connecting new circuits to outdoor circuit breaker box


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Old 06-01-15, 07:07 AM
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connecting new circuits to outdoor circuit breaker box

hi, my circuit breaker panel is on the outside of my house and there are 5 different sized conduits ranging from 1/2 inch to 1 inch that are used to house wires to feed the basement. i want to clean this up and have only one large conduit or maybe 2 that house all the wires. right now they run romex still in the sheath up the conduit to the box. my question is, can i disconnect some of these wires and pull them through a larger - like 2 or 2 1/2 inch conduit? do i need to strip the sheath off the romex so i have more room? i know that code today requires THHN wires from the box through the conduit to the inside of the house, but i do not want to put a large junction box down there. i just want to get rid of some of those conduits and consolidate my wires in one or two conduits. BUT! if i do have to use a junction box, can i put a grounding bar in there and a neutral bar in there and only run one white and one ground in the conduit?

thanks! i'm heading to work over there today and will take some measurements and photos
 
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Old 06-01-15, 07:25 AM
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Welcome to the forums!

You have a few issues doing what you propose:

1) Unless the pipes are 24" or less, the wires will likely need to be derated because you are putting a lot of wires/cables is the pipe.

2) You can only fill a pipe to 40% fill

3) By changing the wiring you will loose any grandfathering you have. Romex is no longer allowed outdoors so you would have to change the wiring method to something that is rated for wet locations.

if i do have to use a junction box, can i put a grounding bar in there and a neutral bar in there and only run one white and one ground in the conduit
4) No, you must run one white for each circuit. If you have any multiwire circuits, you would have to change any single pole breakers to two pole breakers if they share a neutral. The grounds could be grouped together, however it would have to be sized to the largest ground from the J-box to the panel.

IMO I would suggest leaving it. Panels always have multiple pipes/cables coming out of them, that is how they are installed. If you find it unsightly I suggest building a box around the pipes and hiding them that way. You could even finish it the same as the outside of the house.

BTW - I think your shift key is broken.
 
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Old 06-01-15, 09:41 PM
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thanks! i don't like caps... so i don't use the shift key!

the pipe is less than 24 inches, so no derating.

i have considered what you suggest, leaving it as is and covering all the conduits with a box.

but, i also need to add 2 or 3 more circuits. should i just add yet another conduit? it would have to come out of the side of the box.

my thinking is if i add more circuits and have to wire to latest code, then wouldn't i lose my grandfathering on the other wires? or could i add a circuit or two without a permit and just run them the way everything else is and call it existing?
 
 

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