ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues 300.5 D4

Does this mean for wiring a mobil home the underground service coming to the meter base is required to be sch. 80 and the stub up to the home? This one caught me with my pants down.If installed in pvc.

"Does this mean for wiring a mobil home the underground service coming to the meter base is required to be sch. 80 and the stub up to the home? This one caught me with my pants down.If installed in pvc."

300.5 Underground Installations.
(D) Protection from Damage. Direct-buried conductors and cables shall be protected from damage in accordance with (1) through (5).
(4) Enclosure or Raceway Damage. Where the enclosure or raceway is subject to physical damage, the conductors shall be installed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, Schedule 80 rigid nonmetallic conduit, or equivalent.

I would not read it that way. I would think that subject to physical damage would cover close proximety to the handling of stock or storage or adjacent to a driveway.
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Tom

[This message has been edited by tdhorne (edited 05-13-2002).]

In my opinion any exposed wiring method is "exposed to physical damage".
Don(resqcapt19)

Schedule 80 is enforced around here, mostly on service laterals.

The enforcement is slightly relaxed & is a judgement call by the inspector for the feeder to the mobile home. This is a big improvement for this area, prior to service entrance inspections, the USE cable was usually laying on the ground under the mobile home.

Here in NC we have always put the sevice in sch. 40 even under the mobil home. I can`t think of someone just laying use under the home.The main concern I have is under the mobil home subject to phyical damage. I most certainly think not and see no reasonable reason to think other wise.The homes are required to be underpined after set up.But I guess my inspector thinks under the mobil home is a rough area.??????

Will you appy the following rule?

300.5(J) covers ground movement and may require an "expansion fitting" under certain conditions, or other methods according to the the fine print note.

[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 05-14-2002).]

I would say that under the mobile home, if there is a skirt, would not be subject to physical damage. I would not consider it to be "exposed wiring" under that condition. If the area under the mobile home is used for any type of storage, I would require the use of schedule 80.
Don(resqcapt19)

[This message has been edited by resqcapt19 (edited 05-14-2002).]

I should have been a little clearer about the mobile home feeder. No inspector in this area, that I know of, requires the PVC that emerges from the ground under a mobile home to be Sch 80. They occaisionally require the conduit from the service disconnect down to the ground (at the pole) to be Sch 80.

I've probably seen the equivalent of a few miles of cable laying on the ground under old mobile homes. I refuse to crawl under any of these without turning off the feeder & locking it out. You should have heard all the screams when the inspections started on new or re-connected services.

Joe,

ground movement doesn't seem to be a problem in this area unless you count slips (landslides). I've heard that there are areas in the country that have a problem with frost heave & require an expansion fitting in the riser.

Tom