Raceways To drain

[LarryFine]

It is true, typical black iron plumbing couplings have a tapered thread

When you do verify this, make sure it is a pipe coupling and not a so-called "thread protector", which has straight threads and essentially identical to an RMC coupling, with perhaps the exception of finish.

Then I will concede; I had the "thread protector" (I take this to be a criticism) in mind when picturing a straight-threaded coupling.

 

[kbsparky]

I've drilled a drain hole in the bottom of LB's ... but be warned that doing so can invite insects to clog `em up with mud, or other stuff that makes their nest.

Since I deal with a lot of outdoor disconnects, I've learned (the hard way) to give the pedestal a swift kick before opening, then step back and see how many wasps come flying out before opening.

One day in mid-september, it was a bit on the cool side, and early in the morning. I did my kicking thing with no activity. So, I opened the disconnect box and started my work. Lo and behold, there was a nest FULL of wasps, all congregated on top of the nest, trying to keep warm it would seem.

So I got out my torch, and heated them up quick (since they appeared to want to be warm) :grin: ... there was over 2 dozen of the buggers in there!

 

[hornetd]

Clearing out conduits

Clearing out conduits

I was working on a college dormitory near the American River in California. The job had been idled for two years because of budget constraints. Our first task was to clean out the conduits in the base slab on the parking level. The conduits were full of mud. We had tried water with no success and were resorting to high pressure air. As each pipe blew clear we would see one or more tiny frogs fly up in the air a few feet and hop away. A biology professor saw this and demanded that we stop at once. The foreman told him to go see the GC and would listen no further. By that afternoon we had the US fish and wildlife service there issuing cease and desist orders but luckily we had already cleared all the raceways. It turns out that these mud borrowing frogs that had taken up house keeping in our conduits were an endangered species. The only reason we did not get big fines out of the thing was that the professors own testimony was that at that time of year there were no eggs present in the borrows. I'll never forget those frogs popping several feet out of the ground.