conduit above ceiling

[smalltown]

I'm thinking how to wire a row of LED panel lights (using a surface mounting) kit from above my finished ceiling using conduit.

I have access to the trussed ceiling area. I want to run THHN in 1/2 inch EMT conduit. It's got to be conduit after seeing just what mice will do should they get at the wires.

My initial idea was to screw a handy box vertically to the truss.
I thought I could use the handy box as a kind of "T body", with conduit in from the source then down through a short stub of conduit into a pancake/ceiling fan box, then back up and out the other side of the handy box, and on to the next handy box etc. Since the surface mounting kits have no top the pancake would just be to terminate my conduit.

Then it came to me although I currently have 3" of rolled insulation my plan was to increase the depth with blown in insulation. If memory serves me correct I cannot bury the handy box even with insulation ?

Should I just run my conduit higher up in the truss, and increase the sub length ?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-1-2-in-Deep-5-9-cu-in-Ceiling-Fan-Box-with-Metal-Cover-CMB50/205383205

 

[PhysicsDude]

If it were me, I would run MC cable.... way easier than trying to bend and fit conduit in ceiling trusses.

Put a central box well above your insulation for every 4 light fixtures or so and then run an MC cable whip to each light..

That's my 2 cents anyway.

 

[Bert_]

Don't put boxes in the attic. Technically they might be accessible, but J-boxes should not be in the attic unless your doing rework or something.

Bend 90's down into a regular octagon or 4 square.

I like concealed pipe, very versatile. But it is more expensive and time consuming than romex or MC. With a little skill it can be done with reasonable speed.

 

[Norcal]

My low opinion of handy boxes is well known on this board, dropping a anvil on my foot is wiser then using those sh**ty boxes, use 4X4 boxes instead & life will be much better, but using metal clad cable will be easier as said already.

 

[smalltown]

Norcal your talking about this 4x4 as apposed to a 4x4x4 ? The 4x4 would give me a lot of room to work.

 

[Norcal]

Norcal your talking about this 4x4 as apposed to a 4x4x4 ? The 4x4 would give me a lot of room to work.

That is what I referenced in the earlier post, there are a few good uses of handy boxes, but very few there is no reason to stuff 10 pounds of manure in a 5 pound bag.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

My low opinion of handy boxes is well known on this board, dropping a anvil on my foot is wiser then using those sh**ty boxes, use 4X4 boxes instead & life will be much better, but using metal clad cable will be easier as said already.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Norcal your talking about this 4x4 as apposed to a 4x4x4 ? The 4x4 would give me a lot of room to work.

I think norcal was referring to 2x4 boxes,that's what I consider to be a handybox.

 

[Norcal]

I think norcal was referring to 2x4 boxes,that's what I consider to be a handybox.

I did mention 4X4 boxes which should have been referred to as 4 square boxes in my first post.

 

[smalltown]

It looks like MC cable always comes with the wire already inside ?

 

[Bert_]

It looks like MC cable always comes with the wire already inside ?

That's the point of MC, it's a cable. It's like romex but with a metal sheath.

If you want to pull your own wires then look at flexible conduit (FMC). It is about double the cost of EMT though.

 

[smalltown]

Thanks Bert your post are always helpful.

My original wiring layout was 1/2" EMT conduit on the ceiling with 4' led strip lighting. Now the light fixtures have evolved to LED flat panels. So I am questioning my EMT on the ceiling, wondering if it will look ok. I realize it's just a garage, but that's me.

So I have been doing the pros and cons of exposed conduit on the ceiling verses the additional work/cost of wiring from above. That said I have been searching the web without much success in finding pictures of exposed ceiling conduit.

I have ordered 2 flat panels and surface mounting kits so I can see how things go together, and how easy it will be to drill holes for a conduit connector(s), and not interfere with the panel install. 3 rows of 4 panels each.

As I see it I have three options:
1. Wire with conduit from above.
2. See if I can drill incoming and outgoing holes for EMT connectors with sort 3' pieces of EMT between fixtures.
3. Run the conduit parallel to the fixtures, and into a junction box at each fixture