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I am renovating a loft style space that has finsined sheetrock ceilings and and exposed brick walls. I need to get the Romex I am using in the ceiling for the lights, down to the floor area, where I can then run it back into pony walls where the switches are located.
I want to transition 3 or 4 Romex cables into a single 2″ conduit, and run it down the wall. It had been my intention to terminate the conduit into a box, and use the usual cable clamps on the Romex where it enters. I would then drop the Romex striaght into the conduit, without a splice, since I do not want to have to make the box accessable (it’s a finished ceiling).
When I mentioned this to someone, they said I could not run Romex through conduit, and that the box would have to accessible (for a splice). Does anyone know the NEC requirements for this situation, or if I can indeed do this? The conduit is a large diameter, so there should be plenty of air to combat heat/fire risks, and since there is no splice I don’t see how it’s different than running any piece of Romex through a wall?
Thanks
Replies
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Boxes have to be accessable. [Period]
You can run Romex in conduit. Offhand - without doing the calcs. - it seems like 2" conduit should be able to handle 3 or 4 Romexes. [In this case the Code tables are a ripoff since they use the maximum diameter of the cable (Romex) but Romex is often an oval shape.]
As for the box, I don't know why you would need one and then how would you connect the 2" conduit to a 4" square or even a 4" 11/16" box?
*Sounds like what you are proposing is a form of wire moulding down the wall just to hide the romex because code says it can't be run exposed. The conduit - 2" - should be large enough, even with the exterior wire covering intact. All you are using it for is a chase to hide the wires. Since you are intending to have an uninterrupted run you should not need a box to transition from/to the conduit, especially if you can embed the top of the conduit in the drywall ceiling and the bottom in the floor. Just be careful not to cut the wire on the lip of the conduit.Can you run the conduit to the top of the pony wall or to the side or edge without going all the way to the floor? How would it look if the conduit just ended, about four feet off the floor in a custom made box, containing the electical boxes for the switches?How about a wood form against the brick wall to hide the wire and then glue up some 1/2" thick brick facing to make it look as if the wall purposely had pilasters?Or build some contrasting pilasters and space them around for added architectural interest as well as to hide your romex?
*We never run Romex in a conduit except for short runs as through a wall. Over a certain amount of conductors in a raceway, circuits are subject to derating, the more the wires, the less the ampacity. The wires inside the Romex sleeve are individualy rated for 90 deg. ambient temperature. With the sleeve, the rating drops to 60 degrees. Basically, in a conduit, the total ampacity of each circuit could have to be dropped with a lower breaker...Junction boxes should always be accessible!fv
*These guys are absolutely right- boxes MUST be accessable. While there is no 'code' rule against running Romex in pipe, you're only making it hard on yourself; just pull wires!If you're just trying to hide the Romex- well, go to an electrical supply house, and not one of those "box" stores. There you will find various sizes of "Wiremold" plastic track, some of which will hold several lengths of Romex. You can enter & leave this plastic without using either boxes or splices.
*Put fittings and bushings on both ends of the conduit, metallic conduit must be grouded, you can jamb wires into the pipe till they don't fit if it is 24 inchs or less- then the conductors are subject to derating.One inch should be large enough for 3 or 4 romex up to 12-3wG, though a little tight.The box(you need one if you are going to ground that metal pipe) MUST be accessable.The pipe must be properly straped.Derating shouldn't be nessecary for 3 or 4 romexAll this is as per the 1999 NEC or as best as I can remember off the top of my head.
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I am renovating a loft style space that has finsined sheetrock ceilings and and exposed brick walls. I need to get the Romex I am using in the ceiling for the lights, down to the floor area, where I can then run it back into pony walls where the switches are located.
I want to transition 3 or 4 Romex cables into a single 2" conduit, and run it down the wall. It had been my intention to terminate the conduit into a box, and use the usual cable clamps on the Romex where it enters. I would then drop the Romex striaght into the conduit, without a splice, since I do not want to have to make the box accessable (it's a finished ceiling).
When I mentioned this to someone, they said I could not run Romex through conduit, and that the box would have to accessible (for a splice). Does anyone know the NEC requirements for this situation, or if I can indeed do this? The conduit is a large diameter, so there should be plenty of air to combat heat/fire risks, and since there is no splice I don't see how it's different than running any piece of Romex through a wall?
Thanks