Galvanized conduit in Garage

[rkinsella]

Hi folks,

I have been working on and off on a house restoration.

The wiring in the garage is pretty shoddy, plastic fixtures screwed on to bits of woods, nailed into the bare breeze block wall. Wiring hanging off the wall, ancient bit of plastic conduit here and there. You get the idea.

I am putting in counters etc to turn the garage into a more proper workshop.
For safety, I am using galvanized sockets and switches.
I want to use galvanized conduit to protect the electrical cables (instead of having them hanging off bare walls).

Clearly I know I have to earth the conduit and I have be careful pulling the wiring through so as not to damage the cable. What else should I be doing to ensure this is safe.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I am putting in counters etc to turn the garage into a more proper workshop.

http://www.duragarages.com/

For safety, I am using galvanized sockets and switches.

How dangerous is it in your garage?

I want to use galvanized conduit to protect the electrical cables (instead of having them hanging off bare walls).

You'll need a stock & die set, a pipe vice and a bender. The latter two often come together.

Clearly I know I have to earth the conduit and I have be careful pulling the wiring through so as not to damage the cable. What else should I be doing to ensure this is safe.

Testing.

You should also check out what legal requirements there are in RoI.

 

[Jackrae]

+1 for the metal boxes etc but life will be an awful lot simpler if you use plastic conduit, unless of course it's an industrial garage with all sorts of idiot employees trying to make your life awkward.
If you're that concerned why not use pyro.
Pulling multiple T&E lines through steel conduit will be no fun.

 

[securespark]

+1 for the metal boxes etc but life will be an awful lot simpler if you use plastic conduit,

 

[oldbutnotdead]

First thing- you only need galv conduit if there's likelihood of heavy things hitting the conduit/fittings. In any domestic garage (ie where only the owner is going to use the space) then that risk is controllable and minimal.

Plastic conduit will be way easier, and don't use T & E through it (it is hard work and theoretically you'll have to derate cables as well), do the whole thing in conduit back to where the power comes in, then you can use singles- much easier. If you can get backboxes that'll take 25mm conduit then even easier- 6 x 2.5 (or as electrician I used in the UK did 4 x 2.5 and 2 x 1.5) is tight in 20mm, especially round bends. Of course you could run as a radial rather than ring final......

Whatever, do use metalclad sockets- they're not that expensive these days & will put up with garage level abuse much better than plastic household sockets.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you're that concerned why not use pyro.

1. Cost
2. Difficulty

Pulling multiple T&E lines through steel conduit will be no fun.

WOE use T&E?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But as for conduit material, if you want conduit, then do not, not, not use PVC. Stick with your plan to use steel.

 

[securespark]

Why are you so anti PVC?

 

[rkinsella]

Ok - I am sold I will investigate plastic conduct with metal sockets.
Will come back and report on my findings

Presume it's standard enough to run T&E in plastic conduits?

 

[securespark]

No. Conduit (of any type) is usually populated with singles.

If you are just using conduit for the drops to the sockets, with the cable clipped at high level, you could manage to get 2 x 2.5 T&E down them. But if you are installing a complete conduit system, you should use singles.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Ok - I am sold I will investigate plastic conduct with metal sockets.
Will come back and report on my findings

Presume it's standard enough to run T&E in plastic conduits?

People do it (usually run T & E up at eaves height then do the drops in conduit) BUT it isn't pretty, it is hard work (getting 2 x 2.5 in 20mm conduit) and you shouldn't really do it (bend radius of conduit corners is less than the minimum bend radius for T & E, you have to apply derating factors since 2 x 2.5 in 20mm overoccupies the available space in conduit). Far easier and better to do the whole job in conduit and use singles (and PVC conduit is actually quite strong- it is soft enough to bounce back from blunt object impact, yes it'll fail under sharp or hot but life isn't perfect

Re b-a-s comments about steel conduit- if you've got flat internal walls (no buttresses), lots of spare time and a local hire shop for the thread cutter etc. then galv conduit can give a really neat job that will last forever. But it can be hard work......

 

[Risteard]

Ok - I am sold I will investigate plastic conduct with metal sockets.
Will come back and report on my findings

Presume it's standard enough to run T&E in plastic conduits?

If you live within the 26-Counties then you need to be aware that Restricted Electrical Works cannot legally be carried out by anyone other than a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC). People have been imprisoned for breaking this law with no part of the sentence suspended.

An REC would not need to ask any of these questions.

Visit the RECI website (www.reci.ie) to find an REC.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Why are you so anti PVC?

It softens and sags, expands and contracts a lot.

But mainly, although the OP talked about safety, I doubt that he needs to use conduit of any sort, it's a case of he wants to. Which is fine, but whatever reason(s) he has for wanting to use conduit, IMO they would be better served by using steel, particularly when using metal accessories.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you live within the 26-Counties

Or, as all sane people call it, the Republic of Ireland.

then you need to be aware that Restricted Electrical Works cannot legally be carried out by anyone other than a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC).

Is the work the OP wants to do restricted?

People have been imprisoned for breaking this law with no part of the sentence suspended.

What sort of people, and what were the circumstances of their law-breaking?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Not our concern. Its a matter for the European Courts