How to pass conduit from one side of a wall to another

pick1e

Hello all, new to the forum, looking for advice on a specific problem. Basically how to pass a conduit through a plywood wall. But maybe I'm going about it the wrong way.

I am installing some new data cable in a home office that shares a wall with a garage. I want to put in some conduit while I'm there so that future upgrades will be easier (maybe going from UTP to fiber in the future etc). The problem is I need to enter the wall space from the garage side, from surface mount boxes. The office side will have recessed boxes. The garage side of the wall is plywood and the office side of the wall is drywall.

So I'm wondering if I can pass flexible conduit directly through the plywood wall of the garage through a hole elongated vertically? I don't see another way to do it since coming out the back of the surface mount box through the plywood perpendicularly will not allow enough room for the conduit to make the 90 degree turn (2x4 studs and 6" min radius for the flex conduit).

Here is a sketch of what I mean:


Would this be okay? If so what is the terminology for this kind of arrangement?

Thanks in advance!

brric

I would probably use ENT. Electrical non-metallic tubing, commonly known as "smurf" tube. It is corrugated, flexible, plastic, tubing usually blue in color but also available in other colors some specifically for low voltage use. Either one is acceptable for your application. Do not intend to put line voltage wiring in the same raceway as low voltage wiring.

Jim Port

The ENT idea is a good one, although LV cables do not need conduit.

Be sure to return the fire rating of the garage wall when you patch the penetration.

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

pick1e

Yup that is what I planned on using. And this is definitely data only. I just wanted to know if it was acceptable to pass it through the plywood wall like that because there won't be enough room to bend the ENT in another configuration.

pick1e

I'm just using conduit in order to "future proof" the data cables. Electrical may be good in the walls forever but surely 10 years down the road I will want to upgrade the data cables to whatever is the new standard. I want to take advantage of the fact that some of the walls and ceilings aren't finished yet.

Some fire caulk around the conduit would be good here, correct?

J. V.

Why not lower the surface mount box to the same spot where the flush mount is? Then it would be back to back. A straight piece of conduit. Maybe I do not understand your question?

Wildie

My experience has been that most attempts to look into the future regarding communications is a waste of time.
The company that I worked for spent millions stringing phone cables throughout new houses and very little of it was ever used.
And of course, new technology has made this wire useless for data (cat5 etc)
My advice would be to install for your immediate needs and to worry about the future when the time comes.

pick1e

I considered that but there is a stairway in the way as well as a couple electrical outlets that are already there (outlets on both sides of the wall). I appreciate your interest and comment though

pick1e

But my thinking is if they had installed conduit they could just pull the phone lines out and run cat6 easily. I think it's worth the trouble to avoid tearing up the walls in 10 years when we need to upgrade to fiber optic or whatever.