# PVC water pipe as conduit



## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

It's not a code violation to install UF cable in non-electrical pipe.


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

wireman64 said:


> It works don't it . Looks stupid, hack and crappy no offsets . There's 14-2 uf coming off 30 amp single pole breaker, this was part of a 20,000 dollar basement reno, looked like maybe 500 dollars at the most, these people got robbed !!! I have pics of the other "work" these idiots did. I'll post in another thread.


Oops forgot pics


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Oh, well that's definitely a violation. :laughing:


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

Peter D said:


> It's not a code violation to install UF cable in non-electrical pipe.


If your sleeving it right ? This crap ran back to the panel with water fittings


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

wireman64 said:


> If your sleeving it right ?


Yeah.


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

wireman64 said:


> If your sleeving it right ? This crap ran back to the panel with water fittings


I still won't do it even if im only sleeving


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

wireman64 said:


> I still won't do it even if im only sleeving


It's only legal if you sleeve it that way underground. It would require a code legal raceway for the installation in your picture.


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

i think the greenfield connector on the box is the only illegal thing, had the used a ta it would be ok!


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

Saw a white hex nipple next to an instrument in a gas plant about a month ago.. Went up and checked.. It was a plumbing 3/4" hex nipple...

EYS Seals "poured" with silicone? Poured with SC4 kit epoxy (stopped the guy that was going to do that one)? Poured (well maybe more so packed) with SC65 epoxy putty..


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## vabac (Sep 13, 2012)

maybe the person is a plumber;


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

vabac said:


> maybe the person is a plumber;


Nope, just stupid


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

IMO, this thread at MH is the best one for pics of pvc plumbing pipe used in an industrial plant- totally unbelieveable.

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=133399&highlight=plumbing+pipe Scroll thru the thread-- first page and last page


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Here is one pic--


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## vabac (Sep 13, 2012)

I don't know what to say. This is unbelievable; I am telling you, this must have been don by a "handyman/plumber" who thinks he knows how to do electrical work; definitely not an "Electrician". All I can say is, Wow! let me say that backwards, woW...


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

Dennis Alwon said:


> IMO, this thread at MH is the best one for pics of pvc plumbing pipe used in an industrial plant- totally unbelieveable.
> 
> http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=133399&highlight=plumbing+pipe Scroll thru the thread-- first page and last page


Wow , how the hell did anyone believe this was right! Thanks for the link dennis


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

I could take pics for days and days of this crap. Routine around Alabama and Mississippi. Their is an overhead meter fed underground with four plumbers 90's. I have been meaning to stop, trespass and tell the folks how stupid they electrician is. Fraid I might get shot tho.


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## Mshea (Jan 17, 2011)

Definitely a fail in Canada. We do have an exception that allows non electrical raceways for mechanical protection but the wire or cable inside must be fully approved to be there without the raceway. 

A typical installation might be for street lighting. A ditch witch installs polyethylene pipe (water hose) for street lighting. A tractor plus a plow that directly buries a poly pipe. Later a civil contractor comes and installs a bunch of concreted lamp standards and finally the city workers come and install cables or wires approved for direct burial into the poly. The poly is there only to protect the cables and to allow them to be installed without a ditch, sand, inspection, etc. The cables must be approved without a raceway. So only cables and wires approved for direct burial. I don't know if the US has an RW90 wire with a jacket and without. With a jacket and the wires can be installed direct in the ground without the jacket the wire must be inside an electrical raceway.
This installation is not compliant and I would order it corrected or order it disconnected.

Now from a pragmatic perspective i have some trouble with this but it is a minor point. The water pipe PVC is the same as the Electrical PVC except for the colour. The bends of course are not. All electrical raceways are to be complete before the wire is installed so it is obvious that cannot be done with plumbing elbows. so While the electrical and water products may be chemically identical. they are treated differently by trades people

Is it a safety issue? Yes absolutely. Plumber sees water pipe and shuts off the water to add a sink. Cuts the pipe with a hacksaw and goes to the morgue instead of getting wet. Electrical PVC is grey for a good reason


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

I believe they make an elec grade o that pipe that gets installed with a plow!

Also ive seen my share of h20 pipe as elec theres a service outside my town thats in white pipe with plumb 90s i keep forgettig to stop and take a pic


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

denny3992 said:


> I believe they make an elec grade o that pipe that gets installed with a plow!


HDPE conduit can be plowed in.


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

I've posted this here before. Not far from me


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

Hippie said:


> I've posted this here before. Not far from me


They couldn't move the pvc over ?


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

wireman64 said:


> They couldn't move the pvc over ?


I've tried and tried to come up with the reasoning behind this, its baffling why. Same with the pictures on the Mike Holt thread, it seems like it would have been twice as hard and expensive as doing it with normal conduit


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## jimmy21 (Mar 31, 2012)

At least they saved some money going with the lowest bidder :lol:


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

jimmy21 said:


> At least they saved some money going with the lowest bidder :lol:


Haha yeah


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Grey spray paint? :jester:


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## wireman64 (Feb 2, 2012)

LARMGUY said:


> Grey spray paint? :jester:


I guess i can now spray paint 14-2 yellow and its good for 20 amps ! All the times that would of helped .... No


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Dennis Alwon said:


> IMO, this thread at MH is the best one for pics of pvc plumbing pipe used in an industrial plant- totally unbelieveable.
> 
> http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=133399&highlight=plumbing+pipe Scroll thru the thread-- first page and last page


I was looking at your link and I almost fell off the chair and ya guys whomever got he photo really blew my mind something we never done that far like that and I am pretty safe that one of the dolts did topped one of our european hacks.

Merci,
Marc


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## mikestew (Apr 18, 2011)

The real difference other than color is electrical sch40 is uv resistant, water pipe generally is not.


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