Urd

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rwreuter said:
ok lets say I LB it into the house and pipe about 10' to the panel. worse case scenerio what could go wrong, what is UNSAFE about the installation? remember that there is a disconnect about 170' from the LB.
rw
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You have to stop thinking n terms of what is unsafe. You need to be thinking what is legal. Many of us pick the ones to worry about. Personally if the use-2 insulation was a rhw/rhh then I don't see why it would be a problem but 338.12 clearly states no seu cable interior. Now one may say it does not forbid USE-2. Tough one to call.

I try yo stay legal because I have found there are many reason I don't understand why a code is written a ceratin way. Simply because I don't get it is not enough to break the rule.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
You have to stop thinking n terms of what is unsafe. You need to be thinking what is legal. Many of us pick the ones to worry about. Personally if the use-2 insulation was a rhw/rhh then I don't see why it would be a problem but 338.12 clearly states no seu cable interior. Now one may say it does not forbid USE-2. Tough one to call.

I try yo stay legal because I have found there are many reason I don't understand why a code is written a ceratin way. Simply because I don't get it is not enough to break the rule.
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Well stated Dennis, and we all know you meant URD and not SEU ;)
 
it is the "legal" thingy that bothers me.....

why? as many of you know the NEC says one thing but the local law that has jursidiction overrides it ALL the time. there are several NEC specific items that the AHJ decides not to adopt, so therefore if you violate the NEC you have not violated the law.

the AHJ can do whatever it wants, right or wrong in the eyes of the NEC. here is just one example and this is taken from their web site:

"The City will NOT require the expanded use of arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCI). "

http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/OCI/2008NEC.htm


or better yet this is taken from their own electrical code:

"Section 19.12.050 Services
A. Service Length. Unfused service entrance conductors shall not be xtended more than fifteen feet inside any building."

from reading that in applying 338.12, their own rule violated the NEC. Most unfused SEC's that are in use are of the USE type. correct me if i am wrong.

the way i am interpreting is that i can go from a power pole or meter (can't remember if a meter is considered fused or not), LB into a structure not to exceed 15' (sch80 PVC, if suseptable to physicall damage) and then land on a set of lugs in some type of load center.

it perplexes me.




rw
 
Service entrance conductors can be most any conductor that is recognized by chapter 3 wiring methods and some cable assemblies (I know NM cable is one that is not permitted) as long as all other requirements related to that conductor type are met.

If a conductor is not rated for use inside of a building it can not enter the building. It can supply the building and terminate on the exterior and change to another type that is allowed inside. If you do not wish to have a transition point you need to have a conductor that is rated for both inside wiring as well as outside (and underground in your case). A URD cable with USE/RHW/RHH ratings marked on it meet all of these requirements. If your suppliers are not selling them it is not because they are not available it is because there is no demand for them.

My suppliers almost exclusively stock these types only. A few years ago they did not. When inspectors started to notice that most people were using URD as an entrance cable and it was not listed for indoors they started making installers correct this. Because of this there was a demand for the indoor rating so the suppliers started buying it. Yes it did cost a little more at that time.
 
good explanation!!!!

now, if the wire isn't exposed to physical damage does it need to be placed in some type of conduit?


rw
 
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