Wiring/conduit question....

kaiser715

kaiser715

Doing hard time
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Location
7, Pocket, NC
question simplified:

What is the proper and best way to run multiple surface mount EMT conduits thru an interior partition wall, without looking like crap?
 
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I'd do BX... It's going to cost a fortune regardless, but BX will be faster.
 
kaiser715 said:
I am working on my shop wiring and the interior partitions.

Walls are steel stud framed (cause they are 22' high at tallest point), with 7/8 hat channel on 4' horizontal spacing to catch the masterrib metal panels. I have 3 intersecting walls that divide the building into 3 "rooms".

Wiring is going to be in surface mount EMT conduit (some 1/2, some 3/4).

What is the best (and/or proper) way to run the conduit thru the interior walls? The RV bay won't be too bad, as there will be only (iirc) 4 circuits.....outlets, lighting, 30amp RV plug, and door opener.

The welding/fab area, will have lighting, outlets, several weld/plasma/machine 240v receps, door opener, etc. I could run a single larger conduit there and put in a subpanel which would make for a cleaner install I guess (only 1 conduit to pass thru), but would add a bit more cost, plus would have to farm out bending 1.25 or 1.5 EMT.

In most cases, the conduit will come straight across, perpendicular into the wall, then turn down the wall (LB) once it passes thru. (but...can't do a set-screw EMT connector *inside* the wall....). I have thought about maybe putting a large junction box or trough/gutter box on either side, running everything thru that, connecting boxes back to back with short (6" segments) of large PVC.

This will be inspected, BTW.
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Its probably because I've been drinking home brew and watching football, but I can't understand your question.
You are say g you don't want to run the conduit before the walls are up?
I mean you can retro very drops with connectors and just put the lock ring in the box...but his that what you are asking?

MC drops would certainly be easier.

If you end up needing cases to a bender let me know.

I'll reread tomorrow when I'm seeing single
 
Ron said:
but I can't understand your question.
You are say g you don't want to run the conduit before the walls are up?
I mean you can retro very drops with connectors and just put the lock ring in the box...but his that what you are asking?
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Yep, going to surface-mount conduit. Flexibility and future-proofing among other reasons.

Problem/question is how to pass thru that interior partition neatly and correctly.

(Unlike what I found recently when I went to look at doing a network wiring project for a buddy....electrician at some point took a sledgehammer and busted a 12"x12" hole in a brick firewall above the grid ceiling, for a single 1" EMT conduit.)
 
I too am having a little difficulty figuring out your question. I’m pretty decent at bending conduit myself as well, but normally I would just get a hole saw a little bigger than whatever size raceway I’m using, drill a thru-hole in a wall, and keep running my circuit. But maybe I’m missing something here? Also you can use a compression fitting inside a wall if that’s what has got you caught up on a set screw inside a wall cavity. Either way, you terminate your raceway on your box first, then mount the box.
 
Ron said:
but I can't understand your question.
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336wheeler said:
I too am having a little difficulty figuring out your question.
Click to expand...

I have evidently confused a bunch of smart people. Edited first post to remove extra info and simplify the question.


kaiser715 said:
question simplified:

What is the proper and best way to run multiple surface mount EMT conduits thru an interior partition wall, without looking like crap?
Click to expand...
 
If they are straight runs just use a hole saw 1/8 -1/4 larger and then back caulk it.

on a related note...this is a finished electrical room I walked into a couple weeks back. Top quality work here.

08BF5BF5-FE77-4106-9212-26CF08D882B8.jpeg
EABB1F2E-E76B-42D5-ADB0-B8F0DB9EBBEC.jpeg
 
You could always just make a short nipple or 3" piece of emt with male connectors on each end and screw a deep 4 square box to the wall on both sides. Run whatever other conduits are in each room to the box?
 
Ron said:
If they are straight runs just use a hole saw 1/8 -1/4 larger and then back caulk it.

on a related note...this is a finished electrical room I walked into a couple weeks back. Top quality work here.

View attachment 325770 View attachment 325771
Click to expand...
Jesus my head hurts just looking at that! No wonder you were drinking home brew & seeing double!
 
What @Ron said. Myself and eleventybillion other electricians would use a pilot bit to line up both sides of the hole on either side of the wall, then chase the pilot with a hole saw. Then use silicone or fire caulk if needed for the application.

You’re right, you can use multiple 2” stubbies into a trough and that works well, but I would only consider going that route myself if I had at least 5+ circuits.

@kaiser715 Take a picture of the wall penetration in question
 
shawn said:
That's why you put it inside the wall.
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Not sure how his wall is finished but I ran mine above the top of the metal sheeting in my shop at work. Doesn't look too bad to me just for a place to work.
20200914_103616.jpg
 
Been entertaining family and didn't have a good opportunity to reply until now.

Fabrik8 said:
What's the partition wall material? Light gauge steel and drywall?
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336wheeler said:
Take a picture of the wall penetration in question
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Partition walls are metal stud, with horizontal hat channel, with 29ga masterrib liner panels on both sides.

No finished pics, cause walls are going up now.

336wheeler said:
What @Ron said. Myself and eleventybillion other electricians would use a pilot bit to line up both sides of the hole on either side of the wall, then chase the pilot with a hole saw. Then use silicone or fire caulk if needed for the application.
Click to expand...

If I was just shooting the conduit straight thru, that's definitely what I would be doing. Looks like my shortest route from the panel will be crossing the ceiling, coming down one side of the partition for a couple of feet, transition thru the wall, then continue down to the outlets, etc.

braxton357 said:
You could always just make a short nipple or 3" piece of emt with male connectors on each end and screw a deep 4 square box to the wall on both sides. Run whatever other conduits are in each room to the box?
Click to expand...

336wheeler said:
You’re right, you can use multiple 2” stubbies into a trough and that works well, but I would only consider going that route myself if I had at least 5+ circuits.
Click to expand...

I am leaning towards the 4" boxes right now. Trough/gutter would work, and be less cluttered...but they ain't cheap.

Definitely 5+, coming in to that area...lighting, outlets (multiple circuits), 5+ 220v receptacles (machines, welder, plasma), door opener, etc.

Alternative that I am still considering is dropping a sub-panel in that area...just one single larger line to deal with. Cost looks like it will be about the same.
 
I dont know how many of these you need (IE how many room partitions you have) ...but a 12x12x6 pull box should be...maybe $25....I think my cost is more like $12-14...two of those would work smae way Braxton described above. Back to back either side of the wall and then just put a single 3" chase through the wall...

If you arent opposed to using a PVC box you could get that even cheaper.
 
Aluminum SER cable 1/1/1/3 is pretty “cheap” per foot and would get you a 75A 240V sub-panel to the other side FWIW. Would need to be sleeved where it exits the main and enters the sub on the wall, can be sleeved in PVC
 
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