Flexible Conduit [RE-wrenches]

[Mark Frye]

Thanks Jeff,

But as my AHJ has rebuffed recent attempts to persuade them to adopt
provisions of NEC 2005 prior to it's adoption here in January of 2008, I am
not even going to waste my time trying to get them to adopt an as of yet
unapproved Article for the 2008 Code.

Until then, a conduit is a conduit and cannot have more than 360 degrees of
bend.

MPF

-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Undercuffler [mailto:p.undercuffler at conergy.us]
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 11:17 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: Flexible Conduit [RE-wrenches]



Mark,

The thinking behind the metal raceways through the structure, as I've
understood it, is to provide physical protection for the array wiring,
to protect the proverbial remodeling homeowner armed with a sawzall from
cutting into the array feed.  After all, how many of us have turned off
the main breaker and started gleefully hacking into the walls, knowing
we're "safe" from live wires?  While Harry Homeowner may think nothing
of chopping through some random romex, the hope is that he'll think a
bit before whacking through a conduit.

Worse case, the metal conduit will provide a return current path
(through the sawzall blade) to trip the GFP.

I would have a friendly discussion with your inspector, to see if he
would accept MC Cable as meeting the intent, if not the letter of the
law.  However, you would then need to ensure that your MC Cable fittings
could meet the requirements of 250.97, Bonding for Over 250 Volts.

As far as the 360 rule, MC Cable is a cable assembly, or factory
assembled system of conductors and metal sheathing, while FMC is a
conduit.  Conduits are limited to 360 degrees of bends before passing
through a pull point.  Cable assemblies can be formed into any number of
pretzels (while maintaining a semblance of good workmanship, of course),
as the conductors are integral parts of the assembly.

------------------------------------------------------------

Phil Undercuffler
Technical Services Manager
Conergy, Inc.
1730 Camino Carlos Rey Suite 103
Santa Fe NM 87507 USA
Office | 505.473.3800 x4841
Fax | 505.473.3830
www.conergy.us

------------------------------------------------------------


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