Electrical – Conduit fill size when using multiple cables of different sizes

electricalelectrical-panelwiring

I have a main panel in my garage and I would like to install a subpanel in my basement. My plan is to run a 60A circuit to the subpanel (using 6/3 NM) as well as 2x 12/3 NM homeruns; one to feed 2 cirucits of lights and a second that would not be connected to my main panel yet, but would be available for convenience if I later wanted to add 2 more circuits in the basement. I was planning to use Schedule 40 PVC (inspector told me this would be fine), and the total run of conduit within the garage to the junction box in the basement will be approx 40' in length.

What size of PVC conduit would I need to satisfy conduit fill requirements? Would I be able to use smaller conduit sizes if I stripped the sheathing from the 14/3 and 12/3 cables?

In my research, I've come across this post (What type of wire for subpanel in attached garage?), and it seems that my cross-sectional areas would be:

6/3     650 mils    0.3316625
12/3    347 mils    0.094521
12/3    347 mils    0.094521

Resulting in a total area of

0.3316625 + 0.094521 + 0.094521 = 0.5207045.

In this post (How do I determine the fill rating of a conduit?), there's a table in NEC 2014 Chapter 9 Table 4 for PVC Schedule 40 indicating Over 2 wires requires 40% fill area; so it seems like 1 1/4" PVC would allow for .581" size, granting enough size for the .521" area that I believe I would have wih those 3 cables. Am I deriving this correctly?

Thanks for the help!

Best Answer

Stripping the jacket off the cables is not an option. The wires inside are only rated as part of a cable assembly, and cannot be used as individual wires.

I didn't check your numbers, but the process you followed is correct.

If you're dead set on installing cables, you might want to bump the conduit up a size. The extra space will make the pull a bit easier. Also make sure you use plenty of lube. Though since you're installing conduit anyway, consider installing individual wires instead of cables.

It also might make more sense to bump up the size of the feeder a bit, and eliminate the two branch circuits. Increase the size of the secondary panel, and supply the 20 ampere branch circuits from there instead. This might save money on materials, make the pull easier, and reduce the size of the conduit (not sure about this, as I haven't run any numbers).