What’s Wrong Here? Hint: If Two Is Company, and Three’s a Crowd — What’s 10?

October Winners

Our winners this month include: Thomas K. Heath, CHE director of facility operations for Sampson Regional Medical Center in Clinton, N.C.; Ronnie Measamer, physical plant director for Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, N.C.; and Dan Frohberg, an instructor for Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb. They all correctly identified the following violations with this crowded conduit body.

According to the general requirements in 314.16, boxes and conduit bodies must have sufficient size to provide free space for all enclosed conductors. More specifically, 314.16(C)(2) permits only conduit bodies that are “durably and legibly marked by the manufacturer with their volume to contain splices, taps, or devices.” The maximum number of conductors permitted is calculated in accordance with 314.16(B). As per 314.16(B)(1), “each conductor that originates outside the box and terminates or is spliced within the box is counted once.” This fitting contains two orange, two blue, two white, and two green 12 AWG wires for a total of eight 12 AWG wires. According to Table 314.16(B), 2.25 cubic inches are needed for each 12 AWG wire. Therefore, a minimum volume of 18 cubic inches would be needed, and this volume would need to be marked by the manufacturer on the conduit body in order for it to contain any splices. However, the conduit body in the photo is an “SLB.” According to 314.16(C)(3) [Short Radius Conduit Bodies], “Conduit bodies such as capped elbows and service-entrance elbows that enclose conductors 6 AWG or smaller, and are only intended to enable the installation of the raceway and the contained conductors, shall not contain splices, taps, or devices.”