A tube, pipe or duct used as a guide system for electrical wiring, and which can also serve as a protective shield. Conduit is normally much wider than the cable which passes through it, so that replacement cabling can sometimes be fed through installed conduit without actually replacing the conduit. Conduit also provides a harder sheath than cable insulation, providing cable with additional protection from impact. While electrical conduit has traditionally been made of inexpensive metals, most modern electrical conduit used in household wiring is now constructed from plastics, usually a form of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

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