Underground electric/drainage question

[yanmars]

I typed that in wrong. I got a deal on 4 inch PVC so bought it, the electric company only requires 3 inch but the 4 was cheap and available so I bought that.

 

[hube2]

PVC pipe is used underground here . Metal pipe would rot away In our soils…..not even allowed to be used. Guess different states could require different materials.

PVC is required here as well, and it also needs to be sealed with PVC cement, so actually water getting into the line should not be an issue of you seal it. But stone is not required, just the warning tape above it. This is what they did when they buried the line from my solar array to the house.

I would make the trench wider and put the drain next to the line and not above it. I am not up on the code for this but I'm guessing that there isn't supposed to be anything above it in case you need to get to it. I'd check with whoever will inspect it. If inspection is not needed then... well, I'd do whatever I wanted to do.

 

[LD1]

If your worried about water around the conduit....the tile needs to be under or beside it. Not above

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Around here we are allowed to put water line over or beside the electrical as long as it is 12" away. But the power has to be on bottom if it is stacked. So I would assume drain tile would be fine?

 

[bigtiller]

I would want my drainage tile far away from my electric service line. One or the other may need servicing someday.

FYI - for every foot the tile is deep, it will draw water up to 10 feet from either side, but nothing below it.

 

[grsthegreat]

No matter if you glue electrical conduit or not…
water will get in pipe. Always has, always will. The wires used wont be affected by water. I always pull URD wires in, thats what our inspectors want. Not affected by water.

XHHW rated wire is also great to use in conduit. Thinner insulation than urd, but also waterproof.

 

[ovrszd]

It doesn’t matter if conduit or cables get wet, or ends up being flooded.
Unless you need to install drainage for some other reasons, it’s unnecessary.
Plus, will tile above the conduit really effect the water table under it?

I'm with you. And if I were going to use the drainage tile I would place it under the conduit. Over the conduit will do very little if any good.

 

[tshep]

gsr is right.
VA Master Electrician - I was taught UG will always/eventually fill from condensation if nothing else.

If you just wanna' share the trench for other reasons, fine, but you won't prevent condensation, much less the other possibilities.

 

[lman]

PVC is required here as well, and it also needs to be sealed with PVC cement, so actually water getting into the line should not be an issue of you seal it. But stone is not required, just the warning tape above it. This is what they did when they buried the line from my solar array to the house.

I would make the trench wider and put the drain next to the line and not above it. I am not up on the code for this but I'm guessing that there isn't supposed to be anything above it in case you need to get to it. I'd check with whoever will inspect it. If inspection is not needed then... well, I'd do whatever I wanted to do.

UF cable is made to handle moisture. Conduit is not used to keep it away from water.

 

[yanmars]

I was not concerned about water getting into the PVC. I know it eventually will. I just wanted to help drain the area where the electric line will be, just had a free trench to do it in the right location. The farm drain tile would be to dry up the ground above, nothing to do with the PVC electric line other than the same trench.