Forum Discussion

bigcitypopo's avatar
bigcitypopo
Explorer
Jun 16, 2014

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

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...
  • Conduit definitely, if you ever have a short or issue pull it out with a pull string tied on to pull back in.
  • Almot's avatar
    Almot
    Explorer III
    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.
  • It doesn't matter, either will work. I'd install conduit. It's always handy to be able to add or change wiring latter.