Ok, I'm piecing together my solar stuff. I have a combiner box and mc4 cable enroute, I actually have enough room in the fridge vent topper to place a sealed box in there... Panels to combiner box, combiner box to controller mounted in fridge area xtra space, controller down through fridge compartment to underside, underside to batteries.Anyways, my underbelly is sealed but once I drop the skirting and work through the insulation I have access to the "I" beam, should I run some 3/4 or 1" sch40 and run the line to the batts through that. Or just use cable fasteners and self tap screws to secure the two wires to the "i" beam ...to the batts...Am I over thinking is...

It doesn't matter, either will work. I'd install conduit. It's always handy to be able to add or change wiring latter.

Combiner box in the fridge vent is same bad as on the roof, or maybe even worse than on the roof. On the roof you have UV and rain, in the vent - a lot of heat. If you are running MC4 all the way to controller, you don't need a combiner box.Definitely conduit. I don't like this frame route, there is a risk of shorting the wires where they are rubbing at the holes in the beams, but conduit will at least give some protection.

Conduit definitely, if you ever have a short or issue pull it out with a pull string tied on to pull back in.

I used corrugated wire loom wrap, zip tied to the frame.

I use Liquid Tight. It is a grey flexible conduit available at HD or Lowes. They also have the fittings and it is easy to use. They sell it by the foot or roll. You may see it used quite a bit between the shutoff switch and a residential/commercial AC unit.

To conduit... Or not to conduit...? | Good Sam Community

KD4UPL
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
It doesn't matter, either will work. I'd install conduit. It's always handy to be able to add or change wiring latter.
Almot
Explorer III
Jun 17, 2014
Combiner box in the fridge vent is same bad as on the roof, or maybe even worse than on the roof. On the roof you have UV and rain, in the vent - a lot of heat. If you are running MC4 all the way to controller, you don't need a combiner box.

Definitely conduit. I don't like this frame route, there is a risk of shorting the wires where they are rubbing at the holes in the beams, but conduit will at least give some protection.
AlbertaNewbie
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
Conduit definitely, if you ever have a short or issue pull it out with a pull string tied on to pull back in.
time2roll
Nomad
Jun 17, 2014
I used corrugated wire loom wrap, zip tied to the frame.
bobsallyh
Explorer II
Jun 17, 2014
I use Liquid Tight. It is a grey flexible conduit available at HD or Lowes. They also have the fittings and it is easy to use. They sell it by the foot or roll. You may see it used quite a bit between the shutoff switch and a residential/commercial AC unit.
0rion
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
I always opt for protecting wiring whether it's conduit or convoluted tubing. I also always opt for solder and heat shrinked over butt connectors. In my youth I spent way too much time finding bad or corroded connections. I no longer do that. Do it once and do it right.
westend
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
I'd opt for conduit. I used flexible non-metallic for brake wiring and it's OK but if I was doing it again, I'd use PVC. I have one underside battery bank run through 1 1/2 ABS but that is overkill for your run. I have two #1 AWG cables, the battery temp wire, and two #14 THHN in the ABS pipe. Liquatite is probably the best conduit, the stuff is darn near indestructible.
bigcitypopo
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
Ok, I ordered the combiner box so if I didn't need it, I'd send it back. Just being prepared.
westend
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
bigcitypopo wrote:
Ok, I ordered the combiner box so if I didn't need it, I'd send it back. Just being prepared.
How many panels are you installing?
Almot
Explorer III
Jun 17, 2014
westend wrote:
bigcitypopo wrote:
Ok, I ordered the combiner box so if I didn't need it, I'd send it back. Just being prepared.
How many panels are you installing?

And what panels, and are they in series or parallel?

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To conduit... Or not to conduit...?

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