Conduit is made from plastic, steel, galvanized steel, nylon, PVC, PP and steel spring wire, providing a channel for single or multiple cables. Cable conduit is a type of tubing providing tidy protection, support, management and structure for cables and wires. Cable conduit is perfect for electrical cable, running underground, through walls or when cables need protecting in an exposed open area. It is important to choose the correct cable conduit material for any project, matching the conduit material to the required performance and application, meeting regulated standards of safety.
There are many types and materials of conduit available, suiting all applications.
- FMC (flexible metallic conduit) strong, hardwearing conduit. Easy to install and use, provides good cable protection, flexibility but not waterproof, not ideal for protecting electrical cable and wires. The construction of FMC allows it to pass through walls and other channelled structures. Different versions of FMC are available in a waterproof format.
- LFMC (liquid tight flexible metal conduit) flexible conduit with a plastic coating, protecting cables and wires from moisture. LFMC is ideal when used with sealed fittings giving you watertight outdoor protection. An excellent example is when used with air conditioning.
- RMC (rigid metal conduit) a galvanized steel tube that requires threaded fittings. A heavy-duty conduit providing great protection, indoors and out, of electrical cables and other equipment.
- IMC (intermediate metal conduit) same as RMC, used for the same applications. This conduit is lighter and is made from thinner steel plus easier to work with.
- EMT (electrical metal tubing) made from aluminium and galvanized steel. This conduit is also known as thin-wall as it is flexible enough to be bent to shape. The conduit is lightweight and requires fittings, is not threaded. Used indoors in residential and commercial applications.
- ENMT (electrical non-metallic tubing) resistant to moisture and fire, flexible plastic tubing with a corrugated structure allowing it to bend. This conduit is easy to install with fittings but must not be installed in exposed areas, perfect when fitted into walls and solid channelled structures.
- PVC (rigid polyvinyl chloride) can be bent into shape using heating tools and requires suitable fittings and adaptors. PVC is available in rigid and flexible formats, requires PVC adhesives forming water tight seals. Excellent in wet environments and is non-conductive.