RW90 #3 copper struck by drill in PVC

[powerplay]

Hello,

I got a call when someone drilled through an concrete Foundation for rebar to tie into on an sidewalk. The two unfused hot conductors and green bond exiting the Electric Meter melted the drill bit in the pvc conduit that were in the foundation causing smoke and possibly melted the conduit below grade. I had been told that burning plastics that leave the black residue and water eventually form hydrochloric acid that could damage the underground RW90 conductors.

Would it be acceptable to have sealed the hole in the concrete foundation with polyurethane, and pulled in new wires under the circumstances?

We chose to put an fused Disconnect Switch directly behind the Meter, to run cable through the Attic to refeed the existing Panel in the Garage 30’ away that had been previousely been fed from the damaged Conduit underground.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Buck Parrish]

It wouldn't be enough Hydrochloric Acid to harm, if any, it would likely be a momentary gas that would dissipate very quickly.

Most people would have wanted to cut the bad part of the conduit out. If not possible, what you done was reasonable.

 

[infinity]

IMO if you can even get the damaged conductors out then the conduit is probably fine. If the conductors and the PVC are one melted blob under the concrete then you would need to repair the PVC. If you had a ball and brush that would tell you if the PVC was still intact with the exception of the drill hole. I would remove the conductors, ball/brush the PVC, pull in new conductors and seal the hole.