Conduit Use & Placement

[NathanL]

My battery box was in the back along with the converter. I ran all the 12v stuff across the top and down the wall without conduit. I did use conduit to take the 110v under the trailer from the rear to the tongue for the A/C unit.

[prohandyman]

Hank
I use alot of the blue plastic flexible conduit in some campers, but it does use up alot of wood space in a 3/4-1" wall. It is light, and they make connectors for boxes if needed.
2 thoughts...if the wire is concealed in a wall or other protective enclosure it probably is not needed. If it runs thru the back of a cabinet lets say....you have to think about what may ever come in contact with that wire...a sharp knife, edge of a thin pan, tip of a hot dog fork!! in that case a thin layer of paneling over it will probably suffice, and conduit would be better. If you want to run it behind the wall board in the insulation...take a soldering gun, when hot, hold it close to the insulation, and move it along the path you want the wire. Takes a little trial and error...the heat from the gun will melt a channel in the foam. Lay in the wire, some tape in places and cover with wall board or whatever.

[eamarquardt]

I've considered using polyethylene tubing. Cheap, very slick, available in different sizes, etc. I like the thought of pulling new or additional wires if and when required. Cheap insurance.

I put all of the wiring for my utility/dump trailer in liquid tight conduit and all the wiring for the 11 sprinkler systems in my yard in pvc pipe and junction boxes. After twenty years I made some changes. Everything was like new and easy to work with. I just think it pays to have flexibility and wiring protected from the elements and that you should be able to modify it w/o tearing things apart.

Cheers,

Gus

[hankaye]

prohandyman, Howdy;

My one and only experience with foam and a soldering gun/iron
was in the Navy, being aviation we got started in a positive
tool control program back in the 70's. Our little Detachment didn't
get the fancy stuff so we improvised. Styrofoam... Everyone started
to complain so I (I was the LPO of the shop), had Medical run some
tests. They couldn't ID what it was, so they got the Nukes involved,
we were on the Nimitz' first Med. Cruise. Found out that when you
heat styrofoam up it off gasses cyanide, Like what they use on Death
Row... Think I'll use a router or something else to gouge the foam...
Thanks for the other ideas, will probably put one or more to use...

hank

[Bogo]

For low voltage, less than 50VDC, as said cut groves in the foam, and run the wires. You can then run a small bead of expanding foam insulation to fill the grove and hold the wire in place. Trim off the foam that expands above the surface of the foam sheet. For a bit more safety, run the (+) and (-) wires in different groves separated by an inch or so. That way a errant nail or screw will only be able to easily hit one of them. For the studs you will only need small holes just big enough to pass the wires. Drill them before assembling your wall. Mark the stud so you can see where the holes are when the foam is in place.

Another idea, use Corrugated Loom (example: http://www.waytekwire.com/products/1469/Corrugated-Loom/) for running your wires in. Available as small as 1/4" inside diameter.

There is also smaller sizes of Liquid Tight Conduit. (http://www.waytekwire.com/products/1494/Tubing---Conduit/&Type=Liquid-Tight-Conduit) 3/8" is the smallest size.

Another option would be to take large ID diameter brake line or some other sort of metal tubing and use it as conduit. Flange the ends so they don't cafe the wires going in and out of the tube. Metal tubing will provide some protection against putting a nail of screw through the wires. If you use metal tubes, ground them. That way the circuit blows if a nail punches through the tubing and punctures a hot wire. Conduit will usually deflect a nail, but... that is only usually. Air driven nails will punch through metal conduit.

Waytek Wire isn't the cheapest place, but they have the stuff, and other vehicle electrical parts. They are more setup for the vehicle modification business rather than end consumers.