Thread: Pump wires in black plastic water pipe

Some well drillers in the Great State of Vermont do not call for electricain,
to to install conduit and wire the the submersible pump to the pressure
tank switch.

Here what I saw.

You have black water pipe connected to a water pipe connection fitting,
that is part of the pressure tank.

You have black water pipe that is just stud thru the cement, basement or
cellar wall or a cement slab. The pump wires, two or three wires just run out
the end open of the black plastic water and then are feed thru a connection
at the pressure switch junction box. The connector for the wires may be metal
of plastic.

Now, still using the black plastic water pipe, I am finding that some have
switch over to using UF cable with a ground wire.

Now how would you word your report to the customer, base on the above facts.

Please don't say, how would you. I already know. But here I am looking
for a fresh idea in letting the customer know. No one who has bought a house,
to the best of my knowledge, has ever has this pipe replace with U.L. listed conduit.

Remember, there is no electrical permit taken out for single family house,
and there is no electrical inspection require of single family house.

Its only on inspected jobs, where you see U.L. Listed conduit used. Here it start with two family homes.

THANK YOU, for your thoughts and opinions.

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Do you actually type reports like that, because I am so confused i can't see straight.
Also, do you take pictures, because if you did you could reduce the amount of typing you do and just point out the defect with an arrow and say. This is wrong, fix it.
This is not meant to insult by any means, just constructive criticism

By the way, you know those wires are running to the bottom of the well and that the size of the wire indicates the well depth.
And it is very typical to see separate wires as the wire size is too great for sheathed cable.

Wayne S.

No I do not personal type the report. I just write the draft.

And, I do submit pictures with the report.

I am just tired of seeing this code violation all the time.

Sorry about the style of writing, I used to describe things.

I trying my best. I'll try to make my post as short as possible and
and still get my point across.

THANKS

Originally Posted by Robert S. Mattison

Wayne S.

No I do not personal type the report. I just write the draft.

And, I do submit pictures with the report.

I am just tired of seeing this code violation all the time.

Sorry about the style of writing, I used to describe things.

I trying my best. I'll try to make my post as short as possible and
and still get point across.

THANKS

RM: If the conduit is passing through the concrete perimeter beam, basement wall, etc., it should be an approved material such as rigid metallic conduit, intermediate metallic conduit, or schedule 80 PVC.

FWIW, types HDPE and NUCC conduit both look like poly water pipe. The only way to tell sometimes is the markings on the stuff.

The title says it all. WIRES in WATER PIPE.

Bill Kriegh

So HDPE and NUCC is a listed conduit that is used to enclose and protect
wires, and black color and come in, roll-up coils.

On this current job, what I am seeing is a black poly, being pass thru a
pour concert wall. (same with the black poly water pipe)

The black poly water pipe line is connected to the house pressure tank.

The 2nd. black poly water pipe line, contains the well pump feeder wires.
They are three individual wire, twisted around each other. Colors are:
Black, Red and Yellow. This cable contains no outer jacket.

I am not intersted in how the three wires are run inside the well case.

What bugs me. if why the wires inside the house, are not protected, con-
duit all the way to the load side of the pressure switch.

So, shouldn't the wires be protected all the way the pressure switch. Or is this just another NMFP.

"IF YOU DON'T SEE, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE IT UP"

Originally Posted by Robert S. Mattison

Bill Kriegh

So HDPE and NUCC is a listed conduit that is used to enclose and protect
wires, and black color and come in, roll-up coils.

On this current job, what I am seeing is a black poly, being pass thru a
pour concert wall. (same with the black poly water pipe)

The black poly water pipe line is connected to the house pressure tank.

The 2nd. black poly water pipe line, contains the well pump feeder wires.
They are three individual wire, twisted around each other. Colors are:
Black, Red and Yellow. This cable contains no outer jacket.

I am not intersted in how the three wires are run inside the well case.

What bugs me. if why the wires inside the house, are not protected, con-
duit all the way to the load side of the pressure switch.

So, shouldn't the wires be protected all the way the pressure switch. Or is this just another NMFP.

"IF YOU DON'T SEE, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE IT UP"

But Robert, you should write it up as "such and such is not visible and therefore cannot be reported on". You should know that the part that is visible (the wires are not in conduit" is a reportable condition. Also, if the conduit that is used is not an approved type (even the conduit below ground) you should either know this type is not approved or do research to verify this. Then, this becomes a reporatable condition. It does not matter that this is inspected by the local AHJ or not. It would be a reportable condition. It is either an approved electrical conduit or it is not. Simple.

Originally Posted by Robert S. Mattison

Remember, there is no electrical permit taken out for single family house, and there is no electrical inspection require of single family house.

Regardless of permit or not permit, inspections or no inspections, adopted local standards or not - and if no adopted local standards ... I would go with the most recent national standards, such as the 2008 NEC, the 2009 IRC, etc.