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I have a 1" PVC LB Conduit Body passing through a wall into the electrical panel (the conduit body ultimately leads to a SPA pack). I'd like to add a 20amp receptacle on the opposite site of wall the panel is in but due to other equipment on the back of that wall, none of the other knockouts on the panel are accessible.

Is it acceptable to drill a 1/2" knockout in the conduit body to mount a weatherproof box right next to it (and feed 12ga THWN into that box for the receptacle)?

It's one of these kind of fittings: https://www.lowes.com/pd/CARLON-1-in-Pull-Connector-Schedule-40-PVC-Compatible-Schedule-80-PVC-Compatible-Conduit-Fitting/1000999146

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I believe it would violate code even if it had a stamped volume. The modification would weaken the structure. A stamped conduit body can be used for splices, but conduit bodies are separate from J boxes that are allowed to be modified.

I would probably change over to a “anybody” conduit body. These are configurable straight, left, right, T , and an extra port can provide what you want. I used to carry a couple of these in 1/2, 3/4 & 1”. You don’t have to have all of them if you want to save space.

There are also threaded covers available through Hubble. I think I have picked them up at Home Depot as well, similar to the anybody conduit body.

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  • This makes sense. I will probably try a cut out a section of the conduit further down the wall and put in a J box in-line with the conduit. Any suggestions for making the cut and "shimmy-ing" the J box into place? It should be easy to disconnect the conductors at the panel and pull them back far enough to get them through the new box and then fish them back up into the panel. – astoffel Aug 17 at 20:14
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    The best suggestion is not to cut the wires LOL, i usually do these cuts by hand with a hack saw the plastic goes white just prior to breaking through and I stop. Once cut mostly through all the way around flex the pipe and it breaks on the cut, then I use a razor knife to chamfer the inside edge so it won’t cut the wires make sure to cut out enough for your fittings. They take up a little room. – Ed Beal Aug 17 at 20:27
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That would not be allowed by NEC 110.3(B) unless the conduit body had labeling or instructions (which are part of its UL listing) telling you that is OK.

Ed Beal has the right idea with an "anybody" conduit body. Those are slick! You will have to pull the wires out to change the conduit body. You could also replace the body with a junction box.

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