Running Electric Conduit Before Pouring Concrete Floor

The challenging part of this project isn t the wiring but having to cut through the concrete.

Running electric conduit before pouring concrete floor. Ridged nonmetallic pvc conduit is the right material for this job because it is watertight inexpensive and easy to work with. This can include just about anything including installing an electrical outlet in a concrete floor. You ll have to cut a trench in the concrete for a pvc conduit which will carry the electrical cable under the floor. It also allows future expansion of the electrical system by pulling additional wires through the conduit.

This allows you to install the conduit under the slab in a location where it is well protected. Installing conduit under or in concrete slabs protects the wires from the weight and corrosion of the cement. The best time to run conduit is before your pour the concrete slab. Pvc conduit is typically used for these applications because it is weather tight and doesn t corrode due to exposure to the acidic concrete.

Whatever size conduit you use don t fill it more than 40 percent with wires. The best spot for that trench will be underneath a flooring strip that runs perpendicular from the nearest wall to the spot where your island will be. You can stub out pipes in a concrete slab easily because the stub out is put in place before the final grade for the concrete slab is prepared but you must be very skilled. You must stub out toilets water lines and electrical conduit as well as main utility lines that enter the building from below the foundation and rise up into the building.