Service Rigid Pipe

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Service Rigid Pipe

Bennie,
There is nothing in 366 that would permit unprotected conductors to extend 30' within a building.
Don

 

[bennie]

Re: Service Rigid Pipe

The reasoning for extending the auxiliary gutter to 30 feet was to allow a 10' by 10' electrical closet to permit service switches and panels on 3 of the walls.

Permitting 30 feet of enclosure suggests that 30 feet of service conductors will be installed.

 

[iwire]

Re: Service Rigid Pipe

Bennie 366.3 simple puts a limit to how far you can run auxiliary gutters, there is no such limit for EMT, PVC, RMC etc.

So following your reasoning if I use one of these methods I could run service conductors unlimited length inside a building.

It does not matter what method you use the disconnect must be nearest the point of entrance, how far we can push that is up to the AHJ.

366.3 Extension Beyond Equipment.
An auxiliary gutter shall not extend a greater distance than 9 m (30 ft) beyond the equipment that it supplements.

 

[Guest]

Re: Service Rigid Pipe

Originally posted by earlydean:
<snip> What we see in the pics are enclosures rated for outdoor use being embedded in the structure. <snip>

How do you mean? Are you saying they're not UL rated to be buried in the stucco or wall?

Residential main panels come four ways:
1. Surface only.
2. Flush only.
3. Semi-Flush only.
4. Surface with semi-flush adapter option.

#2, #3, & #4 are UL listed and designed to only go in the wall. The only way to pipe into them is in the wall.

Thanks to this forum I'm already squared away on the fact that supersurface SE meets the NEC. My comment above was to say that previous to this forum I did not know that SE supersurface was an NEC approved method. I didn't mean for anybody to take it personally or blow a gasket. Read my post again. I said "I stand corrected".

Are there any other states besides CA that use semi-flush or flush meter-mains, meter bases or meter-main/combos?

On a one-story house with a 2' overhang, with an overhead drop, the corner eave is about 9' off the ground. PoCo regulations require the drop to be 10' (or more) off the driveway. The only way to get it up is with a periscope. The periscope has to penetrate the roof membrane. We can't put a main breaker in the eave (too high-- must be 6'-7" or less) so we drop down to 6'-7" or less. Somebody said once you penetrate that roof membrane you're in the building envelope. What's the difference if it's in the wall, or outside of the wall if it's in RMC?

I'm not seeing the prohibition in the NEC, and in fact with the 6'-7" rule we have to drop down-- we can't put the main breaker in the eave.

Again, I see the NEC as being purposely vague and leaving the call to the AHJ about putting the pipe in the wall or going supersurface.

If you look at an electrical plan, the roof penetration and the disconnect will be zero feet apart if you drop straight down with the pipe. Getting back to the OP, that's probably why the AHJ in question is bi***ing about that 24" offset in the drop.

I'll have to study up on the CEC and see if there's any special amendment, but it's a non-issue for me.

 

[david]

Re: Service Rigid Pipe

I don?t know about your neck of the woods around here the over hang of a roof is not considered inside.

Sorry I see a difference between penetrating the overhang an running on the out side surface of a building verses penetrating the roof and running between the studs on the inside of a building.

I am not debating if this practice is unsafe apparently it works well in the sunshine state. I read the NEC AS requiring a disconnect and limiting unprotected service wires from running in the interior of a building.