Need Your Opinions Please

[Maddog3355]

We are building a shop and 2 car garage. We were wondering if you guys had it to do over again would you just run the cheap conduit that you can use a hand bender on or go with conventional wiring in the wall?

 

[KEH]

I went with conduit years ago on the outside of the block wall. no problems.

KEH

 

[Uncle murph]

We are building a shop and 2 car garage. We were wondering if you guys had it to do over again would you just run the cheap conduit that you can use a hand bender on or go with conventional wiring in the wall?

Definitely conduit, I aint hosting weddings out there and to easy to add or modify as needed.

 

[BigGarage]

We are building a shop and 2 car garage. We were wondering if you guys had it to do over again would you just run the cheap conduit that you can use a hand bender on or go with conventional wiring in the wall?

What type of wall?

 

[acer66]

Stick I would plan well ahead and run NM inside of the wall.

If block I would run conduit close to the ceiling with well placed deep 4x4 boxes and drop needed feeds from them.

I used 3/4” conduit for that but my shop is small and little electrical needs.

Could also do a mixture, in the garage in the wall and conduit in the shop.

 

[Maddog3355]

What type of wall?

2 x6 pine

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

If stick built I'd run 12 GA NM in the walls. Put in plenty of 120V outlets (including outdoor). Run 240V where you want it. If the main panel isn't in the shop area put a sub panel there.

 

[AC-WC]

What advantage do you see in using conduit? With standard 2X6 walls I would drill and run the wire.
When mom's 36X60 horse barn was done she was talked into running conduit Not required by code. 25 yrs ago it cost her $5K when it should have been closer to $1000-1500 without conduit. Now the conduit is rusting in several places and will eventually need replaced. On her next barn at the end of September I'm doing standard 12/2 NM and should be <$8-1000 including romex, lights and exterior rated boxes at today's prices. I've never liked the look of conduit in a finished building.

 

[Moss]

If it's a shop I like conduit, I went with conduit for my circuits down the walls using 4" boxes with four outlets in each box. For all the ceiling stuff lights, fans etc. I used armor cable. I am currently changing some things around and conduit with the larger boxes makes it so much easier. I would do it the same way again.

 

[930dreamer]

Well, in my 1957 shop the romex just lays on(truss) the oil field type pipe that it's built from. LOL I'm no help!

 

[drmarkr]

If stick built I'd run 12 GA NM in the walls. Put in plenty of 120V outlets (including outdoor). Run 240V where you want it. If the main panel isn't in the shop area put a sub panel there.

This....

 

[rsanter]

You need to install power in the ceiling at key locations to use the retractable cord reels.
99% of the time for a quick plug in that’s what I use.
Power outlet in the wall,is for stuff that sits there

 

[racecougar]

EMT here. The several times that I've made additions/changes over the past five years have only reinforced my choice.

Adding this air scrubber for example. All I had to do was add two boxes to the existing belt line to create a switched outlet for it. Piecing that together and wiring it in might have taken a half hour, tops.

I started out with 52 outlets when I first built the shop. You'd think, "that should cover it all", but new things/ideas pop up over time. It's super handy to be able to easily modify the wiring to suit.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, my opinion does not matter. If the walls are finished, I probably would run conduit on the surface. If the shop walls are not up yet I might run EMT or Cable. In an industrial shop I would not use NM Cable.

 

[dcg9381]

We are building a shop and 2 car garage. We were wondering if you guys had it to do over again would you just run the cheap conduit that you can use a hand bender on or go with conventional wiring in the wall?

I've done it both ways in the shop. If I was doing drywall, I'd go outside the wall. I used PVC as I'm not tooled up for the metal stuff.

 

[Mike65]

We did not finish the interior walls of our garage/shop & the electrician who did all the electric did all the wiring in metal conduit, then we had it spray foam insulated & painted it white.

 

[larry_g]

I have both and planned it this way. The lighting and most of the outlets are romex in the wall. The machines are done with conduit. In planning this I left the wall covering in the stud bay above the electrical panel screwed on so that I can remove a panel above the e-box and add wiring as necessary. I also created a 'chase' along the top of the wall where I can run wiring. The chase also has a screw on covering. My theory was install what you can in the wall but make it easy to get wiring out of the e-box and to places where electrical needs will change as machines come and go.

 

[ycgoat]

I just followed code and considered future expansion. My shop is like pictured above so I ran 3/4” conduit up high on the front an back wall with 4-11/16” junction boxes strategically placed. Any outlets and switches below 8’ are in 3/4” conduit, Lights and outlets above 8’ I used armored cable.

If I had finished walls I would still run conduit up high for future expansion, but use NM cable down the walls and recessed outlets.

 

[nadogail]

I just followed code and considered future expansion. My shop is like pictured above so I ran 3/4” conduit up high on the front an back wall with 4-11/16” junction boxes strategically placed. Any outlets and switches below 8’ are in 3/4” conduit, Lights and outlets above 8’ I used armored cable.

If I had finished walls I would still run conduit up high for future expansion, but use NM cable down the walls and recessed outlets.

Why not use MC Cable in an industrial environment? IMHO, NM is for residential locations.

 

[ycgoat]

Why not use MC Cable in an industrial environment? IMHO, NM is for residential locations.

I like MC over NM especially where exposed and visible, but for concealed behind drywall I would save a few pennies and use NM.