Moving Conduit


  #1  
Old 02-05-03, 08:35 PM
B
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: usa
Posts: 558
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
Moving Conduit

I'd like to install a ceiling (ceiling max) in my basement. I would need to move several obstructions that come down too far. One of which is a junction box . The junction box has conduit running into & out of it. It is part of the circuit to my old electric dryer. I no longer need it - I recently converted to gas. The junction box is mounted against the bottom of the joists and comes down farther than I would like to drop my ceiling. I thought it would be easy enough to simply open the junction box - unsplice the wires and move it, but to my surprise when I opened the box I noticed that the wires within it were not spliced at all - they just continued in from one piece of conduit and out into the other piece of conduit. I could get rid of the entire circuit staring at the breaker panel but I was told that probably isn't a good idea because if I ever want to convert back to electric I'd have to run the circuit all over again. To me the easiest option seems to be to cut the wires (3 of them) within the junction box, move the junction box & then splice the wires together again within the junction box. The only reason I'm somewhat hesistant to do this is that the wires are fairly thick - probably 8g & I was wondering if there was some code or other reason arguing against doing this.
 
  #2  
Old 02-06-03, 01:59 AM
A
Master Electrician
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Indiana
Posts: 296
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Code wise nothing is stoping you from moving the box, moving the conduit, or cutting the wires. or removing it all together. personally If your not using it I would remove it.
 
  #3  
Old 02-06-03, 07:00 AM
brickeyee
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Are you in Chicago? If you do not need the circuit you could remove it. Unless you shorten the run or find some slack, you will have a problem splicing the wires. Even a split bolt needs 1/2-3/4 of an inch of wire at #8 to work, and you need enough room to tape up the bolts. Having the dryer circuit could be convenient at some point, but probably not worth saving it.
 
  #4  
Old 02-06-03, 07:29 AM
S
Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Brethren, Mi
Posts: 1,564
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
How about pulling the wires out, re-route what you wanted and push them back in instead of making a splice?
 
  #5  
Old 02-06-03, 08:21 AM
B
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: usa
Posts: 558
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
Thanks for the replies.

No I'm not in Chicago. I'm in New York.

There is a fair amount of excess wire curled within the junction box so I think I'd have enough room to make the splice.

It's interesting you mention a split bolt. I'm not exactly sure what this is but further down the circuit these wires enter (via the conduit) another junction box. Within this junction box they are spliced to smaller gauge wire (?probably 10G) which then goes through flexible metal conduit for about 10ft & was hooked directly into my old dryer. Within this junction box the wires are spliced in a way I've never seen before - the stripped ends of the wires are fed into a hole/bolt which appears to be tightened down by a nut to hold them together - Is this a "split bolt?". Each splice was then covered with A LOT of electrical tape and folded up within the junction box.

sberry27 - Your suggestion might make the most sense.
 
  #6  
Old 02-06-03, 09:44 AM
P
Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: port chester n y
Posts: 1,983
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Try re-placing the box with a "C" condulet. A "C" condulet is a fitting near the diameter of the conduit and has an opening in the condulet body for implacing the wires into the conduit.Free one end of the wires by un-splicing the wires at the point nearest the box, and at the "box-to-be-removed" pull the wires out of the section of the conduit between the "splice" box and the "box-to-be-removed".Remove the box and using a "set-screw" conduit connector ,fit a "C" condulet on the end of the conduit that contains the wires.The other end of the condulet must be fitted to the end of the empty conduit and this can be done with conduit nipples and "set-screw" connectors and couplings for conduit.You may have to cut a short piece off the end of the empty conduit for the fit.Push/pull the wires back to the "splice-box",and fit the cover on the "C" condulet.----Done!!!-----Good Luck
 
  #7  
Old 02-06-03, 11:34 AM
brickeyee
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
The thing you saw covered with tape is a split bolt. They make very reliable splices in large conductors. I always use them at #8 and above, even though there are some big wirenuts available.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: