Help running conduit

[atariman]

Hey guys,

I've been surfing the forum and have gotten great tips but came upon
a problem that I couldn't google foo my way out of.

I'm running 2224 al USE-2 from the house to the shop. In the house I had plenty of room for the 90 and am able to get the cable fully enclosed. The problem comes at the garage side. The the conduit enters the garage via a LB in the center of the same stud bay as the breaker box.

The question is what is the best way to continue the conduit from here up to the box. How do I make that turn? Does it have to be totally encased in conduit inside the stud bay?

What would be the appropriate way to handle this. Any help of course is appreciated.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The USE Cable is prohibited for interior wiring.
You'll have to terminate the USE on the outside in a box, and splice to another wiring method.

 

[brewchief]

The USE Cable is prohibited for interior wiring.
You'll have to terminate the USE on the outside in a box, and splice to another wiring method.

The USE cable may be multi rated, MHF is USE,RHH and RHW-2 rated. URD may be what you are thinking of that can't be run inside.




Can you come up and directly into the back of the garage panel?

How about another LB? cover would have to be kept accessible and not buried under drywall.

 

[atariman]

You are correct that USE Cable cannot be run inside. However, I am running USE-2 which is also rated as RHW-2. It is fine to run indoors. But I'm pretty sure it needs to be fully encased in conduit.

I wouldn't want to run all the way up to the back as it is the visible side of the garage. I had considered a second LB, but the few things I found online said it was kind of hackey.

 

[May Pop]

Go from the LB via a short ****** into the back of a box inside or outside the stud bay. Then up to the panel with a piece of conduit. And yes protect it in the stud bay.

 

[atariman]

Would this be similar to using another LB in that I would need to leave the pull box accessible?

 

[atariman]

Would this be similar to using another LB, I would need to leave the pull box accessible?

 

[May Pop]

Exactly. The cover needs to be accessable.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The -2 suffix just means it is sunlight resistant.
The RHW part is where it matters.
The difference is that USE isn't flame resistant, whereas the RHW is.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Is there room to just bring the pipe up exterior of garage then go from the lb into the back of panel with a chase ******?

 

[logixjock]

Exactly. The cover needs to be accessable.

If there's no splice, why does the cover need to be accessible?

 

[May Pop]

Because if you bury it in the wall its a **** job.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Yes the cable needs to be in conduit indoors as there is no outer jacket. USE-2 is not a dual rating. RHH or RHW needs to be marked on the cable as well!

And it is against code to bury junction boxes, LBs, etc. in the wall!

 

[fury9]

because if you bury it in the wall its a **** job if thats the kind of work you do go back into the hole you climbed out of.

HAHA, I used to run may-pops lol

 

[bmxdad]

What about using a short 90 deg sweep, heat it to tighten the bend, and go from the LB and then up into the panel?

 

[May Pop]

BMX
Yes
Fury
What kind of tires are those?
May pops
What are may pop tires
Any day they may pop
Logix
How would it be if you sent your car to the body shop to have the front repaired. When you went to do a repair or modification the hood was welded shut. The same exact reason a J box is left accessable.

 

[Moonlighter]

New to the forum, so please excuse me if this isn't the proper place for me to ask a question. I just bought a piece of property with a concrete block shop I need to wire using EMT. I am not familiar with wiring with conduit. My question is do I need to run a seperate conductor for ground, or does the EMT serve as the ground. Thanks for your help!

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you want to stay in the stud bay, use another LB.

 

[logixjock]

Because if you bury it in the wall its a **** job if thats the kind of work you do go back into the hole you climbed out of.

Seriously? aww... never mind..

 

[alfredeneuman]

What about using a short 90 deg sweep, heat it to tighten the bend, and go from the LB and then up into the panel?

A short radius elbow would be against Code, in fact the LB might not be big enough.

The cable is to be bent to not less than radius of 5 times the diameter of the cable.

 

[brewchief]

If there's no splice, why does the cover need to be accessible?

If you ever have to pull new wire you won't be able to without access.

Conduit is designed to be run and the wire pulled afterwards, nothing should be done that will make it impossible to pull new wire at a later date.


Instead of using an LB outside it might be possible to use two 45s to offset into the wall cavity and straight up into the bottom of the panel.

You could drill through the bottom plate and through the stem wall or slab and bring a sweep out below grade.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

LB's are used all the time to run up a wall and then thru it. It was done from my meter down and thru the foundation, I see it done all the time, just a matter of selecting a conduit large enough for the wire and with LB's large enough to make the bends.

Personally, I would come up the wall outside and install and LB and come right into the back of the panelboard, if that is at all possible.

