5-inch PVC Schedule 80 Conduit Fill
Wire capacity of trade size 5 (metric designator 129) Rigid PVC Conduit, Schedule 80, for THHN, XHHW, THW and RHW conductors from 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil.
5-inch PVC Schedule 80 holds 86 × #4, 61 × #2, 38 × 1/0 AWG or 22 × 4/0 AWG THHN conductors at 40% fill. Internal area: 17.855 in²; usable at 40%: 7.142 in².
| Wire size | THHN | XHHW | THW | RHW | THHN in a nipple (60%) | THHN area (in²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 AWG | 736 | 514 | 514 | 243 | 1104 | 0.0097 |
| 12 AWG | 537 | 394 | 394 | 202 | 805 | 0.0133 |
| 10 AWG | 338 | 294 | 294 | 163 | 507 | 0.0211 |
| 8 AWG | 195 | 163 | 163 | 85 | 292 | 0.0366 |
| 6 AWG | 141 | 121 | 98 | 68 | 211 | 0.0507 |
| 4 AWG | 86 | 87 | 73 | 53 | 130 | 0.0824 |
| 3 AWG | 73 | 74 | 63 | 47 | 110 | 0.0973 |
| 2 AWG | 61 | 62 | 53 | 41 | 92 | 0.1158 |
| 1 AWG | 45 | 46 | 37 | 27 | 68 | 0.1562 |
| 1/0 AWG | 38 | 39 | 32 | 23 | 57 | 0.1855 |
| 2/0 AWG | 32 | 32 | 27 | 20 | 48 | 0.2223 |
| 3/0 AWG | 26 | 27 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 0.2679 |
| 4/0 AWG | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 33 | 0.3237 |
| 250 kcmil | 18 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 27 | 0.3970 |
| 300 kcmil | 15 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 0.4608 |
| 350 kcmil | 13 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 0.5242 |
| 400 kcmil | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 0.5863 |
| 500 kcmil | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 0.7073 |
| 600 kcmil | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 0.8676 |
| 700 kcmil | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 0.9887 |
| 750 kcmil | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 1.0496 |
| 800 kcmil | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 1.1085 |
| 900 kcmil | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1.2311 |
| 1000 kcmil | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1.3478 |
Mixed wire sizes? Calculate it
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5-inch conduit: PVC Schedule 80 vs other types
Trade size is nominal. The real inside diameter, and so the wire count, changes with the wall thickness of each raceway type.
| Conduit type | ID (in) | Area (in²) | 40% (in²) | #12 THHN | #10 THHN | #6 THHN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVC Schedule 40 | 5.016 | 19.761 | 7.904 | 594 | 374 | 156 |
| PVC Schedule 80 | 4.768 | 17.855 | 7.142 | 537 | 338 | 141 |
| Rigid Metal Conduit | 5.073 | 20.212 | 8.085 | 608 | 383 | 159 |
Other PVC Schedule 80 sizes
Frequently asked questions
How many #12 wires fit in 5-inch PVC Schedule 80?
537 conductors of 12 AWG THHN/THWN-2 at the 40% fill limit. With thicker THW or XHHW insulation the count is 394.
What is the inside diameter and area of 5-inch PVC Schedule 80?
The internal diameter is 4.768 in. (121.1 mm) and the total cross-sectional area is 17.855 in². The usable area is 7.142 in² at 40% fill, 5.535 in² for two wires and 9.463 in² for one.
What is the largest wire I can pull three of in 5-inch PVC Schedule 80?
1000 kcmil THHN: 5 conductors fit at 40% fill. That is three current-carrying conductors with no ground; add the ground’s area and check again with the calculator if you need one.
Can I really load it with that many conductors?
For space, yes. But 537 current-carrying conductors in one raceway means heavy ampacity derating — 10 to 20 conductors are adjusted to 50% of their table ampacity. Fill tells you what fits; derating tells you what it can carry.
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