PVC conduits in Bathroom and Kitchen Floors (wet areas)
- Thread starter Hatim
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JohnJ0906
Senior Member
- Location
- Baltimore, MD
Check out Article 352.
jeremysterling
Senior Member
- Location
- Austin, TX
I get the feeling this is a commercial kitchen. There may be specific installation requirements available from the AHJ.
This is an excerpt from the Texas food establishment code:
(1) Cleanability. Except as specified under paragraph (4) of this subsection, the floors, floor coverings, walls, wall coverings, and ceilings shall be designed, constructed, and installed so they are smooth and easily cleanable, except that antislip floor coverings or applications may be used for safety reasons.
(2) Floors, walls, and ceilings, utility lines.
(A) Utility service lines and pipes may not be unnecessarily exposed.
(B) Exposed utility service lines and pipes shall be installed so they do not obstruct or prevent cleaning of the floors, walls, or ceilings.
(C) Exposed horizontal utility service lines and pipes may not be installed on the floor.
This is an excerpt from the Texas food establishment code:
(1) Cleanability. Except as specified under paragraph (4) of this subsection, the floors, floor coverings, walls, wall coverings, and ceilings shall be designed, constructed, and installed so they are smooth and easily cleanable, except that antislip floor coverings or applications may be used for safety reasons.
(2) Floors, walls, and ceilings, utility lines.
(A) Utility service lines and pipes may not be unnecessarily exposed.
(B) Exposed utility service lines and pipes shall be installed so they do not obstruct or prevent cleaning of the floors, walls, or ceilings.
(C) Exposed horizontal utility service lines and pipes may not be installed on the floor.
Hi Mike
Is it allowed by NEC (or any other code) to run electrical PVC conduits in Bathroom and Kitchen Floors (wet areas). If yes, please provide reference of NEC or any other codes and if possible, the installation method too.
Regards,
Hatim
"In", or "on" the floor?..... I know I'm getting picky, but it makes a huge difference.
They laid the pvc conduits inside the floor, which will be covered with ceramic tiles....
This is purely residential building and they ran the pvc electrical conduits inside the floor of kitchens/bathrooms (the civil folks did the waterproofing of kitchen and bathroom as well). I just wanna make sure if it is allowed to run PVC electrical conduits in the floor and do we have to use different kind of cable/pvc electrical conduit in this situation.
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
This doesn't seem to be exposed to me. I don't see a problem.
OK, I'm gonna split some more hairs here... is the PVC under the concrete slab or in it? If it's under the slab, then it's fine. I don't know if it would be considered under the building (in reference to T300.5) if the pipe is installed either imbedded in the floor or laid into a chase or channel on the top of the floor. In this case, it may not be considered 'under' the building.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Are these service conduits or is this thread headed in the wrong direction? In or under the concrete slab, does it matter either way?
Someone ran PVC within a concrete slab, is it more complicated than that?
Someone ran PVC within a concrete slab, is it more complicated than that?
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
If the run is actually a service raceway, there is a major problem with 230.6, "Conductors shall be considered outside of a building or other structure under any of the following conditions:
(1) Where installed under not less than 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete beneath a building or other structure
(2) Where installed within a building or other structure in a raceway that is encased in concrete or brick not less than 50 mm (2 in.) thick"
(3) & (4) do not apply to this installation.
If the conductors are a feeder, I don't see a problem with the installation as described since it is essentially the same as being inside a wall cavity. :smile:
Although the OP doesn't mention whether or not it's the service, I'd assume by the wording of the question he's referring to branch circuits as he specifies the kitchen and bathroom.
It's exceedingly rare to have a kitchen and bath side-by-side (some codes prohibit it), so I'd say these are branch circuits. If it were the service, this means there's no basement, so where in a dwelling is the panel normally located if there's no basement? I'm just having a hard time envisioning a dwelling on a slab and having the service go under just the kitchen and a bath and have a logical location for the panel inside the house.
It's exceedingly rare to have a kitchen and bath side-by-side (some codes prohibit it), so I'd say these are branch circuits. If it were the service, this means there's no basement, so where in a dwelling is the panel normally located if there's no basement? I'm just having a hard time envisioning a dwelling on a slab and having the service go under just the kitchen and a bath and have a logical location for the panel inside the house.
Are these service conduits or is this thread headed in the wrong direction? In or under the concrete slab, does it matter either way?
Someone ran PVC within a concrete slab, is it more complicated than that?
All concrete slabs do not a wet location make.
There are a few unanswered questions ( is this a slab that is protected by a membrane ? is it a slab on pan deck in between floors ? ) the list goes on. Just because the kitchen or bath have water in them does not make them a "wet location" if it did you would have bigger problems such as mold, etc.
I don't see an issue with it either way wet or dry, it's pvc.
Last edited:
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Around here it is common to have a bath and kitchen share a wall, this wall usually is a 6" wall we call a plumbers wall, as for a panel location when a house doesn't have a basement, we install panels in garages, pantry's, laundry rooms, and sometimes even a bedroom or hallway.
as for the OP I agree with Charlie:grin:
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Charlie & Rob,
Please don't cry, I'm sure he meant you as well.
It's OK we're used to it. :wink:
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