Charles

 

[logixjock]

If you ever have to pull new wire you won't be able to without access.

Conduit is designed to be run and the wire pulled afterwards, nothing should be done that will make it impossible to pull new wire at a later date.


Instead of using an LB outside it might be possible to use two 45s to offset into the wall cavity and straight up into the bottom of the panel.

You could drill through the bottom plate and through the stem wall or slab and bring a sweep out below grade.

OK, I can buy that. Wasn't realy thinking about the application either. I've never buried an LB or a J-Box where you couldn't get at it either, but 99% of my conduit runs are exposed. Never really thought about it before. I do appreciate the answer. I don't know what it is about slinging pipe in Illinois that gives people such an arrogant attitude....

 

[SALIV8]

New to the forum, so please excuse me if this isn't the proper place for me to ask a question. I just bought a piece of property with a concrete block shop I need to wire using EMT. I am not familiar with wiring with conduit. My question is do I need to run a seperate conductor for ground, or does the EMT serve as the ground. Thanks for your help!

It's not a bad idea to run a separate ground regardless, but would usually not be required.

The emt acts as the case ground. You will run ground wiring when terminating 240v devices in addition to the emt.

 

[bmxdad]

A short radius elbow would be against Code, in fact the LB might not be big enough.

The cable is to be bent to not less than radius of 5 times the diameter of the cable.

Just need to bend it to fit. It would be a bigger radius then an LB would give it.

 

[Norcal]

It's not a bad idea to run a separate ground regardless, but would usually not be required.

The emt acts as the case ground. You will run ground wiring when terminating 240v devices in addition to the emt.

A metallic conduit is a code compliant grounding conductor, unless the devices are self-grounding, a grounding pigtail from the box to the device will be required. If a separate grounding conductor is used & not done properly its a worse choice.

 

[teamextreme]

Nothing hack about back to back LB's. Not sure why anyone would say that. It's done all the time.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Just need to bend it to fit. It would be a bigger radius then an LB would give it.

A short radius conduit elbow:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-4-in-90-Degree-Short-Radius-Elbow-19007/100211450

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

Seriously? aww... never mind..

good man logix

 

[bmxdad]

A short radius conduit elbow:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-4-in-90-Degree-Short-Radius-Elbow-19007/100211450

Naaa ... I was talking about a normal 90 deg sweep. You can warm the material up and it acts like a rubber tube till it cools and hardens up.

 

[pattenp]

I ran MHF to my shop and used 2 LB's back to back to bring the cable in to the bottom of the panel. As said, need to leave the inside LB accessible.

 

[atariman]

Thanks for all the info.
I decided to run 2 LB's back to back. I used 1 1/2" conduit instead of 1 1/4 that was the minimum. This made pulling the cable and making the turns pretty easy.
The inside LB actually ended up lining up perfectly to the inside and will be flush with the outside face of the sheeting so everything will look good and be accessible.

Again, thanks for the help.

 

[SALIV8]

A metallic conduit is a code compliant grounding conductor, unless the devices are self-grounding, a grounding pigtail from the box to the device will be required. If a separate grounding conductor is used & not done properly its a worse choice.

Many devices require a separate ground. Not sure what you are talking about. Electric water heaters, baseboard heaters, stoves, many 240v items, just to name a few off the top of my head. Conduit is great and it's all I do. But it's not the only ground needed always. Lol

 

[Cmreschke]

What 240 volt appliance requires a seperate ground?
Per what?

 

[Norcal]

What 240 volt appliance requires a seperate ground?
Per what?

Urban Legend Code. Flexible metallic conduits do have limitations when used for grounding though.


BTW, I use a EGC in all conduits, but in most cases it is not required.

 

[SALIV8]

Conduit provides just a case ground for 240v appliances typically. Like motors, water heaters, compressors, etc. It is wise to run a separate ground conductor for safety. But I'm not gonna argue over the internet. Run your electric how ever you want.

 

[Boredmechanic]

A ground can be run through the conduit.

 

[Cmreschke]

Agreed on running a seperate ground wire, as that's what I do anyways, but, not required in most installs as you can take a pigtail from metallic junction box and there's your ground wire.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Conduit provides just a case ground for 240v appliances typically. Like motors, water heaters, compressors, etc. It is wise to run a separate ground conductor for safety. But I'm not gonna argue over the internet. Run your electric how ever you want.

Huh? Case ground as opposed to what other type of ground?

Grounding the frame or case of an appliance is the exact reason for a ground....Not sure what youre trying to say here!

 

[Norcal]

I usually run a separate grounding conductor but it is quite acceptable & code compliant to use a metallic conduit for equipment grounding, anyone saying it's bad practice is wrong.