Mix and Match Conductors

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Rai136926

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Contractor is using South wire for phase conductor and could not obtain ground wire from the same manufacturer. Is it ok for the ground conductor to be other than South wire?
 
I would bet there have been times that I have used a different manufacturers wire for every conductor in the pull.

Roger
 
Rai136926 said:
Contractor is using South wire for phase conductor and could not obtain ground wire from the same manufacturer. Is it ok for the ground conductor to be other than South wire?
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This is a job spec issue. If southwire was submitted and approved and product B was not then an issue could be made. NEC does not prohibit this in the least. Im with Roger. It happens especially when using up leftovers from other jobs.
 
Rai136926 said:
Contractor is using South wire for phase conductor and could not obtain ground wire from the same manufacturer. Is it ok for the ground conductor to be other than South wire?
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The only concern I would ever think would exist, is if you sized conduits ambitiously based on manufacturer diameters, instead of NEC wire diameters. And the substitution is such that it makes it a show stopper. Why you would do this to begin with, I cannot possibly imagine.

Given that it is all manufactured to the same designation anyway, there should be no concern mixing it.

It is a concern in parallel conductors if you have one set run as THWN-2 and another set run as XHHW-2. But mixing Southwire THWN-2 and Encore THWN-2 in the same feeder, no matter what purposes they are respectively serving, is not a problem.
 
luckylerado said:
This is a job spec issue. If southwire was submitted and approved and product B was not then an issue could be made. NEC does not prohibit this in the least. Im with Roger. It happens especially when using up leftovers from other jobs.
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Ding Ding! If something goes wrong with these conductors then the contractor that installed them is liable for the damages. If all conductors were submitted and approved by an engineer and something goes wrong, the engineer is liable for the damages. It's a liability issue, nothing else.
 
jeremy.zinkofsky said:
Ding Ding! If something goes wrong with these conductors then the contractor that installed them is liable for the damages. If all conductors were submitted and approved by an engineer and something goes wrong, the engineer is liable for the damages. It's a liability issue, nothing else.
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We typically take exception, as part of the bid process, to specs that call for specific brands of generic items like conduit and wire.
 
jumper said:
Ooops. Sorry.:)
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Nah, I'm just joking. Go ahead and give them ideas, but I don't see this particular one as a practical requirement.


I think what really would be needed for parallel conductors, is a tolerance on just how dissimilar the length can be. There are many cases where you can try your hardest to get them the same length, but they still are slightly different in practice.
 
jeremy.zinkofsky said:
Ding Ding! If something goes wrong with these conductors then the contractor that installed them is liable for the damages. If all conductors were submitted and approved by an engineer and something goes wrong, the engineer is liable for the damages. It's a liability issue, nothing else.
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Many times for items like wire, conduit, boxes, etc... I will submit a number of manufacturers products, especially if more than one is listed in the specs, the reason being is that when I get ready to make the purchase I will send the package to multiple suppliers for competitive quotes and whoever is low will get the sale.

Roger
 
You might not need the same manufacturer, but be aware regarding speciality wire and how using two different types might void mfr warranty. Example: using lubricant on wires that are manufacturers to be pulled without lubricant - such as SimPull cable, would void their warranty because it can actually cause the wire to resist during the pull. So you wouldn't want to use treated cable, with untreated cable.
Just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
speak2jenni said:
You might not need the same manufacturer, but be aware regarding speciality wire and how using two different types might void mfr warranty. Example: using lubricant on wires that are manufacturers to be pulled without lubricant - such as SimPull cable, would void their warranty because it can actually cause the wire to resist during the pull. So you wouldn't want to use treated cable, with untreated cable.
Just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Welcome to the forum.

Is that really true about sim-pull? I know SouthWire says not to use lube but I thought that was just marketing. I can't see how adding lubrication can cause friction.
 
From Southwires Simpull instructions.

Cable Lubrication

Reducing the coefficient of friction is the primary factor in the selection of a lubricant. Compatibility
of the lubricant with cable and conduit is extremely important. The lubricant should not have any
deleterious effects on the conduit or on the physical or electrical properties of the cable insulation, or
jacket materials.
An estimate of the quantity of required lubricant can be determined:
Q = 0.0015
∙L∙D
where: Q = Quantity in gallons
L = The conduit length in feet
D = The inside diameter of the conduit in inches

Southwire Company’s SIMpull® products provide uniform pre-lubrication eliminating the need for messy
lubricants while assuring the same or lower pulling tensions as when adding lubricants during the
installation.
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Although not necessary it is not prohibited and would not affect the warranty

Roger
 
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