Waht are the four types of metal electrical conduits?

Most of the metal conduits are made from galvanized steel, there are a couple of different types of metal conduits used for residential and commercial applications, including the EMT or Electrical Metallic Tubing, the IMC or Intermediate Metal Conduit, the RMC or Rigid Metal Conduit, and the FMC or Flexible Metal Conduit.

To help you understand a little bit about each of these types of metal electrical conduits, here is a short run-down of each:

EMT – very thin and inexpensive, this type of metal electrical conduit is used most often indoors and outdoors to provide protection from physical damage, including exposed wiring for light fixtures, electrical receptacles and other residential and commercial areas

IMC – while thicker than EMT, the IMC is still thinner than RMC; used by some electricians instead of RMC because it is more cost-effective, lighter in weight and easier to use

RMC – typically used for the service-entrance mast that is used to attach to the base of the electric meter; stiffer, heavier and stronger than any of the other types of metal conduits, the RMC protects the service-entrance conductors from damage

FMC – easy to identify, this flexible tubing is helically wound and is made most often of aluminum; cannot be used outside or in other wet locations, so it is limited in where it can be used; indoor use for ovens, cook tops, furnaces and heat pumps, wherever flexible connections are required