What Is a Conduit Body?
A conduit body serves as a vital link between two sections of conduit. When electricians are engaged in surface wireinstallation, conduits play a crucial role in safeguarding the wires. These conduits, which are essentially tubular structures, create a protected pathwayor raceway for electrical wires. This raceway shields the wires from moisture, humidity, heat, corrosion, and other forms of physical harm. Conduit bodies, onthe other hand, provide electricians with the flexibility to modify the the raceway.
Functioning as a joint, the conduit body enables the raceway to change direction and extend in a new orientation. An electrician inserts the wire through an aperture at one end and retrieves itfrom another. Each type of conduit body is equipped with a removable cover,which simplifies the task of accessing and threading the wires for the electrician. A gasket placed between the cover and the body acts as a moisture barrier, maintaining the integrity of the internal wire environment.
Conduit bodies come in a variety of configurations. Some are straight, while others are angled at a right angle.There are also those with multiple conduit hubs, which can form T or X shapes, facilitating the transmission or reception of wires from two or moredirections. Additionally, certain conduit bodies have only a single hole, serving as a termination point for the wire.
Types of Conduit Bodies
There is a diverse range of conduit body types, with the main distinctions lying in their material and shape.
Metal conduit bodies are constructed from metallic substances and incorporate connection points for metal conduits. Theholes in these bodies can be either threaded or unthreaded hubs. Threaded hubsallow electricians to screw the conduit into the body, while unthreaded hubsare equipped with a set screw that can be tightened to secure the conduit to the body.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conduit bodies are designed for use with PVC conduits. Some PVC conduit bodies have threaded hubs,while others require the application of glue to attach the conduit to the body.It's important to note that OSHA mandates the use of metal conduits in aboveground commercial settings.
Regardless of the material, each conduitbody can be classified into a particular category based on two key factors: its shape and the location of its removable plate. Conduit body type descriptions typically involve one or two letters. The first letter denotes the shape. For example, the letter L represents an L shape, and T and X signify their corresponding shapes. The second letter indicates the direction in which thewire exits relative to its entry point.
LR Conduit Body
The LR conduit body is a variant with twoconduit hubs. It has an L - shaped structure that permits electricians to adjust the orientation of the raceway by 90 degrees. Electrical wire is fed through a conduit hub at the top and then directed out via a second conduit hubon the right. This enables electricians to redirect conduits within the same plane.
LL Conduit Body
The LL conduit body is another two - hub version with an L - shaped design. It diverts the raceway at a 90 - degreeangle and has an exit point on the left side of the body. The electrician feeds wires from an access point on top of the body and guides them out to the left. Similar to the LR conduit body, the LL body also facilitates the redirection of conduits on the same plane.
LB Conduit Body
The LB conduit body forms a right angle and includes two conduit hubs. The access point on an LB conduit body is located on the back of the body, opposite the cover. Electricians frequently employ LBconduit bodies to route electrical wires through surfaces, often from the exteriorof a structure, through a wall, and into the interior.
T - Shaped Conduit Body
The T-shaped conduit body has three conduit hubs. It has two conduit hubs that are mirror images of each other and one thatis oriented at a 90 - degree angle relative to the other two. T - shape dconduit bodies allow electricians to either combine wires from two different locations or distribute wires from a single source to two separate destinations.
X - Shaped Conduit Body
The X - shaped conduit body has four hubsthat receive and redirect electrical wires. Each X - shaped conduit body comprises two sets of parallel conduit hubs. The establishment of a junctionfor four independent conduit raceways streamlines the installation and maintenance procedures of electrical wires.
Type C Conduit Body
Type C conduit bodies connect two conduitsin a straight line. There are openings at the top and bottom for conduits to interface with the body. Although Type C conduit bodies do not alter the direction of wire travel, they are equipped with removable plates to create accessible service points along the raceway.
