ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Reducing conduit size

An inspector told me I could not reduce the size of conduit in a run except at the termination. The contractor ran a 2" PVC underground. At grade level I installed a Female Adaptor and a 2"x1" reducing bushing.
I then ran 1" sealtight to a small panel in a piece of equipment. The circuit was 3 #8,
1#10 Grd. The total length of the entire run was only about 12'. He said "It's somewhere in the code book". Can someone save me a hassle and let me know where to find that one?
Thanks

The inspector can not find it because that rule does not exist.

While most times it is not a great idea it is not a code violation.

I agree. I have never run across that rule either. By the way, that was the same inspector I mentioned in another thread I started a while back. "Inspectors who are
#+%*&".

Try my classic response: "Thanks for pointing that out. When you get back to the office would you call me and tell me the code section so I can read up on it. I'd hate to get caught in the same mistake twice."

It usually works; plus he's at the other end of the phone now and it's easier for him to say he'll let it go when he's not face to face.

As others have said - he's talking out of his errr, pants...

As long as your within limits for conductor fill (which you are) there's nothing in th Code that prohibits it.

Tell the inspector he/she is looking from the wrong end, and that in reallity, you increased the conduit size and did not reduce it.

I know, and I apologize.

Roger

I just got back from an out of town job
(3 days). I got called on one thing. No plastic bushings on 3" PVC Terminal adaptors.
The contractor oversized the underground conduit from plan specs from 2" to 3". The pull was 2 #1 and 1#8 Grd. So as you can can imagine there are three dinkey little wires coming out of a huge conduit, not even touching the edges. The inspector made me tear everything apart to install bushings. I believe in bell ends for feeding but do you always use bushings on PVC and is this a fair call?

I rarely use PVC/RNC, and dare I say don't often use bushings on it either, because often the only times I use it, it will have Bell End, and a steel conduit on the other. But yep, required.

352.46 Bushings.
Where a conduit enters a box, fitting, or other enclosure, a bushing or adapter shall be provided to protect the wire from abrasion unless the box, fitting, or enclosure design provides equivalent protection.