely a rental unit and the owner decided to charge the renters by the amount of crap they are putting in to the system. So IMO the conduit entries are for some sort of monitoring system.:lol::lol::lol:
 
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