Why is ENT rarely used for electrical wiring?

Question

As best I can tell, the National Electrical Code 2011 allows electrical non-metallic tubing ("smurf tube" or ENT) to be used for running 120 V electrical wire. But everywhere I look, I see remarks to the effect that its use is mostly confined to low-voltage wiring (communications, alarms, audio/video), and some localities forbid its use for 120 V electrical purposes. Why?

I am planning to install a couple exterior weatherproof boxes. The wires will be run from the basement, through the sole plate, into the wall space, and out through a hole drilled through a brick veneer into the back of the box.

To make the bridge from wall to box watertight, I plan to run the wire in conduit. Options here seem to be liquidtight flexible metallic/non-metallic conduit, PVC, or some of the heavier metal conduits like intermediate metallic conduit. All of these seem like a pain to run through finished walls aside from the liquidtight flexible stuff, and that seems like a pain because of its weight and fittings.

ENT seems very attractive next to these: lightweight, easy to flex, easy to attach, works great with non-metallic boxes. It's allowed in damp locations (362.10(4)); the conduit run will be entirely within the wall and terminating in the rear of the box, so none of it will be exposed to the exterior or direct water. What am I missing here?

Answer 1

I don't know why it might be disallowed by local codes. As mentioned in the comments to the question, this stuff is often put into poured walls and floors. It is used quite heavily for 240V wiring and phone/data wiring in Israel where almost all construction is concrete. We also used it for both 120V/240V and data in WaterShed here in the USA.

As another answer mentioned though, it's not good for outside use.

Answer 2

I am not an electrician, but as I'm currently in the middle of some renovations myself, I was curious and did some searching. I came across "Mike Holt’s Illustrated Guide to 101 Essential NEC Rules" (that's chapter 3 in PDF form), which, in article 362, it explains that it can NOT be used for wiring systems over 600V. To me, that appears to be saying that it is fine for 120/240V. The main concerns appear to be leaving the conduit exposed, particularly to sunlight, as UV can cause it to become brittle. I also came across a forum post discussing using ENT for 120V, and they were discussing how many wires you could run in a specific size of conduit, so it appears that it's done. Given that it meets NEC code, I can't come up with a good reason why specific localities might forbid it, other than possibly politics.

Answer 3

I'm not an electrician, but I believe it comes down to two general principles that are almost religious dogma to inspectors:

1. Preference for wiring systems where it's BLATANTLY and VISIBLY obvious when someone has used it incorrectly.

2. Wiring systems that a future homeowner is unlikely to be tempted to use incorrectly.

In the case of conduit, I believe their primary concern is that a future homeowner might see low-voltage wires running through one blue conduit, high-voltage wires running through another blue conduit, and conclude that it's OK to run BOTH low AND high-voltage wires through the SAME conduit. Or, someone might blindly cut into a blue conduit thinking it has only low-voltage wires inside, and get a very "shocking" surprise.

Put another way... an inspector might allow you to use common blue conduit for high-voltage wiring OR low-voltage wiring site-wide, but balk at allowing you to use it for BOTH purposes.

Carlon's ribbed plastic conduit actually comes in different colors that are commonly associated with different uses, but AFAIK, those specific colors and uses aren't currently enshrined in any current code (which is a good thing and a bad thing... good, in the sense that you might be able to negotiate an agreement with an inspector... bad, in the sense that he might either say 'no' or impose some unreasonably-expensive color combination on you absent an official standard to the contrary). Those colors include:

• Blue - data communication systems (eg, ethernet, phone, etc).
• Orange - fiber optic systems
• Red - fire alarm systems
• Purple - security systems
• Green - healthcare-related systems
• Yellow - high-voltage systems
• Black, White, and Gray -- "Architectural use"

For what it's worth, the only colors that appear to be reasonably available AT ALL in the US are blue, orange, yellow, and red (and I'm not entirely confident that the color called "yellow" is NOT the one I'd personally call "orange"). Also the colors besides "smurf blue" are ENORMOUSLY more expensive. OK, technically, they're the same cost if you're buying them in wholesale quantities... but the price YOU, as a DIY'er, will pay for 100 feet of some alternate color from a vendor online is way, WAY more than you'd have to pay for a 100-foot roll of smurf-blue conduit at Home Depot.

Answer 4

Its simple. Its mainly cost of material and labor. When wiring a residential house it makes no sense to install ENT and all the associated boxes and fittings, and then go back and pull in conductors. You cant run NM-b in the conduit system. So almost twice the work, effort and materials, for little to no benefit. Its used for communications and low volt because that application is more likely to change. Like pulling in a new HDMI cable to the TV. Its cheaper, faster, and easier to drill holes, pull in NM and be done.

Answer 5

ENT is widely used in electrical. However not all ENT is the same. The blue “smurf” is rate for concrete encasement wheras the orange stuff is not. The orange ENT is almost solely used for data com. Now for the painful hard truth. The NEC considers everything less than 600v as low voltage. So local jurisdictions have a misinterpretation thinking 120/240v is high voltage. That is just simply not true. What the NEC does identify is the class of the circuit either type 1,2,3. So regardless of the voltage if it’s the same class and the insulation on the wires has a rating for the highest voltage in raceway it’s allowed per NEC 300.3(C)1 whereas type 2,3 fall under NEC 725.136(A). (NEC 820 considers coax as type 2,3). A bit lengthy but was required to explain where the mass misinterpretation began in local jurisdictions. It’s not low voltage high voltage it’s not separating type 1 from 2,3

Answer 6

ENT is not UV-resistant, so it won't work for your application. On top of that, it's ugly.

PVC is quite easy to run, and if you need an awkward angle, you can achieve that using a heat gun. I don't see how using PVC would be difficult in your scenario. If you can get to the sole plate with a drill bit, you should be able to get into the drilled hole with PVC.

Answer 7

Its upper temperature limit is only 122 degrees Fahrenheit. In a lot of areas in the United States attics get hotter than this.

Answer 8

1. ENT building not exceeding three floors above grade. The primary concern is life safety. It can be toxic or result in excessive smoke generation when it is subject to products of combustion. SEC.362.10.

Judge your case based on this comment.