Conduits Entering Junction Boxes

[johnb68]

Per the NEC or accepted industry standard terminoligy, do conduits ever "exit" a junction box, handhole, vault, etc. or do they only "enter"? Specifically, is there any validity that a specification or drawing note doesn't apply to half the conduits entering a box because the specification only makes note of those "entering" a box? It is my understanding that conduits "entering" a box include all conduits attached to a box regardless of the electron flow.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Well, in the NEC termiinology "exit" seems only to apply to doors and exit signs. Conduits enter the box per the NEC but I have used "exits" or "leaves the box".

 

[rbalex]

Penetrate might be a better general term, but enter is most popularly used.

You're right - electron flow has nothing to do with it. If it did, raceways in the US would be commonly switching between entering/exiting 60 times a second - unless it was a DC application. (I know there are plenty of other frequencies - don't bother listing them)

 

[renosteinke]

Before a conduit could 'exit' a box, it would have to first be IN the box. Lots of luck making that happen.

 

[Smart $]

Before a conduit could 'exit' a box, it would have to first be IN the box. Lots of luck making that happen.

Exactly what I was thinking while reading this thread.

 

[K8MHZ]

Before a conduit could 'exit' a box, it would have to first be IN the box. Lots of luck making that happen.

If the conduit entered the box, wouldn't it then be inside?

 

[jaggedben]

To me this sounds like a very creative semantic way to not follow specifications. I don't buy it any more than the OP.

 

[Smart $]

If the conduit entered the box, wouldn't it then be inside?

In most cases conduit enters an enclosure, but never completely... so you cannot say entered. In order to exit, an object must be completely inside. Consider yourself getting a foot inside a door, but never having your whole body inside. Can you exit the structure?

 

[weressl]

Per the NEC or accepted industry standard terminoligy, do conduits ever "exit" a junction box, handhole, vault, etc. or do they only "enter"? Specifically, is there any validity that a specification or drawing note doesn't apply to half the conduits entering a box because the specification only makes note of those "entering" a box? It is my understanding that conduits "entering" a box include all conduits attached to a box regardless of the electron flow.

IMO the dilemma would be simply resolved by 'conduit connection(s) to a device'. As the ensuing discussion rightly point out, conduits neither exit nor enter into any devices, they simply connect to them. Such verbiage is also used, but rather inconsistently and interchangeably.