buried junction boxes


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Old 08-28-20, 10:19 AM
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buried junction boxes

I have located two buried junction box just below grade.

I believe at one point in time it was above grade, then some grading was done at that part of the yard was raised by may be 6" to 8" when they created a koi pond.

After clearing out the dirt and rocks around it I found two junction boxes. One has low voltage wires and phone wires which I believe to be for an alarm system, exterior door bell etc...that is no longer in use. That metal junction box's lower half was completely rusted out. I am not that concerned about that box - although I may do some more tracing to determine if these wires may be useful for something else - but not that important right now.

The other junction box contains #14 conductors for various exterior 120V things such as a gate motor for an exterior sliding gate, a dusk to dawn sconce at the gate, a GFCI electrical receptacle used to pump air into the pond.







The box has been detached from the conduits from below for I don't know how long, water and dirt has gotten inside the conduits, the female adapter threads on top is all broken and caked with some glue or caulk. After removing the cover plate to that box, screws were rusted out too, I found the conductors inside are connected with silicone wire nuts. How do I undo the wire nuts? It doesn't twist off, I don't know may be the silicone inside has cured & hardened?

The conduits are 1/2" PVC conduits, in some sort of thick plastic sleeve. I am thinking I need to raise the pipes higher for a new junction box, but I need to save as much of the wiring as possible, some of the conductors inside the box are shorter like 4", so I can't raise the box too much unless I go with a half buried box again. Once I untangled all the wiring, and remove the box, I am planning to cut the conduits with a close quarter tubing cutter right below the male adapters, then put in a coupling, a short piece of pipe, then new male adapter, and connect to a higher box. Or is there a better way?

First I need to remove the silicone wire nuts, don't want to cut them as I want to retain as much wire as possible.
 
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Old 08-28-20, 10:23 AM
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just realized there is no way even with a close quarter tubing cutter I can cut the right side conduits (and sleeves) with them next to each other like that. What else can I use that would not risk cutting the wiring inside?

Buy a short piece of copper HVAC tubing like 12" long, slide it down the inside of the conduit with the wiring running through to protect the conductors, then cut with the smallest possible hack saw?
 
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Old 08-28-20, 10:25 AM
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but I need to save as much of the wiring as possible, some of the conductors inside the box are shorter like 4", so I can't raise the box too much unless I go with a half buried box again.
You can splice new wire using wire nuts, so length isn't a problem. I'd just cut the wires where they enter the silicone wire nuts.

Though I guess you'd need an access panel if any wire connections are made below grade and are covered.

One of the pros would be better able to answer, but I believe the work you're doing might be considered modification of a circuit, which would trigger requirement to bring all devices on this circuit up to current code for your jurisdiction.
 
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Old 08-28-20, 11:43 AM
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You can splice new wire using wire nuts, so length isn't a problem. I'd just cut the wires where they enter the silicone wire nuts.


The splicing needs to happen inside a junction box, and I want to keep the junction box as high as possible, and yet still have some reasonable length of the conductors (looks like THHN) inside the box for the splicing so length does matter unless I am missing something.
 
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Old 08-28-20, 02:53 PM
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U can buy a flexible rough steel cable that will cut pvc. Found with finger loops and it wraps around tube like yours.
 
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Old 08-29-20, 09:00 AM
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good idea, I will get a cable wire saw and make the cut.

any idea if the silicone filled wire nuts can be removed? or do I need to crack and break them with brute force?
 
 

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