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+-- Thread: replace cracked conduit? (/showthread.php?tid=7361731)
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replace cracked conduit? - DogwoodTales - 03-22-2021
Well crud. How do I fix this?
I think 2-3 years of freezing-thawing caused this to settle too much and it cracked open.
There's a junction box on the other side of the wall, so I could pull the wire out, but then how do I replace the conduit L with the wire still in there?
Here's a link to the image on my google drive. I can't seem to get the insert image to work.
Cracked Conduit
Thanks!
RE: replace cracked conduit? - chrisntam - 03-22-2021
For your viewing pleasure (pic from above).
[attachment=34283]
RE: replace cracked conduit? - DogwoodTales - 03-22-2021
(03-22-2021, 03:30 PM)chrisntam Wrote: For your viewing pleasure (pic from above).
thanks! IDK why I can't get that to work.
Anywho - I think I may have thought of a solution already.
Pull the wire out
clean the flange off the pipe coming out of the wall
replace the L gluing it to the pipe
use a plumbing boot to seal the new L to the pipe coming up from the ground
Anyone reading this think that's okay, or have another solution?
thanks
RE: replace cracked conduit? - aquaticjim - 03-22-2021
I have never been successful at removing a fitting from PVC. The adhesives work great. You can always hope the installer did not glue the joints correctly and the intersections can be broken apart. Using something like a flat blade screw drive, see if you can break the female off of the male portion. If that does not work, heating is an option but the wires make that not practical. You may have to just dig down a ways and cut the existing pipe and use a coupling. When you reinstall, is is possible to not glue the vertical intersection so it can move up and down with the ground?
RE: replace cracked conduit? - TDKPE - 03-22-2021
Use an expansion joint made for PVC conduit and mount it vertically.
EJ-3A-0508_Eng+SP_split 4 WEB.indd (spears.com)
RE: replace cracked conduit? - srv52761 - 03-22-2021
The thawing and freezing of the soil probably caused this. NEC now requires expansion fittings when frost heave may affect the conduit.
Interduct makes a split conduit repair kit. You don't have a lot of room to install an expansion fitting so I see the same result with any repair.
But, the LB was just there to make the turn and enter the building. UF can enter the building as is. NEC says you must protect the conductors from physical damage.
I would clean up the pieces, find a piece of conduit that would surround the one you have, cute a slot to feed the UF into it and strap to the wall loosely.
RE: replace cracked conduit? - Roly - 03-22-2021
I would consider using a pvc weatherproof square junction box on the outside also. Dig down and carefully cut off the riser and install a coupling and a short length of conduit.
Suggest either placing a smaller piece of pipe on the wires or other way to protect them and cut the conduit off. The pvc conduit can be cut off with a piece of nylon twine (like chalk line) by see sawing back and forth to easily cut the back side of the conduit next to the wall. They make a expansion joint for pvc conduit which would make the job easy if you have enough room below the junction box or LB .
JOINT
Roly
RE: replace cracked conduit? - Bob10 - 03-22-2021
(03-22-2021, 03:37 PM)aquaticjim Wrote: I have never been successful at removing a fitting from PVC. The adhesives work great. You can always hope the installer did not glue the joints correctly and the intersections can be broken apart. Using something like a flat blade screw drive, see if you can break the female off of the male portion. If that does not work, heating is an option but the wires make that not practical. You may have to just dig down a ways and cut the existing pipe and use a coupling. When you reinstall, is is possible to not glue the vertical intersection so it can move up and down with the ground?
groove and chisel works amazingly well
RE: replace cracked conduit? - DogwoodTales - 03-23-2021
Thanks for the suggestions!
This has been like this for a couple of years (I just had it taped with foil tape until now), so I'm guessing that the conduit has settled about as much as it will for a while.
I didn't know there was such a thing as an expansion fitting. I was just going to use a rubber coupling, but I'll look into that expansion coupling.
Thanks!
Someone else I had talked to suggested the groove and chisel method to remove that female fitting (wait, that's not a politically incorrect term to use now, is it?).
Sounds like the best option, but I will need to be careful with it nonetheless, or I will have a lot more work to do.
RE: replace cracked conduit? - srv52761 - 03-23-2021
From your photo I don't see any way to install a junction box or LB, AND an expansion fitting. You mention freeze/thaw cycle. Without a way to accommodate frost heave I see the same thing happening to any repair.
Consider foregoing the LB and expansion fitting. Use instead a flexible pvc conduit elbow.
[attachment=34295]
If you decide to go this route, I would form the bend at about 85° instead of 90° so if the soil experiences frost heave it brings the angle to about 90-95°.