# Conduit?



## jkonks (Aug 28, 2010)

Im working on rewiring my shop and Im not sure on what conduit to buy sch40 or metal, Was wondering what you guys use and why? In my 20+ years in the trade's I never had to mess with it !


----------



## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

EMT all the way. Easy to work with and doesn't get brittle when cold.


----------



## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Totally up to you. EMT will look better, but for i myself like PVC because i have very little experience bending EMT and the PVC is very flexable and can be bent with a little heat.


----------



## jkonks (Aug 28, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys!
Ya I was thinking EMT at the start, then realized sch 40 was half the cost and a little easier to work with. I think im going with plastic


----------



## Sparxx (Feb 6, 2011)

Not sure what the codes are in your area, but PVC is strictly for outdoors. Once the raceway enters the interior of a building it has to be done in metal (vice versa for metal raceway).


----------



## jw0445 (Feb 10, 2011)

Sparxx said:


> Not sure what the codes are in your area, but PVC is strictly for outdoors. Once the raceway enters the interior of a building it has to be done in metal (vice versa for metal raceway).


Code reference please ?


----------



## John Valdes (Apr 14, 2010)

Sparxx said:


> Not sure what the codes are in your area, but PVC is strictly for outdoors. Once the raceway enters the interior of a building it has to be done in metal (vice versa for metal raceway).


Bull. PVC conduit is used indoors all the time. Where did this old wives tale come from? It's a new one on me. You are wrong on both counts. Visa Versa. Both.

OP. Using PVC inside and exposed will look like crap. Use EMT. You asked for advice and then you go against everyones advice.
Go ahead and use PVC. That way all you friends can make fun of how hack it looks.


----------



## Sparxx (Feb 6, 2011)

Bull? just went through this with ESA last week. As I said...different geographics have different codes.


----------



## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

John Valdes said:


> Bull. PVC conduit is used indoors all the time. Where did this old wives tale come from? It's a new one on me. You are wrong on both counts. Visa Versa. Both


Not an electrician, not picking sides and trying to stay out of it. But several Puget Sound cities circa 2007+ do not allow PVC conduit inside walls of Type II and III commercial buildings when used for mercintile, office and restaurant use. Don't know the actual authority this is based on.

And this has nothing to do with the OP


----------



## jkonks (Aug 28, 2010)

John Valdes said:


> Bull. PVC conduit is used indoors all the time. Where did this old wives tale come from? It's a new one on me. You are wrong on both counts. Visa Versa. Both.
> 
> OP. Using PVC inside and exposed will look like crap. Use EMT. You asked for advice and then you go against everyones advice.
> Go ahead and use PVC. That way all you friends can make fun of how hack it looks.


 First off I dident install any thing yet. second it dosent matter how it looks, its in side the wall. nobody will see it!


----------



## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Sparxx said:


> Bull? just went through this with ESA last week. As I said...different geographics have different codes.


So how about a Code reference then?


----------



## Sparxx (Feb 6, 2011)

480sparky said:


> So how about a Code reference then?


When I have a minute, I'll post that for you (I don't typically walk around with a code book in hand).


----------



## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

Sparxx said:


> When I have a minute, I'll post that for you (I don't typically walk around with a code book in hand).


 but you do with a computer :clap:times are changing


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

If its going inside the walls do you need conduit?

EMT looks better than plastic, boxes are cheap, no need for elbows ...


----------



## jkonks (Aug 28, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> If its going inside the walls do you need conduit?
> 
> EMT looks better than plastic, boxes are cheap, no need for elbows ...


Ya I bought 3 500' rolls of 12 awg thn wire about 10 years ago at a hardware closing sale $5 a roll and I havent touched it yet, would like to just use it up! elbows are not a problem since I would only need 3-4 for all my runs.

Other than looks I didnt know if I was missing something that I would not want to use plastic.


----------



## John Valdes (Apr 14, 2010)

Sparxx said:


> Bull? just went through this with ESA last week. As I said...different geographics have different codes.


I would hope a Canadian electrician would chime in here. I don't know Canadian code, but no PVC inside? And no metal outside? Does not make sense, as we can do both here in the US.


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> If its going inside the walls do you need conduit?
> 
> EMT looks better than plastic, boxes are cheap, no need for elbows ...


i, too, am wondering why you're using conduit if it's inside a wall...


----------



## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

aptpupil said:


> i, too, am wondering why you're using conduit if it's inside a wall...


 Because it is a local code some places..Chi-town for one IIRC....


----------



## jkonks (Aug 28, 2010)

aptpupil said:


> i, too, am wondering why you're using conduit if it's inside a wall...


Its code, you cant pull thn wire though a wall without it being in conduit. :thumbsup:


----------



## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

jkonks said:


> Its code, you cant pull thn wire though a wall without it being in conduit. :thumbsup:


 You can in California....Like I said,it's a regional thing.


----------



## John Valdes (Apr 14, 2010)

jkonks said:


> Its code, you cant pull thhn wire though a wall without it being in conduit. :thumbsup:


That is correct.



JumboJack said:


> You can in California....Like I said,it's a regional thing.


That is incorrect. Terribly incorrect. :no:


----------



## one man show (Dec 20, 2010)

*Conduit*

Dont do it jack in the box. 
Completely illegal


----------



## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> That is correct.
> 
> 
> 
> That is incorrect. Terribly incorrect. :no:





one man show said:


> Dont do it jack in the box.
> Completely illegal


I'm talking about romex.....Didn't catch the thhn part.
Point being that in some parts of the country you can't even use romex you have to have everything in conduit.
The only place I know that is true for sure is the Chicago area.


----------



## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

yeah, i was thinking romex. didn't catch the thhn part, in which case it makes sense.
chicago requires conduit for everything? what a PITA.


----------



## pjmurph2002 (Oct 4, 2009)

aptpupil said:


> yeah, i was thinking romex. didn't catch the thhn part, in which case it makes sense.
> chicago requires conduit for everything? what a PITA.


I worked in Cali for a while, and ran a bunch of romex - didn't care for it. Guys in Chicago can pipe a house extremely fast. It is like anything, the more you work with it the faster you get.


----------



## Tiger (Nov 21, 2007)

I ran my shop with EMT on top of the drywall. Easy-peasy. If I change my mind & want a 240V outlet anywhere, I pull wire to an existing box & change the outlet & add a breaker.


----------



## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

I agree on that one, if the space is one that conduit will not be objectionable nothing better than exposed pipe. Need another light, no problem.

Built myself a garage a few years ago to look sort of like a carraige house. Decided to do an industrial look inside and use exposed emt. As I look back, I wish the 2 or three things I put in the wall were piped in too.
:sad:


----------

