What Type of Electrical Conduit Should I Use?

In the world of electrical conduit, there are many materials and brands to choose from. Each has their own positives and negatives. In this post we'll look at some of the most widely used types and lay out the pros and cons of each conduit material.

Rigid Metal Conduit - Steel

Rigid steel conduit comes in two types: galvanized or non-galvanized. Steel is the heaviest of all the conduit material types. It is commonly used for commercial and industrial electrical applications where corrosion isn’t a main concern. The galvanization process adds a protective coating of zinc to steel conduit to assist in corrosion protection. This, however, is not a fail-proof system, and corrosion often becomes a problem down the road. This is especially true in environments that are damp or otherwise corrosive. Steel conduit is rigid and strong, but still susceptible to rust and degradation.

EMT – Electrical Metallic Tubing

EMT is another type of rigid metal conduit, but this type is thin walled and doesn’t possess the same strength qualities of galvanized steel. Electrical metallic tubing is usually made of steel or aluminum, and is cheaper than standard conduit. Some electricians like using EMT because it can be bent to accommodate specific raceway designs. This also means, though, that the tubing is much weaker and more likely to break than other rigid conduits.

PVC Conduit

PVC conduit is very lightweight and thus easy to haul around and install. PVC is an excellent corrosion resistant material and doesn’t break down in corrosive environments like salt water or chemical exposure. The downside to PVC is that it does not have grounding capabilities, being a non-metal conduit. To address this, electricians use an extra grounding conductor in all PVC conduits.

PVC Coated Conduit

PVC coated conduit offers the best of rigid steel and PVC conduits. Made by brand Lonwow, PVC coated conduit begins as raw steel pipe. It is then galvanized and threaded. Next, it’s coated with urethane and then PVC. This way, you get the benefit of steel (strength, weight, durability, grounding) AND the benefit of PVC (rust and corrosion protection). PVC coated conduit is designed to address the shortcomings of other types of conduit to offer the best option for a long-lasting and corrosion free electrical conduit raceway system.