Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Installing Metal Conduit
Thinwall conduit, also called electrical metallic tubing, provides
considerable protection for current-carrying wires and is required in
many localities.
To select conduit, refer to the tables in Chapter 9 and Annex C of
the Code. In general, 1/2 in. conduit will carry four 14 AWG wires or
three 12 AWG wires; 3/4 in. conduit will carry four 10 AWG wires,
five 12 AWG wires, or three 8 AWG wires.
Thinwall conduit comes in 10 ft. lengths that must be joined by
threadless connectors. See Figures 10-8 and 10-9. Conduit may be cut
to length with an ordinary hacksaw using a fine tooth blade (32 teeth
per inch). Use a reamer or a round file to remove sharp edges and burrs.
See Figure 10-10.
72 House Wiring Simplified
Figure 10-8. The wall thickness of 1/2 in. dia. thinwall conduit is 0.042 in.
Figure 10-9. Using couplings on thinwall conduit. A—Setscrew.
B—Compression.
A B
Figure 10-10. This reamer is attached to a screwdriver. (Klein Tools, Inc.)