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Posted By: Joe Tedesco Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 06/30/04 09:19 PM
Guess which neighbor has the eight dollar a month energy bill, and which one complained about excessive use? [Linked Image]ops:

How would the meter even register if the main was off? Through the neutral?

[Linked Image from nachi.org]

Photo Courtesy:

Tom Erfert, Code Enforcement Specialist, Yuma, Arizona
Posted By: codeenforcementguy Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 06/30/04 11:54 PM
No registered reading on the meter, the eight dollar charge was a monthly service charge.
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/01/04 01:39 AM
Maybe he was trying to derate for that seriously packed looking conduit on the bottom? [Linked Image] Wonder what happened to the insulators for the left breakers bus bars?

-Randy
Posted By: pauluk Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/01/04 05:11 AM
Is this arrangement of different services running onto main breakers in one panel common on duplex and triplex buildings?
Posted By: Active 1 Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/02/04 04:09 PM
So to fix his complaint did you turn off the breaker on the left and turn on the right one? Use breaker locks?

Or you could flip flop the service wires to each breaker and leave them on and off like they are now. The one tenant would not know what is going on when he gets his bill.

Easyest change the numbering on the meters.

No one said anything about the missing bushing on the bottom.

Tom
Posted By: wa2ise Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/02/04 10:27 PM
If I wanted to steal power from a neighbor or the landlord, I'd move only one of the two hot wires. Less obvious that the theft is happening, as consumption still shows on my meter ("I'm conserving energy") and the victum sees only a milder increase.

Of course I never did such things... [Linked Image]
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/03/04 04:40 AM
Active1 wrote:
Quote
No one said anything about the missing bushing on the bottom

That looks like PVC coming in from the "rope burns" cutting through the threads...
Posted By: Active 1 Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/03/04 02:59 PM
At first I thought it was ridgid. I forget the rest of the world uses PVC above ground.

Tom
Posted By: iwire Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/03/04 03:12 PM
Anyone want to point to the exception not requiring bushings on PVC? [Linked Image]

PVC or not 4 AWG or larger in a raceway needs a bushing. [Linked Image]

Bob
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/08/04 07:41 AM
Bob,
I believe you, but I've never seen a bushing on a PVC connector, nor ever been called on for not having one! [Linked Image]

Just another thing I've learned from ECN! [Linked Image]

-Randy
Posted By: John Steinke Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/10/04 11:09 PM
Iwire: Just how does a PVC bushing protect a wire from the edge of a PVC fitting?
Posted By: uksparky Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/10/04 11:34 PM
Quote
Just how does a PVC bushing protect a wire from the edge of a PVC fitting?

It's rounded - the chamfered edge of a rigid PVC can easily cut the softer sheath on cable [Linked Image]
Posted By: iwire Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/10/04 11:50 PM
Maybe I have been misinformed, here is the code section I am thinking of. I do not see anything that says only metallic raceways.

I have always used bushings with PVC but that proves only that "I have always done it that way" [Linked Image]

part of 300.4(F)
Quote
(F) Insulated Fittings. Where raceways containing ungrounded conductors 4 AWG or larger enter a cabinet, box enclosure, or raceway, the conductors shall be protected by a substantial fitting providing a smoothly rounded insulating surface, unless the conductors are separated from the fitting or raceway by substantial insulating material that is securely fastened in place.

How about it is there something I am overlooking? [Linked Image]

Bob
Posted By: pauluk Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/12/04 09:21 PM
Would the PVC conduit itself count as a "substantial insulating material that is securely fastened in place." ?
Posted By: electure Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 07/13/04 11:59 AM
The edge on the male adapter can be as sharp as a knife (I've shed the blood to prove it), or might be rounded.
Nonetheless, there's no exclusion for PVC.

It's a very normal thing to see PVC run into the bottom of stand up sections that's just cut off with no fitting whatsoever. That's what "bell ends" are made for. If you order them from the wholesaler, they will usually be a back ordered item, so rare is their use.
Posted By: dansan Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 08/22/04 07:58 PM
Not only is there no exception in 300.4(f) for pvc but in 352.46 it requires bushings for any size wire when using pvc.
Posted By: capt al Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 08/22/04 08:27 PM
I was failed on a temp service for forgetting one bushing. The whole service was pvc and needed eight bushings total. We miss counted and paid for it.
Posted By: iwire Re: Thou Shalt Not Steal! - 08/22/04 10:19 PM
Danson thanks for the lesson. [Linked Image]

I was not aware of 352.46 now I know I have been violating the code in smaller sizes of PVC. [Linked Image]

Bob
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