Electrical PVC verse Regular PVC

[GaryBDavis]

Okay, I wimpped out and got gray PVC for the electrical and communications runs. I had to hand dig some of the stuff I put in a few months ago and it finding gray or white PVC made it easier to know what was what. I still don't know why they don't make this stuff in 20' lengths.

 

[Dusty]

Okay, I wimpped out and got gray PVC for the electrical and communications runs. I had to hand dig some of the stuff I put in a few months ago and it finding gray or white PVC made it easier to know what was what. I still don't know why they don't make this stuff in 20' lengths.

Electricians union won't allow them to handle anything longer than 10'. If it were 20', they'd have to call the plumbers union to set the pipe.

 

[hilld]

Around here (Portland, OR) you can buy electrical conduit (3" or so) in 20' lenghts, you just can't get it at Home Depot or Lowes, you have to go to a pipe supply company, around here it is United Pipe and the cost per foot is quite a bit higher than if you buy 10' ers.

Derek

 

[Jimbrown]

Absolutly. It turns dark grey and then black and then starts to crack. i have some less than a year old and it is already black. But i am high desert at 5000ft and the sun eats up everything.

 

[sparkkky]

If you are outside an area with code, than there's no advantage to spending the money on grey pvc for underground use.

Personally, I use thinwall.

When I run underground electrical, I buy direct bury wire and sleeve it in thinwall PVC. At each joint, I shoot a small amount of expanding foam, then glue the joints together.

My reasoning is that the pvc is just to protect the wire from gophers or rocks. Thinwall will do this. The problem with conduit is the build up of condensation. The air in the line will form condensation and you will end up with water at the lowest point in the line. I've been told that this can be a considerable amount.

Some utilty companies regulary blow out there lines to keep the water levels down. I decided to seal up each section of pipe so the amount of moisture is limited to just one joint of pipe.

I'm not code and there are gonna be those who disagree with me. That's fine, it's how I do it.

Good luck,
Eddie

Eddie, you should stick with something you know! The gray pipe has sweep 90's so you can pull wire, to add or replace. Running jacketed wire in pipe is a waste and around here done by people that don't know any better.

The thing that kills me is that there are proven standards and a thing called a code book that people should at least try to learn and follow, and not try to see what off the wall rigging they can come up with!!!

 

[slowzuki]

Problem is standards only work for most people, not everyone. Just because something is done a certain way a long time it usually ends up in a standard.

If you are not reusing the pipe for future runs, the cheap PVC isn't going to hurt a thing. And since the joints aren't waterproof you have to use underground rated wire. It is more than just damp. You could pull individual conductors without the outer direct burial sheath but they still have to be wet service.

I was pricing out getting my entrance in here and the cost of thin-wall has tripled in the last year. It was almost as cheap for me to pull tech through white pvc was it was for individual conductors through duct.

Inspectors wouldn't like seeing anything but gray stuff unless you are pulling an armoured cable.
Ken

Eddie, you should stick with something you know! The gray pipe has sweep 90's so you can pull wire, to add or replace. Running jacketed wire in pipe is a waste and around here done by people that don't know any better.

The thing that kills me is that there are proven standards and a thing called a code book that people should at least try to learn and follow, and not try to see what off the wall rigging they can come up with!!!

 

[sparkkky]

Problem is standards only work for most people, not everyone. Just because something is done a certain way a long time it usually ends up in a standard.

If you are not reusing the pipe for future runs, the cheap PVC isn't going to hurt a thing. And since the joints aren't waterproof you have to use underground rated wire. It is more than just damp. You could pull individual conductors without the outer direct burial sheath but they still have to be wet service.

BULL!!!

And standard THHN is fine for pulling in Sch. 40 grey PVC!!!

Ever hear of the NEC?

 

[sparkkky]

Also someone must have the drive to learn standards to do a job in a safe way, most of my time is spent cleaning up after people that thought they could make it work, just because it works doesn't make it safe or right!

Can post pictures of said handy work if you wish.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie, you should stick with something you know! The gray pipe has sweep 90's so you can pull wire, to add or replace. Running jacketed wire in pipe is a waste and around here done by people that don't know any better.

The thing that kills me is that there are proven standards and a thing called a code book that people should at least try to learn and follow, and not try to see what off the wall rigging they can come up with!!!

Hi Sparkkky,

Thank you for the wonderful advice. I'm sure you actually believe this, but if I limited myself to just doing things I "know," then where would I be? My guess is I'd end up being some narrow minded know it all with lots of knowledge on one subject and a superiority complex towards others who don't know as much as I did on that subject. Hopefully I didn't come across like that?

One of the great things about this site is that a bunch of guys from all over the planet can share ideas on how to do things that may not follow your "proven standards" but allow us to accomplish something we couldn't afford otherwise in a safe method that will get the job done. If I broke "code" then it would have been easy to point out what code is in your area and how it should be done. Not doing so indicates to me that code isn't your concern here.

If I offered advice that was unsafe or wrong, than I'm sure you would have pointed that out. It's happened many times and every poster that has pointed out my mistakes has received a thank you from me. Nobody wants anybody to get hurt and I'd want to know what I did was wrong. I'm hoping you'd let us know if that was the situation???

Otherwise, it sounds like I just stepped on your tows with my lack of knowledge and ignorance. Just remember, those of us not as smart as you are still gonna do what we can, and struggle to learn more then we already "KNOW"

Have a wonderful life,
Eddie

 

[sparkkky]

Here.