LFNC vs. LFMC
- Thread starter anbm
- Start date
letgomywago
Senior Member
- Location
- Washington state and Oregon coast
- Occupation
- residential electrician
Some places don't have the ability to hold a 10ft stick of conduit and position it into the exact location. Other biggest help for it is the ability to negate vibration on a run. The other nice thing is the lack of couplings possible with these since they're used often in environments that are more corrosive or atleast subject to weather and therfore it keeps out some extra intrusion that'd make it through even a rain tight or threaded coupling.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
I hate LFNC with a passion. The only advantage I can think of is if using between non metallic enclosures, one would have to use a BB on one end of the LFNC.
letgomywago
Senior Member
- Location
- Washington state and Oregon coast
- Occupation
- residential electrician
It's good for AC condensers and I sometimes use it for sleaving water heater wires since it's clean vs FMC which has an oil on it
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
Have fun with it. I hate the stuff with a passion, absolute garbage and never use it
letgomywago
Senior Member
- Location
- Washington state and Oregon coast
- Occupation
- residential electrician
Ever wire up a packaged spa without it?Have fun with it. I hate the stuff with a passion, absolute garbage and never use it
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
There is a difference between mfgs of LFNC. Carflex and associated fittings are junk. I used T&B black LFNC and nylon bullet connectors, quality and tough. A lot of what I wired was instrumentation in in underground damp vaults that had non metallic enclosures so the LFNC worked well were with that. Try the T&B you may like it,
For motors, transformers, the LTMC works best
For motors, transformers, the LTMC works best
TwoBlocked
Senior Member
- Location
- Bradford County, PA
- Occupation
- Industrial Electrician
In an application with a lot of vibration, I have seen the insulation on the conductors wear through and ground out on the inner metal of LFMC.
If it is in an area where there is a lot of activity, LFMC can get crushed and broken, but LFNC might bounce back.
But also in an area where there is a lot of activity, the plastic fittings for LFNC can breaker sooner than the metal fittings for LFMC.
When the end of LFMC gets ruined from getting stepped on, and the spiral metal is no longer interlocked or completely broken, the jacket split open and conductors showing, (see pic, a 90 degree fitting would have been a good choice here) It can often be repaired in place without pulling the conductors out. You can undo the fitting and carefully trim off the damaged portion and put everything back together.
In rare occasions where the best choice for bonding is the conduit itself, LFMC will work, but not LFNC.
In corrosive environments, LFMC fittings can corrode.
I prefer LFMC.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
Yes, I use LFMC for those.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Well, yeah!
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
Good to know, maybe I'll give it a try. Definitely just seems like LFNC could be much much better, with a different material having more flexibility, lower coefficient of friction, better fittings, etc. Perhaps the product standard needs some updating.
Have fun with it. I hate the stuff with a passion, absolute garbage and never use it
I keep a 12 inch piece of it in the truck just in case I ever want to blow through it like a trumpet and call in a baby bull moose.
JAP>