AREA WIRING – Getting old boxes off
We have a project fixing wire rot in a condo complex. The underground area lighting was run in ?? intermediate or rigid, which is mostly history underground. They run into AU boxes and the things are a mass of galvanic corrosion. The sheating comes off the wiring. This run has a hot with 12″ of exposed wire, corroded down to a pin point, plus other issues.
Is there a good method of chaning out the rotted boxes for new ones, getting the things off the conduit, mending the conduits, etc.?
I am even wondering about cutting the conduits back and sleeving over them with a plastic conduit that will fit.
The ToolBear
“Never met a man who couldn’t teach me something.” Anon.
Replies
sounds like you have electrolisis...
check to see if the nuetral is feeding back through the ground...
your change over to PVC sounds plausible.. don't sleeve.. use fittings...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Edited 4/20/2006 1:29 am by IMERC
Yes, the wiring has a good dose of galvanic corrosion. I see the pink color in almost every conductor in this run. The plastic insulation is breaking down. I wonder if common solid wire is really up to a wet underground environment filled with stray currents and odd chemicals.
Amazingly I was able to loosen the compression fittings and knock the boxes loose. Done in 1/2 rigid. Got the new boxes on and ran new P40 conduit.
Got under the sidewalk with the bosse's drilling rig. New to me: a gear box that attaches to a hole hawg. Had a water tap and a drill on a 10' length of 1" pipe. For more length, couple on more pile. Water jets out the center of the bit and the drill rotates the whole pipe string.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
way to go...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
@@ Neutral feeding back...
You mean because there is no insulation on it <g>?
At the last live box the neutral is missing about one inch of insulation in the middle of the exposed end. Who knows what is going on down below. However, at the dead end I tugged on the hot to see if anything would move and got 3' of wire missing 12" of insulation and showing a point like a pin.
Then we decided to relay the circuit in P40. The continuity test on that leg showed 480 ohms resistance and climbing steadily when I got bored watching. Have another onward leg showing 4 ohms - and a light that goes on, off. (Jumpered the dead box to see what the downstream issues were.) The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
if I unnerstan u the old junk is showing 480ohms,
and you are now running new pipe & wire???like I have always said.."yet another costly delay" hahahaha.
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'Wer ist jetzt der Idiot?'
Actually it would have shown a lot more, but I grew bored watching it climb.
Ran new 1/2" P40. Set two new boxes. Pull wire on Monday. When 3' of the hot lead came off in my hand, it was obvious that new wire would help. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
....."but I grew bored watching it....."it should read Megohms.....and it shouldn't take too long for that....good move.
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'Wer ist jetzt der Idiot?'
can we spelll "all new"...
be stop at the bank...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Yep, all new, bright and shiny.
For this section. The rest is old, failing and will provide work in the furture.
I wonder about using UFer instead of standard wire in conduit. Suspect the insulation on UF has been designed with underground conditions in mind.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
UF is for direct burial....
the conduit was for mechanical protection... or spec'd or both...
not likely to get away with UF in an industrial / commercial application...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
THWN
THWN...
Have to see if I can find enough intact wire to read what they used. The outer plastic coating is splitting apart.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.