How would you run this electrical conduit?

[reader2580]

It is clear I need to redo the conduit for my generator even though it will be very expensive both in dollars and my time to redo the conduit. I need suggestions based on the attached photos on what the best route for running new conduit is.

I don't see any realistic way to bury the conduit due to all the buried utilities. I don't think it is legal to cross over the electric line at a 90 degree angle. The conduit would have to be buried 12" minimum from the electrical service from what I read. I can't figure out any way to get the conduit inside the house to come out to the right of the conduit for the electrical service. There are too many things up in the basement ceiling to run the conduit in the ceiling to the other side of the service. (Three water pipes, 20+ romex cables, cable TV, heating duct)

If I go through the block wall don't I have to sleeve the conduit, or is that only for plumbing pipe?

I also have the option of moving the generator to the opposite end of the house, but that gets really expensive with running two conduits and a gas line nearly 60 feet through the basement to the other end of the house. Moving the generator itself isn't a huge deal although a lot of time to build a new pad.

 

[reader2580]

To clarify, the conduit next to the meter is coming out and then I need to run new conduit from a different spot along the house wall. I am looking for suggestions on how to run the new conduit from the house to the generator.

 

[Bmwsyc]

You have a couple of options. If you want to bury it, but don't want to dig too far down, you can use rigid metal conduit, or IMC. Those two raceways only need to be 6 inches deep, but I would even say that they can be run above ground on pipe piers or sleepers. The book says that when subject to the possibility of physical damage to use rigid, IMC, or schedule 80 nonmetallic conduit. If it were me, I would use rigid, above ground if I don't mind the appearance, or 6 inches down if I didn't want to see it.

I have a 10kw generator at my house (Brooklyn Center) and I use a heavy SO cord with pin and sleeve connectors so that the unit can be moved if necessary, so I'm not exactly practicing what I preach, but if I ran a raceway, at a minimum, anything above grade would be rigid so I would not get dinged up a lawnmower, shovel, ect...

Edit: as far as I know, if you go through the block, you don't need to sleeve it. With copper, the concrete or mortar will react with the copper and shorten it's life.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Put 90 sweeps on bottom of each pipe so they follow the wall,Then put another sweep on each to turn it back towards the generator once they get closer to the service riser to bottom of meter socket.
Then continue it back to the generator ,No need to bury it unless you plan on burying it a couple of feet deep.
Just strap it to the wall and generator with some mini's.

 

[Mustang51js]

Buy a 4x4 post and cut in 1 foot lengths,then strap pipe to that. I dont see a reason to bury pipe unless it bothers you looking at it.

 

[reader2580]

I don't think going with rigid conduit is an option since I don't have any way to thread rigid conduit. Thank you for your suggestions.

I was looking at pictures of generator installations on Google images last night. Many of them use flexible conduit and some just lay it on the ground. Most of the generators were much closer to the house, but they were Generac which are approved for 18" from the house.

 

[reader2580]

I talked to the electrical inspector and he did say I can run the control wires in the same conduit as long as I use wire rated for the same voltage as the other wires. That at least eliminates one conduit.

 

[dreasoner]

What is wrong doing as Bmwsyc suggested and use schedule 80 PVC conduit. Requires no threading tools and can be custom bent to any offset required using a heatgun and some attention to details.

 

[Rocker4x4]

What is wrong doing as Bmwsyc suggested and use schedule 80 PVC conduit. Requires no threading tools and can be custom bent to any offset required using a heatgun and some attention to details.

My vote as well, can also use torpedo heater to bend it if your carefull

 

[APEowner]

Personally, I'd just put a fence around the whole ugly mess and call it a day.

 

[reader2580]

What is wrong doing as Bmwsyc suggested and use schedule 80 PVC conduit. Requires no threading tools and can be custom bent to any offset required using a heatgun and some attention to details.

His primary recommendation was to use rigid conduit, although I notice he also mentioned schedule 80 PVC. I wasn't aware of the requirement to use schedule 80 outdoors. Luckily the conduit fill calculators still say that 1" schedule 80 will be large enough.

I should just give up on this project because I'll be working on it for the rest of the year with the number of times I am having to redo things. I'm going to be spending the rest of the summer paying $35 a week to the electrical inspector so he can keep coming out and finding issues with my work.

I wired my own new house previously plus rewired half of this house and passed every inspection with no issues.

Thanks for everyone's help with this.

 

[Bmwsyc]

Schedule 80 is only required where subject to physical damage, for normal underground use, schedule 40 is fine.

Also, I think that what the inspector said about running control wiring in the same conduit as the power wiring is not true...but the inspector's word is what is law, so if he is fine with it, there you go. The insulation rating of the wire does not matter, class 1 and class 2 wiring can sometimes occupy the same box, but never the same raceway. What determines whether a circuit is class 1 or 2 is it's (power) source, not the insulation on the conductors.