Top 5 Reasons To No More Use Conduit

Why Is Conduit At An End?

Traditionally electrical installations include a layout and calculation within the use of conduit. Conduit systems are proven and approved but so are open wiring solutions with cables and cable trays. By using the specialty cable compounds for cable insulation and jacket, electrical installations from now on can go conduit free.

Imagine all the advantages of a conduit free installation:

  1. Easy retrofitting (cables can just be added in a tray without the need of additional “piping and pluming”).
  2. Clear cable marking in open cable trays or channels (one cable can be replaced at ease if a problem or maintenance work occurs).
  3. Easy change in layout of installation (often last minute changes occur during electrical installations, where cable trays offer an easy tool to follow those changes in comparison to conduit installations).
  4. The time from start to finish for an electrical installation project can basically be cut in half by using cable trays and tray cables compared to pipe cutting, pipe bending, threat cutting, pipe coupling and wire pulling in an electrical installation using conduit.
  5. Reduced installation costs up to 47% at the primary installation (mainly by reducing the installation time for the cable system where cable and cable tray systems advance majorly over conduit systems).

 Whom Do I Talk To For Open Wiring Solutions?

NOBEL Service Supply, LLC put a key aim to introduce open wiring solutions, replacing conduit systems where ever possible. They are a Florida company with a nationwide sales network and can be reached at 866 455 4520 or on their web site. Surely there are other providers but this company dedicating their key efforts on conduit free installations. With their patented concept of ReverseRepresentation™, NOBEL Service Supply focuses on the application needs of end-users and services and provides those with the best fitting technical, economical and ecological solution. Hence they have a honorable key focus: “customers first.” To get a glimpse of their offering, please check out their new NOBELcatalog online via their website.

To put it in a nutshell the following is to be considered by the NEC (National Electrical Code) for conduit free electrical installations:  

  1. Exposed runs are permitted only in industrial establishments where the conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that qualified persons service the installation.
  2. The exposed run must be between a cable tray and equipment such as a motor.
  3. Type ITC cables are limited to 15 m (50 ft) in length between tray and equipment. Type TC and type PLTC cables have no length restrictions.
  4. Cables must be supported and protected against physical damage using mechanical protection such as struts, angles or channels.
  5. Cables must be secured at least every 1.8 m (6 ft).

 How Can I Be Sure That A Conduit Free Installation Is NEC And UL Approved?

 By Checking The Cable Marking Or Specification For The Following:

Installing cables in horizontal and vertical runs without the usage of conduit requires the two approvals: 

a)   Tray Approval, which is based on surpassing standardized flame test and expressed in TC, ITC, PLTC, CT  tray cable approvals

b)    “ER” rating -Exposed Run Approval-.  ER is a supplemental rating for Cables identifying that they surpass a specified crush-impact test and with that qualify for vertical runs without the usage of mechanical protection like armor or conduit. UL permits the manufacturer to add an “-ER” suffix to the basic Listing printed on the cable, i.e., “TC-ER”, “ITC-ER” or “PLTC-ER”. The “-ER” signifies that the cable is sufficiently rugged to permit its use as exposed wiring. Exposed wiring is wiring that is not installed in a tray, conduit or other raceway. It is also sometimes referred to as open wiring.

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