ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Sched. 80 pvc conduit.

Built a 200a UG service on new home. Deck wraps all the way around the house,so it wound up on the deck.

I used sched 80 pvc for the stub-down for the poco.About 4' of it is exposed on the deck,and used 2 2-hole straps to secure it to the wall.

Home inspector hired by the HO says it should have been RMC because of possible damage.


What the heck's going to be on a deck that will damage sched 80? If it was possible for a vehicle to hit it,I'd agree,but it's not.

What's everyone else's opinion?


Russell

Russell,
I agree with you. Actually, because of the deck, the RNC is less likely to incure damage than if the deck weren't there.

Good morning Russell.

I don't know why the NEC doesn't make it a little more clear, but SCHD 80 PVC is listed for use in areas where physical damage is possible.

This is the actual wording from the UL White Book.

UL MARK
The Listing Mark of Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

Schedule 80 conduit has a reduced cross-sectional area available for wiring space and is suitable for use wherever Schedule 40 conduit may be used. The marking ‘‘Schedule 80 PVC’’ identifies conduit suitable for use where exposed to physical damage and for installation on poles in accordance with the NEC.

Russell you can download the UL white book here

http://joetedesco.com/2003geninfo.pdf

Go to page 44 (this is the PDF page number, the actual page number is 24) and then print the page to show this HO and HI, then politely explain that you are the expert.


Roger



[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 07-10-2004).]

Thanks Eagle and Roger.

Roger,thanks for the link,I had it on my other computer,I think I got it from Joe T.

I guess all the documentation I can get will help my credibility for them to compare with the shiny truck and the slacks and sport shirt the HI has.

Russell.

Russell, he is a home inspector YOU are the electrician. When the day comes that a home inspector can second guess a licensed electrician that's the day I hang up my tools!

Explain to him and the home owner your reasons for using schedule 80 PVC and if the HI doesn't agree politely tell him "that's why I'm the electrician and you are a home inspector".

-Hal

Thanks Hal.

I had a meet with the customers AND the HI this afternoon.I went armed with a couple pages of material from the link Roger posted.

The HI read part of it and still wanted to argue a bit. I must admit I got a little hot with him,and asked him how long he'd been an electrician. His mumbled reply was that he'd never actually done any electrical work,and he backed out of the conversation.

Ho says the paperwork is good enough for him,and the main thing is,I gave them a good code compliant job....oh yeah,I got paid too.

Russell good for you, from what you have told us about your area I would have thought the home inspector would have recognized a craftsman like yourself without having to go this route.

I can not imagine any activity on a deck that would be hazardous to 80 PVC, I am sure it was a great installation.

Bob

Well, I had to admit being a home inspector I did think for a second that maybe the home inspector saw something on the deck that would possibly damage the schedule 80. After reading the interaction betweent the two it does not appear that was the case at all, in fact it really did not look like he backed up what he wanted with any requirements at all.

BTW...I also have had some dealings with schedule 80 and schedule 40 and even some schedule 20. While I do agree that the 80 in the toughest of the three, regardless of what they tell you that stuff does get brittle in our cold pa winters and breaks rather easily.

I don't really see this as a who is right/wrong proposition, I look at it as making the installation safe and/or safer.

Glad to see everything worked out for the best. Hopefully, this home inspector will not be calling out unneccesary requirements any longer. If I were the electrician, I would request that he pay for the sevice call since it would not be fair to do it for free, or to ask the seller since they already paid for a code compliant installation.

Joe Myers

Joe,the problem is that we have no permits or inspections here so folks sometimes hire HI's to try to have a little protection.

Problem with that is,there's no Lic. requirement for HI's here,and most anyone with the money to set up a business can be one.

I know this particular inspector,and up until about 5 yrs ago he had worked in a sewing plant all his life,and has very little construction experience,much less Electrical.

Russell