Stevenfyeager
Senior Member
- Location
- United States, Indiana
- Occupation
- electrical contractor
I run 4/0 3 wire AL URD in pvc to provide extra protection. Anything wrong with this ? 21/2" pvc from an in ground splicebox to a house meter. Thank you
URD in conduit
- Thread starter Stevenfyeager
- Start date
- Status
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
isn't the point of URd to avoid having to use conduit? why not just run wires if you are going to the trouble to install pvc
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
What type of conductor is the URD?
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
I believe URD is cheaper but gophers still
like to chew on it.
And to to the local competitor that does not use conduit, thank you. We will make more money (profit) replacing two year old lateral than we would have had we wired the whole house.
like to chew on it.
And to to the local competitor that does not use conduit, thank you. We will make more money (profit) replacing two year old lateral than we would have had we wired the whole house.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
This is fine as long as it is actually marked as an nec wire type (usually use-2 and rhh-2).
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
URD is phase marked, cabled and ready to go. It's also cheaper than buying individual conductors, and pulls very easily. It's all I use now when I have the chance.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Sounds fine, as long as the wire does not emerge from grade other than to connect to a meter socket.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
To expand and be complete:
1. If only marked use-2, can only be used as peter d said above.
2. If also marked rhh-2, can also be used inside, or run a significant distance above grade outside.
3. Must be marked sunight resistant to use exposed such as at a weather head.
4. Must be marked "totally awsome rad super duper wire" to be used above ground without conduit.
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
We keep a big reel of this at the shop at all times. Ours is dual rated RHH RHW, etc and we use in for service laterals in conduit or for overhead masts. You don't really need anything else for a 200 amp residential service if you have this stuff.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Current price (online, if I call might get a little better) from one of my supply houses is 2.00 a foot for "Sweetbriar" (4/0,4/0,2/0) with compact stranded conductors and USE/RHW/RHH rated.
2/0 XHHW is .53 a foot and 4/0 XHHW is .73 a foot so about the same price for conductor either way, but less handling of the Sweetbriar when you pull it off the reel in one shot. The triplex also seems to pull easier then three individual conductors most of the time.
2/0 XHHW is .53 a foot and 4/0 XHHW is .73 a foot so about the same price for conductor either way, but less handling of the Sweetbriar when you pull it off the reel in one shot. The triplex also seems to pull easier then three individual conductors most of the time.
shortcircuit2
Senior Member
- Location
- South of Bawstin
Are we saying URD can't enter a building?
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
What we use has a dual rating. Check the marking on the jacket. Cow and Kwire probably use the same.
i believe it has to do with smoke and/or flame spread so, Yes, that is what he is saying. Local exceptions may allow a short distance.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Conductors only marked USE can not enter a building. Conductors marked with a type mentioned in 310.104 can be used within buildings. There are URD assemblies with USE only type conductors and there are URD assemblies with conductor types mentioned in 310.104. Most common I have seen either are straight USE rated or have three ratings USE, RHW, RHH, I imagine there could be others. This is no different then a conductor marked THHN, THWN, THWN-2, it can be used anywhere those designations are allowed or at different ampacity levels if any of those types designate different levels.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
$70 worth of conduit would have saved them about $2000.
- Status