1/2" PVC Sch 40 conduit fill
1/2" Rigid PVC conduit, Schedule 40 has an inside area of 0.285 sq in (0.602 in across). Three or more wires may take 40 % of it: 0.1140 sq in.
- One wire, 53 %
- 0.1510 sq in
- Two wires, 31 %
- 0.0883 sq in
- Three or more, 40 %
- 0.1140 sq in
- Nipple, 60 %
- 0.1710 sq in
- Support
- Every 3 ft, 3 ft from boxes
- Sold in
- 10 ft sticks
How many wires fit in 1/2" PVC Sch 40
All wires the same size and type, by Annex C's method. For a mix of sizes, open the calculator.
| Wire size | THHN/THWN-2 | XHHW-2 | THW/THW-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 AWG | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| 12 AWG | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| 10 AWG | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 8 AWG | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 AWG | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 AWG | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 AWG | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 AWG | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Other 1/2" conduit
| Conduit | Inside area | #14 | #12 | #10 | #8 | #6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid PVC conduit, Schedule 40 | 0.285 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Electrical metallic tubing | 0.304 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Intermediate metal conduit | 0.342 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Rigid metal conduit (RMC, GRC) | 0.314 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Rigid PVC conduit, Schedule 80 | 0.217 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Flexible metal conduit (FMC, Greenfield) | 0.317 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Liquidtight flexible metal conduit (LFMC) | 0.314 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Electrical nonmetallic tubing (smurf tube) | 0.285 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
About PVC Sch 40
Schedule 40 is the standard PVC wall. Support spacing gets wider as the size goes up (Table 352.30), and long runs in the sun need expansion fittings (352.44). See strap spacing and the fill rules.