Electrical Conduit

[crokett™]

My plans have changed as to where I am going to put my whole-house generator. will do a manual stop/start via lockout on the panel. The panel has one knockout left at the bottom. Because of the distance of the generator from the panel I'm going to pull #4 or aluminum equivalent. I also need to be able to get a feeder for my shop into the panel. That will probably be 2-2-2-4 aluminum. I'm hoping to be able to do 2" conduit from the panel down to some kind of junction box that lets me tee. The only conduit body that I can find that is a tee has 1 connection on the side and 2 on the ends. I really want something with 1 on one side and 2 on the other due to appearance and space constraints where it needs to go. I'm not sure I have room to turn the one on the side down. I'm coming out of the panel between the feed from the PoCo and the feed to my inside panel. It would also be a lot easier to pull if the cables were running straight down and not bending around a corner. Can I use a 6" weather-proof box for this and just bore holes for the conduit where I need it?

[Mr_Mike]

 Can I use a 6" weather-proof box for this and just bore holes for the conduit where I need it?

That would be my plan. You might find a box with knockouts already in it.

You can also just use a chassis punch to add another hole in the panel bottom if you have enough real-estate. This is what we did when I re-wired the Kitchen. I needed two. One for the bundle of 14 and 12 gauge and one for the #8 oven service.

I suggest going to an electrical supply house instead of the borg. It might be more expensive, but they can generally get what you need.

[crokett™]

I don't have enough real estate at the bottom of the box unfortunately. I'll get the PVC 6" box, it will be easy enough to do the holes myself if I can't find one with knockouts. thanks.

[Mr_Mike]

How are you connecting the conduit to the box? Are you using plastic or metal?

[crokett™]

I'm going plastic all the way. Plastic is easier to work with and no worries about needing the plastic bushing on the EMT.

[Roly]

6" sq box sounds small to get all that wire in plus if I understand correctly it will be changing direction also. Do you have room for a longer box ? Something like 12" long and 6" wide and 4" thick ? Would make it a lot easier. Roly

[Mr_Mike]

I'm going plastic all the way.  Plastic is easier to work with and no worries about needing the plastic bushing on the EMT.

The plastic boxes I've used were socketed. I presume you can get threaded fittings and nuts and whatever makes it water resistant?

[crokett™]

6" sq box sounds small to get all that wire in plus if I understand correctly it will be changing direction also.    Do you have room for a longer box ?  Something like 12" long and 6" wide and 4" thick ?   Would make it a lot easier.  Roly

I'm looking at something like this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Carlon/100404096

The wire won't be changing direction, just offset a little bit. there would be 2" conduit coming in from one side and 1.5" and 1" conduit leaving the opposite side.

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The plastic boxes I've used were socketed. I presume you can get threaded fittings and nuts and whatever makes it water resistant?

Yes. I know they make fittings for it.

[Roly]

I would still suggest a plastic bushing on the box connectors. Even though it is plastic it is a sharp edge that the wire will be resting on. Roly

[Foggy]

I'm thinking you need an 8x8 box but my memory may be failing. There are minimum requirements in the code book. I would look it up for you but I misplaced my book. Code is minimum. In practice use as big a box as you can. Easier to pull wires.