Tight Fit

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jeff43222

Senior Member
I've got a job where I'm going to install a subpanel in a detached garage. HO wants it flush-mounted, and there's just enough space in the stud cavity for it to fit. The plan is for the above-ground portion of the PVC to have an LB on the end of it, pierce the garage wall, and run it into the back of the panelboard.

Unfortunately, it looks like the thin wall of the garage (OSB with vinyl siding) combined with the tight fit in the stud cavity might not allow a male adapter to fit between the LB and the panelboard. The only idea I've come up with is putting box adapter through the panelboard KO and gluing it to the LB.

Anyone have any other ideas?
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Use a metal threaded LB and an appropriate sized nipple to connect it to the panel at that point you could change to PVC with a MA.

If it was me I would run rigid down the wall underground and finish with a rigid sweep, than change to PVC :)
 

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
There is a fitting that looks like a PVC chase nipple that will go through the knockout in the panel and glue in the socket of the LB. I forget what that fitting is called; something mundane like "box connector", but it's helped me out a few times.
 

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
iwire said:
Marc I think that is what Jeff was talking about here.
Uh, yeah. I guess he did mention that in the last sentence. He has his solution and doesn't realize it, I guess.

Sometimes I read a question and my mind substitutes what I think the question might be.
 

jeff43222

Senior Member
That was another concern of mine. It looks like it may be a moot point, though, as I think I may be able to use a male adapter after all. I almost got to find out yesterday, but my 3" hole saw just didn't have what it took to cut through the garage wall.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
paul32 said:
How do you comply with 300.4(f) with a box adapter?

IMO a box adapter does comply with 300.4(F)

"the conductors shall be protected by a substantial fitting providing a smoothly rounded insulating surface,"

Where a male adapter or terminal adapter does not have a smoothly rounded surface.
 

jeff43222

Senior Member
Well, the box adapter isn't quite as "smoothly rounded" as I would like, but when I went over to do the work today, I discovered the wall was thicker than I had thought. I was just able to fit a male adapter to the end of the LB and secure the conduit to the garage with a Minnie. Everything is nice and tight, and the male adapter has a proper bushing inside the subpanel.

One thing I found odd, though, was what happened to my hole saw when I made the cut. I bought a brand new Lenox bi-metal 3" hole saw this morning, and after I made the hole, the tips of the blades were all flat. All I cut through was the siding and the interior wall, made of wood/plastic composite and OSB, respectively. Neither of those materials should dull a hole saw much, should they?
 

flick

Member
I have had no luck with Lennox.....they are worthless. Check your bubble pack. All I've bought are chinese made, and don't last thru one cut. Take it back to where you bought it and get your money back. I use Morse brand, but there are others.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I've had great life with my Greenlee hole-saws. I try to use cutting oil when making holes in metal, but they're all still quite sharp.
 

JohnE

Senior Member
Location
Milford, MA
Vinyl and OSB should not dull the saw to the extent you described. I met with an Ideal rep recently and he filled me in on what's happening with drill bit and hole saws. I only remember some of it, so here goes:

Whomever used to make auger bits for lenox is now making them for ideal. The company now making the lenox bits used to make them for someone else. They now stink. Ideal bits which I never liked are now what the lenox used to be.

Hole saws for both companies have come from several manufacturers, some of which really sucked. No way to differentiate other than loking at them, as part numbers are all the same.

Sorry about being so vague, but I don't remember all the details.
 
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