Electrical Conduits and Fittings

What is an Electrical Conduit?

• An electrical conduit is a metallic or plastic pipe used to route electrical wires within an installation and shield them from harm when they are in an exposed location.

Types of Electrical Conduits

• There are seven common types of electrical conduits, divided into metal conduits and non-metal conduits.

Metal Conduits

• Rigid metal conduit (RMC): thick-walled, threaded, and usually composed of coated steel, aluminum, or stainless steel.
• Flexible metal conduit (FMC): a hollow tube created by coiling self-interlocking steel or aluminum strips.
• Intermediate metal conduit (IMC): a thinner and lighter variant of RMC, still applicable in RMC-like situations.
• Liquid-tight flexible metal conduit (LFMC): a unique type of flexible metal conduit with plastic covering and sealed fittings, waterproof and resistant to corrosion.
• Electrical metallic tubing (EMT): no details provided in the text.

Non-Metal Conduits

• Rigid PVC conduit: no details provided in the text.
• Electrical non-metallic tubing (ENT): no details provided in the text.

Rigid Metal Conduit (RMC)

• Attached to main tubes using screw connectors.
• Provides protection against impacts and significant damage due to its sturdy design.
• Can be used as a grounding conductor in short-run applications.
• Shields cables from electromagnetic interference due to its thick walls.
• Coated with PVC to prevent corrosion from water or other chemicals.
• Galvanized rigid conduit is the most widely used variety of RMC, suitable for commercial and industrial facilities.
• Aluminum with a PVC coating is suitable for situations where steel can be corroded by chemical vapors.
• Bronze alloy is effective in underwater, coastal regions, chemical facilities, and oil refineries.
• Rigid steel coated with PVC is resistant to corrosion from moisture, acids, alkalis, grease, and oils.

Flexible Metal Conduit (FMC)

• Offered in decreased wall thickness or normal wall thickness.
• Extra-flexible FMC is available for narrower radii, but must be UL certified.
• Frequently used in dry areas where it would be impractical to install a non-flexible conduit.
• Used in installations where it is desired to prevent vibrations from machinery from penetrating into another structure.

Learn about electrical conduits, their uses, and components. Electrical conduits are pipes that route and shield wires in exposed locations such as exterior walls and outdoor spaces.