Water in Conduit

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We have an 18 story condo building. A conduit runs up all 18 floors inside a concrete wall. The wiring provides power to hall way lights and lighting and plugs in store rooms on each floor. Wiring comes into each store room by conduit in the ceiling. When it rains water gets it into conduit and escapes in the electrical box on the ceiling on each floor. We cannot find the source of the water. 17th floor is last floor with storage room. The 18th floor has stairsteps to the roof.We can not find any place the water is coming into roof. We are not exactly sure where the end of conduit is. Is there a way to find the end and track down where water is entering the conduit.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
find a place above the 17th floor where you can drill a hole in the conduit and drill a drain hole. then fill around the wires inside the conduit with some kind of sealant so whatever water comes in the conduit goes out the hole.

go up on roof. get a couple boxes of food coloring. throw on roof. wash down with hose. see if colored water comes out hole in conduit.
 

Jon456

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
I would try to follow the conduit from the 17th floor electrical box up to the roof (if it penetrates the exterior) or where ever it terminates in the 18th floor ceiling.It must go somewhere and that somewhere is where the water is entering.

Perhaps you could try blowing a non-toxic smoke into the conduit from the 17th floor electrical box.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Conduit maybe buried shallow from exterior and water is leaking into raceway via the wall and into fittings?
Maybe even is shallow in wall and something was drilled into the raceway at some time leaving a path from outside for water to enter?

Roof drain piping in close proximity to raceways and something gone wrong with drain piping and it somehow backs up into your raceway?
Someone fished your raceway in question through roof drain piping, it is leaking some at fittings, maybe even some contribution from condensation?
 
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