# Pipe through wood studs



## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

This topic may have already been brought up many times but I didn't see anything on it.

I love steel studs in this situation, but working with wood studs, running metal conduit horizontally, do you prefer to:

A - Center drill and fish in the longest pieces you can with couplings

B- notch the face of the studs (so long as its non load bearing and dealing with 1/2" or 3/4" pipe)

C - screw that ... Always Spider down from ceiling (or up from basement) regardless of how much extra length youll add to the runs, no horizontals

D - youre a wizard and can flex long sticks through wall without any nonsense


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Commercial? Or residential?


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

Im thinking about residential. 

Just prematurely thinking out some of the runs in my house and how im going to do the layout


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## Eaglei (Aug 1, 2012)

wireless, it's already being used commercially and I saw on the news that it's coming out big in 2015.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Flexible conduit.


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

Talk to Ron, I think he pipes all his houses where he's at.

Are you in an area where it's required? if not, why not just run NM?


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

TxElectrician said:


> Talk to Ron, I think he pipes all his houses where he's at. Are you in an area where it's required? if not, why not just run NM?


No, we can use NM here but i prefer EMT and ive already rebuilt about everything but the roof here.

My first property... 124 year old house... New construction next time!

Walls are all open so no matter how i plan it, installing emt wont be much extra hassle.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

What is the exterior wall cladding and do you plan on redoing it in the near future? If I can get into a job before the exterior finish is on or it is being redone I have no problem drilling through the and passing the pipe in from the outside. Best way to do recessed lights. 

I drill the studs 1-1/8" (center point of the bit is at 1-1/8) from the face of the stud using a 7/8" bit. The 1/2" EMT will flex right in.

Tom


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## Red Adobe (Jul 26, 2008)

Why would you want emt inside a wall?


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Red Adobe said:


> Why would you want emt inside a wall?


Required by code.

Easy to run additional feeds in the future.

Easy to upgrade service.

Easy to add devices.

Protects the wires.


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## Mshow1323 (Feb 18, 2013)

Take you 1-1/8 auger bit and drill the stud so only the skin of the stud is left (3/4 or so). You'll be able to slide your pipe in smooth as silk.



> 300.4(A)(1)
> Exception No. 1 Steel plates shall not be required to protect RMC, IMC, PVC, or EMT


To paraphrase, you don't need steel plates.


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

Mshow1323 said:


> Take you 1-1/8 auger bit and drill the stud so only the skin of the stud is left (3/4 or so). You'll be able to slide your pipe in smooth as silk. To paraphrase, you don't need steel plates.


 im surprised you dont need protection for rigid NM conduit. I never noticed that. I guess driving a screw, it would deflect off the pipe before cutting through?

PVC water and drains require protection in any plumbing codes ive seen.


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## Mshow1323 (Feb 18, 2013)

dielectricunion said:


> im surprised you dont need protection for rigid NM conduit. I never noticed that. I guess driving a screw, it would deflect off the pipe before cutting through?
> 
> PVC water and drains require protection in any plumbing codes ive seen.


Rigid NM pipe. Huh? 
RMC, IMC, likely will not get penetrated by a screw. EMT will deflect most screws, however with a direct hit it will still go through. It's just very unlikely. Obviously PVC will not help much, although an acceptable practice, PVC isn't generally inside the walls for electric to begin with.


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

Mshow1323 said:


> Rigid NM pipe. Huh? RMC, IMC, likely will not get penetrated by a screw. EMT will deflect most screws, however with a direct hit it will still go through. It's just very unlikely. Obviously PVC will not help much, although an acceptable practice, PVC isn't generally inside the walls for electric to begin with.


I think i quoted the wrong post in my last reply. I will not be using PVC or HDPE conduit - i was just surprised that code allows rigid NM to be run in "nailing zones" without 1/16 steel plate


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## Mshow1323 (Feb 18, 2013)

dielectricunion said:


> I think i quoted the wrong post in my last reply. I will not be using PVC or HDPE conduit - i was just surprised that code allows rigid NM to be run in "nailing zones" without 1/16 steel plate


I think you're slightly off kilter. HDPE pipe is for water and sewer, and NM cannot be rigid, it's romex. So NM needs a nailing plate, and Rigid metallic Conduit (RMC) does not. 
As a rule of thumb, if you pull wire through it, with the exemption of Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing (ENT), it doesn't need a nailing plate. If it's a multi wire cable, it needs a nailing plate. And the raceway (pipe) must be UL listed for electrical wiring.

I hope that clears it up better


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

Mshow1323 said:


> I think you're slightly off kilter. HDPE pipe is for water and sewer, and NM cannot be rigid, it's romex. So NM needs a nailing plate, and Rigid metallic Conduit (RMC) does not. As a rule of thumb, if you pull wire through it, with the exemption of Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing (ENT), it doesn't need a nailing plate. If it's a multi wire cable, it needs a nailing plate. And the raceway (pipe) must be UL listed for electrical wiring. I hope that clears it up better


This is getting very confusing!

By NM conduit, i was meaning non metal conduit (PVC, HDPE, or RTRC) not NM cable.

Im surprised that a nailing plate is not required for those raceways.

RTRC is basically fiberglass so id imagine its strongest, but never run behind walls


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

RNC----ridged non-metallic conduit, not ridged NM. 

Comes in Sch-40 or 80. 

Tom


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

Im using EMT, not NM cable or any type of plastic conduit


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Just wire that sob in romex.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

If its a bearing wall you can drill your hole and use the stud shoe... we do this all the time especially in the kitchen area where the sink goes in front of a window for the vent pipe in most cases.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

This is what can happen if you don't use a stud shoe.

It is less expensive to do a new EMT install here than an NM install. 

Tom


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

dielectricunion said:


> Im using EMT, not NM cable or any type of plastic conduit


Go read my post on how to drill and do your install. 

Another thing, if your recalling the home drill through the corner studs and sheathing, pass in runs from the exterior. Done this many times on new installs.

Tom


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

tjbnwi said:


> This is what can happen if you don't use a stud shoe. It is less expensive to do a new EMT install here than an NM install. Tom


 thats ridiculous! Who in their right mind would carve those studs without adding reinforcement!?

How is it cheaper to run conduit than NM? Where is this - cedar tucky IN?

Ive never used romex before, ive only worked with emt and Greenfield/flex, but hard to believe NM wouldnt be somewhat faster to run.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

dielectricunion said:


> thats ridiculous! Who in their right mind would carve those studs without adding reinforcement!?
> 
> How is it cheaper to run conduit than NM? Where is this - cedar tucky IN?
> 
> Ive never used romex before, ive only worked with emt and Greenfield/flex, but hard to believe NM wouldnt be somewhat faster to run.


Don't know who, but someone did..........

Anywhere I have the option to do either. On small jobs NM is less expensive, on on larger projects EMT is less expensive.

Tom


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## bartstop (Dec 9, 2013)

I don't understand how emt could ever be less expensive than romex. 1/2" conduit itself costs more per foot than romex, then you have to figure in connectors, couplings, boxes, straps and wire. On top of all that you'll have 3 or 4 times the labor cost.


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