Replies

1. 
   fingersandtoes | Sep 04, 2008 11:20pm | #1

   I'd be interested in the reply too. I had a cistern overflow through the pump's electrical conduit which was angled so that it all ended up in the control box - and all over a work bench soaking my tools. A drain hole seems like a good idea.

1. 
   kbd | Sep 04, 2008 11:23pm | #2

   This conduit has been there three years and at least a pint of water was present. The water smelled fine and looked clear.

2. 
   BillHartmann | Sep 05, 2008 01:19am | #3

   I have not check the code for exterior, above ground conduit.

   But underground conduit is considered a wet area because of condensation.

   And wet rated wire is used.

   Common THHN is often also marked THWN. THWN is wet rated.

   .
   .
   A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
3. 
   maddog3 | Sep 05, 2008 01:24am | #4

   a little weep hole would be fine, since the water is probably from rain and condensation.

   any pipe run that is partly exposed to the sun will have temperature differentials which is usually the cause of the condensate !
   one other thing you should do is seal all the boxes at the conduit entrances, this will help prevent any corrosion to the devices or splices in those boxes

   just be sure to pull the wires out before you drill too .

   .

   .

   .

   . . . . . . . .

4. 
   BilljustBill | Sep 05, 2008 01:49am | #5

   You must be buying that water soaked "Green" electricity from those big wind generators.... 

   I think they found out they had to have special transmission wire to drain most of the water.  Must be an old connection from their grid....

   Bill ;>)

   
   

   ---

   Edited 9/4/2008 9:13 pm ET by BilljustBill

1. 
   BillHartmann | Sep 05, 2008 02:07am | #6

   If you just use power from solar panels it will dry it out..
   .
   A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

2. 
   dovetail97128 | Sep 05, 2008 08:35am | #9

   What? Are you nuts? It is obvious the source has to be Hydro Electric.
   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

1. 
   kbd | Sep 05, 2008 02:52pm | #10

   Thanks. I am going to put  a few small weep holes.

1. 
   wane | Sep 05, 2008 03:05pm | #11

   that's it, inspector asked me to drill a small hole in the jbox that passes through the foundation to allow for moisture accumulation ..

2. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Sep 05, 2008 03:23pm | #12

   I've occasionally run into this in a deep basement (near the panel) when there is underground conduit feeding the service.    The electrical sub has usually installed a barb fitting for small diameter poly tubing to weep the water away.

   Jeff

3. 
   BilljustBill | Sep 05, 2008 06:48pm | #13

   Just Nicking the wiring insulation with the twist drill bit will make the moisture/water dangerous at the worst, and an electrical nightmare with your GFI always tripping at the least....

     Think about pulling out the wiring before you drill.  Somewhere along the plastic conduit someone must have forgotten to glue a joint which is letting rain/condensation to seep into your electrical run.  If you pull the wire, you might as well check for those unglued or even cracked/split conduit..

   Bill

1. 
   gfretwell | Sep 05, 2008 07:27pm | #14

   You don't drill holes in the conduit, you drill in the boxes and other termination points. The conduit itself should be "arranged to drain" per 225.22

2. 
   BilljustBill | Sep 05, 2008 07:51pm | #15

   good to know.  thanks, Bill

3. 
   kbd | Sep 05, 2008 09:15pm | #16

   My shutoff is two feet above the deck and the hot tub connection is one foot above the deck with no box in the line that runs on the underside of the deck. How do you arrange for drainage without a hole in the line?  Kevin

   Edited 9/5/2008 2:30 pm ET by kbd

4. 
   gfretwell | Sep 06, 2008 06:35am | #17

   If the water is not in an enclosure with a termination or a splice you don't really care.
   Most underground conduits are usually full of water.

5. 
   Clewless1 | Sep 05, 2008 03:17am | #7

   maybe moisture from the hot tub going into the electrical box and then gradually condensing inside the pipe? When I ran conduit for my main elec service in my new house, the electrical company said it didn't matter if my conduit glue joints were very good ... didn't matter if water got into the conduit, he said. Assuming the wire is consistently insulated, maybe it doesn't make a difference ... but I'm also assuming it was the 'wet' rated wire like the other guy said.

6. 
   gfretwell | Sep 05, 2008 05:05am | #8

   Everything installed outside is considered a wet location and they are usually wet, at least to some extent.
   The code also says raceways should be arranged to drain, which implies weep holes.
   BTW one tip. always point your wirenuts up and try to keep them at the top of the box. That mitigates a lot of tripping GFCI problems.
   Here in Florida with the horizontal rain and condensation problems, boxes will always collect some water if you don't have weep holes in them.

7. 
   TonyCz | Sep 06, 2008 08:09am | #18

   Here is the answer you are looking for.  I just had this happen on my job site her in So Cal.  I was helpingh the sparky pull the wires in new conduit and he told ne that when the wires are energized the current traveling throgh the wiring heats up causing condisation to accure. This conduit had been ealed up from the elements as well ad had not even had any wire in it but was installed in a concrete block wall, and just the daily heating and cooling can also cause this to happen. so no need to worry about it unless you have wire that is not thhn or equal.