Transitioning EMT to MC cable

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Tainted

Tainted

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New York
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Engineer (PE)
I'm working on an apartment building and I gotta run like 50 apartment feeders up to a shaft the architect will make me. What I am proposing is to start with EMT from the meter bank to the shaft where I will be transitioning to MC cable. Is it ok to do this? Does this seem stupid to do? What are some ways I can transition from EMT to MC cable? Should all of the EMT feeders go into a pullbox and then come out as MC cable to the riser?

Thanks for your suggestions.
 
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majorminotaur said:
It would have to go to a J-box(es) first to connect to the MC cable. Unless you mean flex and pull the wire all the way through.
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Why can't I just put it all in a single wire trough and have them all transition from there? And would these need to be spliced since MC cable comes prewired?
 
You can transition directly from MC to EMT using a transition fitting. Google around or ask your supply house. You can also make your own using an MC connector - rigid coupling - EMT connector (Although some will say that is not listed/approved, at which point you say talk to the hand).

I do this frequently, But is there any reason not to run MC all the way to the meter bank? If you keep things neat parallel and strapped it will look great.
 
electrofelon said:
You can transition directly from MC to EMT using a transition fitting. Google around or ask your supply house. You can also make your own using an MC connector - rigid coupling - EMT connector (Although some will say that is not listed/approved, at which point you say talk to the hand).

I do this frequently, But is there any reason not to run MC all the way to the meter bank? If you keep things neat parallel and strapped it will look great.
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The reason is because the MC cable will be exposed, that’s why I don’t want to run it all the way through. And would the contractor need to splice the wires if they will transition since MC cable comes prewired?
 
Tainted said:
The reason is because the MC cable will be exposed, that’s why I don’t want to run it all the way through. And would the contractor need to splice the wires if they will transition since MC cable comes prewired?
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Nothing wrong with MC being exposed. Yep you can transition without a splice or Box. Just strip of the amount of jacket you need and shove it into the emt with a transition fitting. Just check the conduit fill for the EMT portion.
 
electrofelon said:
Nothing wrong with MC being exposed. Yep you can transition without a splice or Box. Just strip of the amount of jacket you need and shove it into the emt with a transition fitting. Just check the conduit fill for the EMT portion.
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How can I transition without a splice if the MC cable comes prewired?
 
Tainted said:
The reason is because the MC cable will be exposed, that’s why I don’t want to run it all the way through. And would the contractor need to splice the wires if they will transition since MC cable comes prewired?
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How long of conduit run you looking to make? Likely they would have to splice as I dont know if the conductors are marked most I've used has an ID tape run in with it, they're the same as NM, even if they are marked to strip MC to the extent to run into conduit it would be impractical. And you wouldn't make any friends with the electrician, 4ft is tough enough.
Tainted said:
How can I transition without a splice if the MC cable comes prewired?
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I believe he is suggesting stripping long sections off the MC sheathing and fish the conductors in. But reference made above might prevent this per code.

Edit: Article 310.120 conductor marking.
 
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Just to Reiterate,
Fred B said:
How long of conduit run you looking to make? Likely they would have to splice as I dont know if the conductors are marked most I've used has an ID tape run in with it, they're the same as NM, even if they are marked to strip MC to the extent to run into conduit it would be impractical. And you wouldn't make any friends with the electrician, 4ft is tough enough.

I believe he is suggesting stripping long sections off the MC sheathing and fish the conductors in. But reference made above might prevent this per code.
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I was assuming the EMT run would be kinda short say 20-30 feet, But yeah if it's really long there's gonna be a point where it's worth splicing. FYI if you've ever worked with MC feeder cable, it does strip really easily, no problem pulling off 15-20'of armor at a time. Also to reiterate, we don't have the issue of the inners that we have with NM, MC feeder size inners will be marked THHN or XHHW.
 
electrofelon said:
Strip off the required length of the MC armor/jacket and push the conductors into the EMT. The inners of the MC will be either XHHW or THHN so fine to be in EMT.
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That would mean I would have to strip off like 50’ of cable per feed…
 
electrofelon said:
Just to Reiterate,

I was assuming the EMT run would be kinda short say 20-30 feet, But yeah if it's really long there's gonna be a point where it's worth splicing. FYI if you've ever worked with MC feeder cable, it does strip really easily, no problem pulling off 15-20'of armor at a time. Also to reiterate, we don't have the issue of the inners that we have with NM, MC feeder size inners will be marked THHN or XHHW.
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Sorry but just double check a brand new role of southwire MN, no marking on conductors only a tape inside with the required data. Maybe someone makes as you suggest but southwire 12/2 MC doesn't.
 
gadfly56 said:
Junction boxes or wire trough it is, then. Feeding 50 sets back through the EMT could wind up a nightmare.
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I really don't see it being that bad. But we depend on the specifics and how many bends are in that EMT run. As I said I work with feeder MC all the time. But one other option might be to use a large Box, terminate the EGC's on a bar there, And then refeed the conductors to the meter center using the EMT as the EGC. That would save some conduit fill and one less conductor to deal with.
 
electrofelon said:
We are talking feeder size MC here, 100 Amp or greater. I use it all the time and it has always been individually marked.
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Ok the larger feeder size I'll give you both counts, might be marked, never used, and pulling off long sections of sheathing is easier on the larger conductors.
 
Is this a new building? If so, would it be practical and in budget just to run all of the feeders in EMT exclusively without using MC cable? Then there would be no splicing, junction boxes, sheathing removal, etc.
Maybe it's just my bias from being in the Chicago area where conduit is required.
 
synchro said:
Is this a new building? If so, would it be practical and in budget just to run all of the feeders in EMT exclusively without using MC cable? Then there would be no splicing, junction boxes, sheathing removal, etc.
Maybe it's just my bias from being in the Chicago area where conduit is required.
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EMT is more labor intensive and costly which is why I chose MC. This building is existing
 
Would probably be easier to just run the MC and have the carpenters box it in

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