Flexible conduit outdoors

NEC 2008 says.... (FMC Flexible Metal Conduit)

So no, not legal if used outdoors. Use PVC schedule 80 instead.

Cheers

With some kind of "plastic" insulation overlay it's used all over Arizona for connecting a local breaker box to objects with some vibration, such as air conditioning units and pool pumps.

For RH's use though, I would use PVC... but paint it with a good latex paint, otherwise the UV will deteriorate it. ...Jim Thompson

Yes, there is a special outdoor flex cable, metal covered by grey plastic. I used it to go from my junction box on the outside of my house to the sauna's sub-panel for my sauna and pool and other outdoor electrical. If you want to use rigid for some runs (any you do, if you are going any distance. That stuff is expensive!) then use schedule 80, the grey stuff, not the white stuff. It is UV resistant. When in doubt, follow the NEC! ;-)

Charlie

"UV resistant" starts turning black in a year or two in AZ :-( ...Jim Thompson

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

That?s called LFMC (Liquidtight Flexible metal conduit), which is allowed outdoors. And more expensive than Schedule 80. And called out for connecting pool pumps and such.

Don't know if the OP has that, generally the question stems from what the person has easy and free access to.

Cheers

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Rustoleum's "Painters Touch" paint has very good UV tolerance. Painted the Screen frames on Moms house about 10 years ago, and they are still holding up. Also Glidden Endurance is THE Paint for outdoors. Not available in the big chain stores, only the little guys carry it.

Cheers

Only if it does not go under ground and it has the plastic seal jacket..

This is called in most fields "Seal tite/tight" or "Liquid tight"

But the non jacketed types should not be out side or in corrosive areas.

PVC pipe for underground runs should be used.

Depends. Where are you? And, do you mean FMC or LFMC?

Here (US) LFMC is acceptable for use in wet, above-grade locations (I think you also need compression fittings on each end of the conduit).

LFMC should be OK, there (check your local codebook).

I would advise a coating of paint just to cut down on the inevitable deterioration that continuous sun exposure

Why flex? Its expensive. Particularly the stuff permitted outdoors. If its exposed, you probably should use EMT (metal conduit) with couplings approved for wet locations. If the distance is considerable, you might be able to transition to PVC under the deck. Your local inspector might consider the 2 foot access as suitably protecting the conduit from damage (and UV). That might save you a few bucks (keep in mind that the wet location pull boxes and fittings at the transitions will eat up your savings pretty fast.

Some have assumed metallic conduit in their answers. Instead, use liquidtight _nonmetallic_ flexible conduit, such as Carflex:

Ed

Richard Henry wibbled on Wednesday 10 March 2010 23:04

Which country?

Jim Thompson wibbled on Wednesday 10 March 2010 23:39

Apart from the assumption the NEC applies to the OP, for the record I used (in the UK) Kopex IP65 pliable plastic conduit to bring meter tails from an outside box over the wall into my consumer unit. This met the IEE wiring regs as the cable route required no explicit mechanical protection (by which the IEE mean armoured cable, copper clad pyro cable or steel conduit). However the Kopex tube is tough and does afford quite a lot of protection:

(Ignore the messy local wiring the last one - temp circuit now gone).

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ehsjr wibbled on Thursday 11 March 2010 05:36

Just out of interest, don't you have anything like this in the USA:

It is what we would use and can be run anywhere - surface clipped, under ground without piping, buried in the building structure.

The steel wire armouring is of course earthed hence the protection, both electrical and mechanical.

Michael A. Terrell wibbled on Thursday 11 March 2010 08:57

It would be helpful of him to say rather than expect people to guess :)

We're not all in the US!

California USA

Does your country have a NEC?

We figured it wasn't something in the third world. Or Richard would have asked how to tap into his neighbor's panel. ;-)

Patience. We'll get to you eventually.

-- Paul Hovnanian mailto: snipped-for-privacy@Hovnanian.com

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