In my last video, I probably should have included an image of what "in conduit" means. So here's the outlet in my kitchen island, and what's inside the cabinet.
All electrical work around Chicago is done like this even in residential construction. Armored cabling is sometimes allowed and is much easier for a DIYer. I've worked with it before, though, and it still sucks compared to Romex!
@TechConnectify that still doesn't explain the obsession with horizontal orientation, though; those boxes have knockouts on every plane so they could easily be orientated in “portrait”
@gnb This is a weird case. Normally, electricians use double wide boxes like this one and then put a mud ring on top to hold onto the outlet. When there's more than one run of conduit going into the box it's a lot easier to work with
The single box on the end of a stub was probably done sideways just to match the rest
@TechConnectify But… the mud ring can be installed in a vertical orientation just as easily as horizontal on a square double-wide box, can't it? e.g. This outlet in a commercial space here in Washington State.
In fact I think here the conduit is required for commercial spaces, but I've rarely seen the horizontal orientation. Color me still confused.
@TechConnectify Oh I'm not criticizing the horizontal orientation at all! Just trying to understand how it is related to the conduit thing. They seem to be two completely separate quirks, unrelated except for the fact that they are both common in Chicago…
@The_Tim What I mean is conduit means we can, so we do.
It's harder (though not impossible) to do sideways outlets with plastic boxes, but it's not harder at all with a two-gang box and a mud ring. And for whatever reason, it's a norm with lots of inertia.
I'm gonna start paying attention when I'm out and about (I failed with one task today, though) and earlier I renewed my car registration. Outlets at the DMV*, sure enough, were sideways.
*Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services Facility
@TechConnectify Just out of curiosity, what makes it harder? I just noticed that all the outlets in my workplace are sideways and I wonder if that means there's probably conduit running in the walls. I've never seen that in a building around here before.
@atocci@TechConnectify@gnb The plastic boxes are designed to be nailed to the vertical studs, and have screw posts for the outlets aligned in parallel with the stud.
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