Many of my installations are exterior cameras on apartment buildings. I think schedule 40 conduit is the way to go for most IP cameras. Some managers want EMT or other metal conduit. Can any other installers share their preferences and the reasoning behind it? Thank you.
Subscriber Discussion
What Type Of Conduit Are You Using For Exterior Applications?
Jon Dillabaugh
Mar 22, 2019I would never use schedule 40 PVC conduit. We would use EMT at a minimum. Rigid metal conduit in high risk areas. If corrosion is a great concern, go with aluminum EMT.
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 22, 2019Thank you for your reply. May I ask why you wouldn't use 40? If it is for security reasons, isn't it almost as easy to vandalize/destroy either of them with a battery powered reciprocating saw? What about 80?
Jon Dillabaugh
Mar 22, 2019Because it warps and bends so easily and will quickly look like spaghetti strapped to a wall. Schedule 80 is stiffer, but still will warp and droop to an extent that metallic conduit never will.
Similarly, we no longer use non-metallic liquid tight. It doesn’t hold up outdoors for long. We always use metallic with metal fittings.
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 22, 2019JH
Jay Hobdy
Mar 25, 2019Most of our multi family projects are B and C communities, and they want it as cheap as possible. PVC is much easier to install and we go with that 90% of the time. In fact, I recently quoted EMT in a garage and I was asked to use PVC. We used PVC.
I do agree PVC warps and we do strap it every 2' to 3'. I have seen some 2 years later that look OK, and others that don't look so OK.
Jon Dillabaugh
Mar 25, 2019The issue with strapping every 2” is that your labor time is going to quickly absorb any savings in PVC vs EMT, not to mention it looks silly. Metallic conduit requires way less straps, is easier to bend, more forgiving due to no glued joints, and looks better and holds up longer. I can only rationalize PVC schedule 80 where metallic conduit would corrode. Even then, I would consider aluminum EMT before PVC.
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 26, 2019Perhaps IPVM should do an article on how to properly install metal conduit, including how to pick it and how to bend it. I know it's not rocket science, but there seem to be articles about everything else and this seems important. Just my 2 cents. For those that have experience doing this, is this a two person job, or can one person do it?
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
Mar 25, 2019Have to agree with Jon. Ever see a roof line with schedule 40 installed for 150'? Not a pretty sight, especially when they negated to install the expansion joints.
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Mar 26, 2019New discussion
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