is schedule 40 pvc an acceptable conduit for underground service.
up to AHJ???
home built in 1997
see pic
BY todays standards…NOPE…needs to be SCH 80 if subject to damage.
NOW that IS up to the AHJ to determine, generally SCH. 80 was clearly defined in the 2002 NEC and loosely defined before that so I would not be overly concerned on this being Sch. 40.
Schedule 40 PVC is okay for the portion buried in the bottom of the trench. The portion from the sweep to the meter is generally considered to be exposed to physical damage. Schedule 80 PVC is the only nonmetallic conduit rated for protection against physical damage. The sweep may even be required to be of sch 80, if it is of a sufficiently long radius that it might be near the surface. Most jurisdictions and/or utilities would have required schedule 80, if a nonmetallic raceway is chosen, for the raceway section pictured.
Really depends on the judgment of the AHJ, Sch.80 did not make it as a method of physical protection on the riser list until the 2002 NEC even if refered to in the section below. This inspection was done in 1997 and chances are the AHJ made the judgment call.
However as MARC stated it was given as a method in the 1999 under 300-5(d)
The problem with some AHJ’s is in the determination of “Physical Damage” as it says "Where enclosures or raceways is subject to physical damage…lets say in an area where it would be very hard to assume physical damage…are we always supposed assume it.
Anyway…as I stated in todays environement yes SCH.80 but I would not let that be a report flag issue
Man I left the 1999 CODE so long ago, the inspection was done in 1997 and chances are you were still under that 1996 NEC code( and I dont have one handy…sorry )…and someone saw Section 230-50 (a)(3) where it says " Rigid nonmetallic conduit suitable for the location " and then the got confused…
many thanks to you both, Paul and Marc.