Conclusionĭifferent conduits can have varying fill requirements, but the cross sectional area of the wire must be considered when determining what size conduit for 6/3 wire to use. A Romex conduit fill chart is not directly available, so it’s nice to know the cross sectional area instead. It’s best to use the method above to determine the right conduit size. Multiconductor cables are a different story. 1-inch EMT, IMC, and RMC may fit up to seven individual 6-gauge wires, while 1-inch schedule 40 rigid PVC can fit six. The material and the wire gauge need to be considered. How many wires can I put in a 1 inch conduit? However, always check your local code for applications that need conduits. Cables rated for their purposes have respective sheathing that satisfies NEC requirements, like Romex 6/3 cables for indoor use, but conduits can protect cables when they are exposed to conditions that can damage the wires. The extra sheathing of 6/3 cables needs to be considered in the cross sectional area for the right conduit fill.ĭoes a 6/3 wire need to go in the conduit? When calculating for the cross sectional area, 6/3 multi-conductors’ conduit size is not the same as 3 individual 6 gauge wire conduit size. Know if the cable is a multiconductor one. Any setups longer than 24 inches must consider other fill requirements. Remember that a nipple can take up to 60% fill in the conduit. While it is not prohibited, some electricians do not recommend it. Whether a Romex 6/3 wire need to be in conduit indoors is a subject of debate. For instance, Romex is rated for indoor applications and is not for damp or wet locations, so leave this wire out when you size liquid tight for 6/3 wire conduits. Tips to Determine Conduit SizeĪlways determine the rated uses of the wire to help verify the right conduit material. This size can accommodate up to 0.441 in 2 and 0.499 in 2 respectively. If we want to use schedule 40 rigid PVC, we look at Chapter 9, Article 352 – Rigid PVC, Schedule 40.īased on the chart, the right trade size, whether for a 53% fill or 60% fill, is at least 1” schedule 40 rigid PVC. If it’s shorter than 24 inches, it can fill up to 60% of the conduit.Īfter calculating, we check chapter 9 of the electrical code for the conduit size chart based on the conduit material. Since this is considered a single cable, then it should fill up to 53% of the conduit only (but if you want to add more conductors to the conduit in the future, then consider the other fill requirements). Thus, the cross sectional area of this wire is: The diameter of a Romex 6/3 wire with ground supplied by Southwire is 659 mills, or 0.659 inches. To determine the right electrical conduit size, we first determine the cross sectional area of the wire. Also, the cross section of elliptical wires shall be based on their longest diameter and is to be calculated like a circle. Take note that a multiconductor cable is considered as a single conductor when determining the conduit fill size, whether it is for 6/2 Romex or for 6/4 wire. A nipple (a wire that is not longer than 24 inches) can fill up to 60% of the conduit only.More than 2 cables or individual conductors can fill up to 40% of the conduit only.2 cables or individual conductors can fill up to 31% of the conduit only.1 cable or an individual conductor can fill up to 53% of the conduit only.See “Factors affecting conduit size” to check how these values were obtained. These only apply to a 6/3 Romex cable in allowable locations and a 6/3 UF-B cable if necessary. Here is a list of the minimum conduit sizes for each material. These can be used around tight spaces and are commonly applied indoors. Metal conduits can also come in the form of flexible metal conduits or FMC. It can be used to provide structural support to other electrical equipment. It is a heavy duty conduit made of steel or aluminum, and is strong but more expensive. Then we have the rigid metal conduit or RMC. It is made out of steel and is thicker than EMT. It can be used in concrete but not in outdoor locations without additional modification.Īnother metal conduit is the intermediate metal conduit or IMC. The next conduit material is electrical metal tubing or EMT. Similar to rigid PVC, it is also not UV stable. It can be used in concrete walls but not in exposed locations. PVC can also make up a flexible conduit known as electrical non-metallic tubing or ENT. It is a non-metallic conduit that can be used in corrosive environments and direct burial, but it is not UV-stable, so it cannot be under direct sun exposure. We list some of the most common conduit materials here. Several materials are available as conduits, and their use may vary, depending on the strength and stability of the material.
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