Surface mounted boxes/conduit for shop power?

[The Frisco Kid]

Anyone have some links to projects with metal or PVC conduit to receptacles in a shop surface mount application? I don't want to do wire mold due to cost, but I'd like to see some finished installs before I turn in my electrical final design to our builder. I think the surface mount looks good (think shop class meets high end industrial loft). Personal experience preferred!

 

[ChevyIINova]

I second that. I am heading down the same path and would love to see/hear from those that have completed jobs/projects like this.

 

[hh76]

I don't have any pics, but I like having the exposed conduits and boxes. It gives it kind of an industrial look, and it makes it easy to tap a circuit when you want another outlet in a specific location.

Do not use PVC, in my opinion, it looks like a rookie install.

 

[Falcon67]

I don't have pics - will try to post some later - but I'm using MC cable and boxes for some of my layout. Easier, cheaper and easy to change later.

 

[Full Throttle]

don't use pvc, use metal conduit or MC cable

do a layout of your plans first

 

[Stuart in MN]

Nothing wrong with PVC if it's installed and supported correctly. I use it all the time in industrial applications where moisture or corrosion is a concern. If it's painted, most people won't notice the difference.

 

[jvitez]

Wow, that looks great! I'd much rather work with PVC and bending conduit. I never knew you could paint PVC pipe. I thought paint wouldn't stick properly. Any special type of primer/paint needed to paint PVC?

 

[bob_mp]

I wired my garage in EMT with surface-mounted metal boxes mounted to plywood. I'll try to post up some pics tomorrow.

I am struggling with the same question right now on the new garage I am about to build (21'x45') I see three advantages to the approach and one downside as compared to Romex under the drywall.

1. I am really confident in the EMT installation. I hang all kinds of things up with screws or nails into the plywood. No chance of accidentally hitting wires.
2. It's really easy to modify. I have made a few changes and added some outlets over the years, including a 100A 220 circuit for my phase converter. If you go this route, leave poly lines in place for fishing wires.
3. The biggest: you don't need to figure out where everything goes in advance.

The thing I don't like about it is that it interferes with placing cabinets on the walls and storing things up high.

I'm positive I'll want to change things after I put in the electrical. I'm looking at 3 options:

1. Run Romex for the 120 and light 240 stuff and plan on running EMT for the welder, the 3 phase, and the filtered power outlets,
2. run surface mount EMT over plywood, or
3. run EMT on the studs and use furring strips to hang the gyp board and plywood so that the outlets are flush.

If I go with option 1, I will run 12-3 Romex to the outlets with both phases, so I can wire for 240 or 120. I plan on adding a crazy number of boxes.

I welcome feedback as well.

Best,
Bob

 

[vartz04]

why not run the EMT between the studs like when they build a house. Drill the holes and run the conduit through the studs and avoid the furing strips all together. To me using the strips to space it out seems like a hack job.

 

[bob_mp]

why not run the EMT between the studs like when they build a house. Drill the holes and run the conduit through the studs and avoid the furing strips all together. To me using the strips to space it out seems like a hack job.

It does seem like a hack. I'd appreciate some guidance on how to do this. There is no issue in pre-drilling all of the studs so the EMT can be slid into place from the end of the building.

What do you do about getting the conduit around the corners? Do you bump out the drywall and hide the conduit behind it?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[2leftthumbs]

I'm in the middle of wiring my shop. I ran EMT from the panel up to 8', then ran MC cable to J-boxes. Dropped down with EMT to 4"square device boxes, at 52". Tried to avoid horizontal runs on the lower walls.

 

[lion29]

Would schedule 40 be fine or 80pvc?

 

[Stuart in MN]

Would schedule 40 be fine or 80pvc?

Schedule 80 has thicker walls so it's more durable and less likely to sag, but schedule 40 will work as well - I think it comes down to your budget and availability, the local big box store is more likely to have schedule 40 in stock.

As for painting it, I don't think there's any real tricks - clean it and scuff the surface, so the paint has something to grip on to.

 

[vartz04]

when you put the conduit through the corners you just make a bed out of a short piece or use flex metal conduit and route it through and then coupler it to the long straight run. It isn't hard you just need to plan ahead as you do it. Say you have a 11' long wall you would cut your conduit to say 9' and then make a bend with a 1' stub off the end and then put that in with the coupler connecting it to the 9' piece.

 

[Jbullfrog]

I have my electrical and air lines surface mounted. It looks nice with the black pipe and silver conduit against the white walls and ceiling. Most of the runs are 1/2" with a 3/4 across the ceiling to the far side and a 2" across the door opening to a junction box.

 

[Sureshot]

I ran my wiring in the walls of my pole build but used surface mount boxes. That way I can run PVC off the box for any kind of expansion etc. I also ran some extra boxes and wire and left them out half way up the 16' walls. They have all been used now.