Slip Sliding Away- Service Laterals and slip joints- Chelan Home Inspections
“Slip slidin’ away , Slip slidin’ away,
You know the nearer your destination the more you’re slip slidin’ away”
Paul Simon
Carlon Slip Riser
Proper planning of your electrical installation can save you a hassle and a potential safety issue. When installing service laterals in areas where the ground will be subject to movement and/or settlement you need to have a slip riser installed.
A slip riser will allow the service lateral conduit to move and keep the service entrance conductors properly protected.
Here are a few of examples where no slip riser was installed and the conduit for the service lateral has moved exposing the service entrance conductors. These conductors are only protected by the OCPD in the transformer. Though unlikely you are going to mess with it this is still a safety issue and there is potential for damage to the service entrance conductors.
Conduit separation from LB
Conduit separation from meter base at adapter
Separation at fitting to meter base
Per the NEC 2014 - 300.5 Underground Installations
(J) Earth Movement.
Where direct-buried conductors, raceways, or cables are subject to movement by settlement or frost, direct-buried conductors, raceways, or cables shall be arranged so as to prevent damage to the enclosed conductors or to equipment connected to the raceways.
Informational Note: This section recognizes “S” loops in underground direct burial to raceway transitions, expansion fittings in raceway risers to fixed equipment, and, generally, the provision of flexible connections to equipment subject to settlement or frost heaves.
From Carlon-
“Carlon's line of slip meter risers is engineered to provide a smooth transition from rigid or corrugated conduit underground service to the electric meter. Fitted with a terminal adapter to provide an easy hook-up at the service entrance location, slip meter risers are a low-cost method of complying with NEC 300-5(j), which requires ground movement protections for buried conductors, raceways, or cables. Frost movement or trench settling that can cause conduit to bend or break, will never again be a problem. “
Per Chelan County PUD-
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS APPLYING TO UNDERGROUND SERVICES
Your service route should be as straight as possible from your meter base to the Chelan County
PUD connection point. It cannot cross drainfields and shall have a minimum 5 feet horizontal
clearance from any drainfield. It cannot be installed under any permanent structures, such as
foundations, buildings, concrete slabs, etc.
All trenching, conduit installation, backfilling and restoration from your meter base to the Chelan County PUD point of connection shall be done by the customer or contractor.
Unless otherwise specified by a Chelan County PUD Customer Service Representative, all electrical conduit shall be 3-inch Schedule 40, gray electrical conduit.
Doing the job right the first time will save the expense of the proper correction later. A slip riser cost about $60, the electrician just to show up to start the repair…. about $60. I think we can all do the math.
“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”
Red Adair
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
Instructor- Fundamentals of Home Inspection- Bellingham Technical College
www.ncwhomeinspections.com 509-670-9572
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