Preferred conduit for protection on brick walls

[75gmck25]

The interior of my garage walls are unfinished brick, so I will need conduit to protect the wiring until its up above the ceiling. I am planning for one lighting circuit, a couple of 20 amp circuits for bench receptacles, exterior 20 amp receptacle circuit, and in the future a couple of higher amperage circuits for larger tools. All this comes off a 60 amp Square D QO sub-panel.

I can run PVC or metal solid conduit from the wall boxes up to ceiling level, or I assume I can also use flexible MC wiring. I've also looked at the flexible liquid-tite conduit, but I'm not sure this provides the required protection.

What's the preferred conduit for this application? I've never worked with MC cable, so I don't know how difficult it is to install. However, I've also never tried to figure out an effective layout for rigid conduit, and that seems fairly complicated.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[Norcal]

MC has the same requirements as NM cable that it be protected from physical damage, rigid, or it's cheaper cousin IMC, would require threading, the best choice would be EMT, cheap enough to practice bending with before undertaking the project., & buying a bender is not a deal breaker

 

[LS6 Tommy]

X2 on the EMT.

Tommy

 

[prostreetamx]

You could just use the rigid where it would be subject to damage and switch to EMT after that. A 3/4" EMT bender will bend 1/2" rigid.

 

[manwithtools]

No need for rigid in residential garage or shop, really little need for it anywhere anymore unless in heavy industrial or explosive atmospheres. Do as Norcal says and use EMT. Plenty of YouTube videos and how-to-do on the net. A little planning and it will look so much better than other solutions. It's cheap to learn or fix a mistake. Easy to make changes to later on if needed.

 

[75gmck25]

Thanks for the input. It sounds like EMT is the right solution, especially if I can buy one bender and use it for both 3/4" and 1/2'.

Bruce

 

[Norcal]

Thanks for the input. It sounds like EMT is the right solution, especially if I can buy one bender and use it for both 3/4" and 1/2'.

Bruce

You will need both 1/2" and 3/4" EMT benders, trying to use a 3/4" EMT bender on 1/2" will not go well.

 

[Paperman]

How often will you really need to bend 3/4"?

 

[arkieguide]

Sound like if you are only going from outlets on the wall to ceiling height ? You should not have to bend conduit ? just run 1/2" emt straight up from outlet box to ceiling put another box and change to romex for in the ceiling. A joint of emt is 10 foot long - 1 joint of emt, and 2 box's, and 2 connectors. for each out let are come down with emt to one box and run emt from that box level along the wall to another box, for 2 outlet box's on one down pipe.Good luck with your project.

 

[92nsx]

Personally use all 3/4" EMT. Never know when you want to add a circuit and with 3/4" it is eazer to push/pull the wires threw. I only had to fish tape one line in my install for the overhead lights. The bender head for EMT are cheap enough. About $10 and have a provision for a 3/4" black pipe in the center for a handle.

 

[pattenp]

If you are using Romex you can sleeve it with EMT from the box up to the ceiling and use an EMT plastic bushing on the end of the EMT where the Romex exits. You don't need to use individual wires in the EMT and change to Romex via another box at the ceiling.