pipe or uf in barns?

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klineelectric

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FL
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electrical contractor
One county lets us wire barns that have exposed/open trusses (no ceiling} with uf wire and sleeve down from ceiling to weatherproof boxes (switch/outlets) with weatherproof covers in pvc. The next county over says ALL wiring must be in pipe and have dustproof enclosures. The barns are on residential property, not commercial. Some are typical pole barns and some are concrete block and truss. I understand that PVC or any pipe would be better, but most homeowners here only see the lowest bid price when picking their contractors. What section of code should I look under to find the code compliant way?
 
When I have done barns in the past, I sleeved the wire in EMT where it's subject to physical damage. This includes being gnawed on by a horse. If a county has a requirement that all exposed wiring methods must be in conduit, then so be it. Do your installation properly.
 
klineelectric said:
One county lets us wire barns that have exposed/open trusses (no ceiling} with uf wire and sleeve down from ceiling to weatherproof boxes (switch/outlets) with weatherproof covers in pvc. The next county over says ALL wiring must be in pipe and have dustproof enclosures. The barns are on residential property, not commercial. Some are typical pole barns and some are concrete block and truss. I understand that PVC or any pipe would be better, but most homeowners here only see the lowest bid price when picking their contractors. What section of code should I look under to find the code compliant way?
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That is what 98% of homeowners do on all jobs.

Dennis Alwon said:
Article 547 is what you want specifically 547.5
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This is where you need to start. I would ask for local amendments to 547. If there are none then its time to start asking questions to the state.

jxofaltrds said:
I'm being mean again.

Are you bidding the lowest price or the best job?

I lose work because I bid it as if my mother lived there.
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Just remember your mom doesnt live every where and has a rich son who just happens to do elect. work;)
 
I'd say pipe, but that's just personal preference. It's nice when it's there if you need to add anything. And I would use the metal bubble covers, depending on where they are and what's in the barn. Horses, goats, and sheep tend to be nibblers, cows not so much, but they can be kickers, though if a cow kicks it, it probably wouldn't matter much what it was made of.
 
ceb58 said:
That is what 98% of homeowners do on all jobs.


This is where you need to start. I would ask for local amendments to 547. If there are none then its time to start asking questions to the state.



Just remember your mom doesnt live every where and has a rich son who just happens to do elect. work;)
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good suggestions.
 
jxofaltrds said:
I'm being mean again.

Are you bidding the lowest price or the best job?

I lose work because I bid it as if my mother lived there.
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I find it hard to do a lowest price job because it always lowers quality as well. Whats the old saying...do a good job and the customer will tell 1 or 2 people about you......but do a bad job and they will tell 10. Its a no win when you have pride and principles.:roll:
 
paul said:
When I have done barns in the past, I sleeved the wire in EMT where it's subject to physical damage. This includes being gnawed on by a horse. If a county has a requirement that all exposed wiring methods must be in conduit, then so be it. Do your installation properly.
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I've noticed the emt doesnt hold up, in the older barns that i go in to do work where emt was originally used it has rusted inside and out. It probably lasts as long or longer than pvc so 6 in one half dozen in the other.
 
paul said:
When I have done barns in the past, I sleeved the wire in EMT where it's subject to physical damage. This includes being gnawed on by a horse. If a county has a requirement that all exposed wiring methods must be in conduit, then so be it. Do your installation properly.
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You do not put anything electrical within reach of large animals such as horses, pigs, or cows. If you have to for some reason RMC is the only thing that will hold up - and they sometimes destroy it too.

About the only thing I have done this with is for existing water tank heaters where the original underground supply has failed, the ground is frozen and they need it running now. Otherwise nothing is installed within reach of an animal including what they can reach if they climb on a fence, feeder, water tank, or anything else.
 
ericsherman37 said:
HAHAHA!! I don't know why, but this struck me as the funniest thing I've read in a long time.
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Must have struck you just right. :)

Horses "cribbing" is the common mode of failure for fence-posts, barn pillars, etc. It's reasonable to assume that they'd chew on some UF out of boredom, too.
 
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