live wires in pvc pipe

[bluejay]

My plumber friend used a pvc cutter to cut a 2" "white in color" water pipe as he thought, it contained 3-3/0 live wires. He knows that electric wires should be run with gray pvc. Is there a device/meter/tool that he could have clamped around the pvc pipe to let him know it wasn't water inside the white pipe?

thanks

 

[BPoindexter]

Bluejay,

Without going into the whole thing about wire in water piping and not in listed conduit- if you want something that will check for voltage present in a non-metallic pipe then these night work (but would never guarantee 100% accurate results) :

http://www.fluke.com/Fluke/usen/Ele...trical-Testers/Fluke-VoltAlerts.htm?PID=56200

And just as a note just because it is white does not mean it is "water pipe". There is (or at least used to be) white conduit for communications use.

 

[jeremysterling]

That voltmeter would not have helped if the pipe was a live natural gas pipe. I try not to assume I know whats running in anything that I don't know for sure.

 

[jxofaltrds]

My plumber friend used a pvc cutter to cut a 2" "white in color" water pipe as he thought, it contained 3-3/0 live wires. He knows that electric wires should be run with gray pvc. Is there a device/meter/tool that he could have clamped around the pvc pipe to let him know it wasn't water inside the white pipe?

thanks

Why would he cut a pipe that he did not know what it was? Or is he like the doctor that cuts off the wrong body part?

 

[jxofaltrds]

Bluejay,

Without going into the whole thing about wire in water piping and not in listed conduit- if you want something that will check for voltage present in a non-metallic pipe then these night work (but would never guarantee 100% accurate results) :

http://www.fluke.com/Fluke/usen/Ele...trical-Testers/Fluke-VoltAlerts.htm?PID=56200

And just as a note just because it is white does not mean it is "water pipe". There is (or at least used to be) white conduit for communications use.

And Radon.

 

[zbang]

Why would he cut a pipe that he did not know what it was?

As the OP said: "white in color" water pipe as he thought,. Hmm, looks like a water pipe, it's in the right place to be a water pipe, those are plumbing fittings... Should he trace the pipe back to the source to see if it's really water?

 

[jxofaltrds]

As the OP said: "white in color" water pipe as he thought,. Hmm, looks like a water pipe, it's in the right place to be a water pipe, those are plumbing fittings... Should he trace the pipe back to the source to see if it's really water?

YES!