Well pump

[George Stolz]

Has anyone ever heard a requirement that the conduit protecting UF to a submersible well pump needs to be metallic conduit? I can't find anything on it, a friend of mine was cited for it.

I told him to ask for a reference on the red tag, and that it sounded like bunkus.

Any thoughts?

 

[rcarroll]

Re: Well pump

Home early today George? I don't believe that the pipe has to metallic or if it's even required unless there is alot of rocks & such in the ground. Ron

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Well pump

Possibly protection from severe physical damage?

 

[benaround]

Re: Well pump

George,
Are you saying that PVC conduit would not be passable by the inspector?
I'm goig to have to snoop around the "Book" for a bit, but I don't think so.

frank

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Well pump

Did i miss something ? UF is made for direct barrial,so any conduit is beyond requirements

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Well pump

Around these parts, the well connection is above the ground about two or three feet. Once the UF emerges from the ground it needs to be protected for physical damage. Schedule 80 PVC is generally sufficent for this purpose.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Well pump

Yeah, Ron, I finally got off on time!

The conduit is for physical protection. I'm hearing second hand, but my buddy Steve was thinking it had to do specifically with the well. I'd imagine if soil conditions were an issue, then the service lateral would have failed too.

 

[rcarroll]

Re: Well pump

Exactly, have a good weekend.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Well pump

Hey, you too.

 

[shortcircuit2]

Re: Well pump

I used ridged conduit on my last well for the above ground portion that connected to the well pipe...

I had a similar one I connected with pvc and the landscaper slammed it with the mower and snapped the pvc connector...

If the well is located in the middle of a grassy area, I will now use ridged metal conduit for physical protection above ground.

shortcircuit2

 

[mc5w]

Re: Well pump

Rigid steel conduit would also protect the well pump line from lightning as well. You should also run an external grounding electrode conductor because the well casing makes for a h#!! of a ground stake. The GEC would need to be in schedule 80 pvc. Where subject to mechanical damage could be protected by pressure treated wood guard strips or 2 galvanized conduits that are 1 size larger and installed as guard strips.

You do not want to run the GEC to the well casing in steel conduit. You would have a hard time bonding it and for practical purposes all of the grounding electrode current flows over the outside of the steel conduit.

One way implement the whole shebang is to use 1' GRC for the powerline, 3/4" schedule 80 PVC right next to the GRC for the grounding electrode conductor, then install a dummy length of 1" GRC on the other side of the PVC conduit. The GEC would need to be bonded using a copper only box lug ( preferably the direct burial kind that uses a bronze setscrew ) and a stainless steel bolt threaded into the casing and capped on the other side with a stainless hex nut and an acorn nut.

 

[pierre]

Re: Well pump

Mc5w

"You should also run an external grounding electrode conductor because the well casing makes for a h#!! of a ground stake. The GEC would need to be in schedule 80 pvc."

I do not think that you mean GEC, as the well is not one of the 7 permitted electrodes of 250.52(A)(1)-(7).
Grounding Electrode Conductors can only be installed to the seven permitted Grounding Electrodes.

 

[shortcircuit2]

Re: Well pump

Pierre...How is a metalic underground well casing not an electrode?

shortcircuit2

 

[pierre]

Re: Well pump

'02
"(7) Other Local Metal Underground Systems or
Structures. Other local metal underground systems or structures such as piping systems and underground tanks."

'05
"Other local metal underground systems or structures such as piping systems, underground tanks, and underground metal well casings that are not effectively bonded to a metal water pipe."

Shortcircuit
I just reread (7) and I believe you are correct.
Mc5w
good post.

I am always learning here... that is why I come here.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Well pump

S'pose the water line between the well and the house were copper. Running a GEC to BFE wouldn't really help anything, would it? You've already connected to that system within 5' of it's entrance to the building.

Bonding the casing to the EGC for the well pump per 250.112(M) seems sufficient to me...?

 

[shortcircuit2]

Re: Well pump

georgestolz...if there were a metalic water pipe connected to a metalic well casing, then you would be required to bond to the water pipe as it enters the building per code...so there is no need to run a separate bond to the well casing itself.

Bonding the well casing per 250.112(M) with the grounding conductor(which is extremely important) of the circuit feeding the pump is different than bonding the the?well casing per 250.50

Note that the well casing is not required to be part of the grounding electrode system... Although I find it to be one of the best electrodes in the Northeast because the 6" ridged metal casing is 20 ft+ deep, I have been told.

shortcircuit2

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Well pump

georgestolz...if there were a metalic water pipe connected to a metalic well casing, then you would be required to bond to the water pipe as it enters the building per code...so there is no need to run a separate bond to the well casing itself.

I think MC was describing just that.