When is detectable tape used?

B

brycenesbitt

Senior Member
Location
United States
Looking for an update on detectable tape.

A trenching subcontractor is saying detectable tape is needed on top of 1" PVC conduit 24" deep under a commercial asphalt parking lot.
Are people doing detectable tape, or regular warning tape, for such an installation?
 
No required by NEC , not a bad idea if can get installed about 6” down. If your tape is on top of the conduit it serves no purpose. The wires in the conduit can be used with a locator.
I have seen excavators take out conduit with the tape hanging out the side of the ditch.
 
Warning ribbons are requires for direct buried service conductors and cables. Detectable tape is not required.

{300.5(D)(3)}
 
infinity said:
Warning ribbons are requires for direct buried service conductors and cables. Detectable tape is not required.

{300.5(D)(3)}
Click to expand...
Well, that's interesting. I thought service conductors were always the responsibility of the POCO and that POCO stuff was outside the scope of the NEC; they have their own IEEE standards.

But then this is what the NEC defines as a Service Conductor: The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.

And Service Point: The point of connection between the facilities of the serving utility and the premises wiring. Informational Note: The service point can be described as the point of demarcation between where the serving utility ends and the premises wiring begins. The serving utility generally specifies the location of the service point based on the conditions of service.

So basically if the point of demarcation is ahead of the meter base, then 300.5(D)(3) applies.
 
BarryO said:
Well, that's interesting. I thought service conductors were always the responsibility of the POCO and that POCO stuff was outside the scope of the NEC; they have their own IEEE standards.
Click to expand...
Yes the service point location can vary depending on the POCO. Around here if you had an underground service to a pole the service point would be at the pole so the electrician would be responsible from the meter to the service point.
 
infinity said:
Warning ribbons are requires for direct buried service conductors and cables. Detectable tape is not required.

{300.5(D)(3)}
Click to expand...
I run into a lot of electricians and inspectors that think the warning tape is required for all underground conduits.

It isn't a bad idea, but as you point out, isn't required.

I had an inspector tell me I needed detectable warning tape above the conduit going to a residential well....I 'got away' with regular tape - it was in the truck so I didn't mind installing it. I forget if I made him aware it wasn't required at all.
 
JohnE said:
I run into a lot of electricians and inspectors that think the warning tape is required for all underground conduits.
Click to expand...
It is not required for any conduits by the NEC. The POCO may have there own requirements.
 
BarryO said:
Well, that's interesting. I thought service conductors were always the responsibility of the POCO and that POCO stuff was outside the scope of the NEC; they have their own IEEE standards.

But then this is what the NEC defines as a Service Conductor: The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.

And Service Point: The point of connection between the facilities of the serving utility and the premises wiring. Informational Note: The service point can be described as the point of demarcation between where the serving utility ends and the premises wiring begins. The serving utility generally specifies the location of the service point based on the conditions of service.

So basically if the point of demarcation is ahead of the meter base, then 300.5(D)(3) applies.
Click to expand...
There are two types of underground "service" conductors, but only one type is covered by the NEC.
Service Lateral.
The underground conductors between the utility electric supply system and the service point. (CMP-10)
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Service Conductors, Underground. (Underground Service Conductors)
The underground conductors between the service point and the first point of connection to the service-entrance conductors in a terminal box, meter, or other enclosure, inside or outside the building wall. (CMP-10)
Click to expand...
The service lateral is provided by the utility and not subject to the rules in the NEC, but underground service conductors are provided and installed by the electrical contractor and covered by the rules in the NEC.
Our utility changed the service point for underground commercial services from the line side of the meter to the secondary terminals in their pad mount transformer a couple of decades ago.
 
I know code overall in not about "what if's", but personally would recommend not necessarily enforce marking and even traceable tapes for most any underground wiring as I've seen too many ripped up wiring by someone trying to find or do something else. Even calling 811 is no guaranty against hitting something so having a way to locate and mitigate by seeing the tape before hitting the wire is best.
 
brycenesbitt said:
The OP project is a private lot, so calling 811 would no nothing at all! Nobody will mark those post-POCO underground conduits.
Click to expand...
While the 811 or other one call locators won't, there are plenty of companies that the contractor can hire to do non-utility locates.
 
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