How many #6 THHN fit in 3/4" PVC Sch 40?
46 AWG THHN/THWN-2 wires in 3/4" Rigid PVC conduit, Schedule 40
0.508 sq in × 40 % = 0.2032 sq in allowed. ÷ 0.0507 sq in per wire = 4.01, so 4.
This pull in numbers
- 4 wires fill
- 39.9 % of 3/4" PVC Sch 40
- Limit for three or more
- 40 %
- For 5 or more
- 1" PVC Sch 40, up to 6
- Pipe to wire diameter
- 3.17 to 1
- In THW insulation
- 2 fit
- In XHHW-2 insulation
- 3 fit
The pipe is 3.17 times the wire's diameter, inside the 2.8 to 3.2 range where three wires can wedge side by side on a pull. If you pull exactly three, go up a size or pull with care.
Before you pull 4
- The ground counts. Every wire in the pipe counts toward fill, the green or bare ground and the neutrals too. 4 is the total, not the hots.
- Derating. If all 4 were current-carrying, each would be adjusted to 80 % of its ampacity (Table 310.15(C)(1)): a #6 THHN at 75 A in the 90 °C column becomes 60 A. Grounds don't count as current-carrying. How derating works
- Bends. A full pipe pulls hard. Keep to 360° of bends between pull points, less for a tight fill.
#6 THHN in other 3/4" conduit
| Conduit | Inside area | Most #6 THHN |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical metallic tubing | 0.533 | 4 |
| Intermediate metal conduit | 0.586 | 4 |
| Rigid metal conduit (RMC, GRC) | 0.549 | 4 |
| Rigid PVC conduit, Schedule 40 | 0.508 | 4 |
| Rigid PVC conduit, Schedule 80 | 0.409 | 3 |
| Flexible metal conduit (FMC, Greenfield) | 0.533 | 4 |
| Liquidtight flexible metal conduit (LFMC) | 0.541 | 4 |
| Electrical nonmetallic tubing (smurf tube) | 0.508 | 4 |