Guide · Updated 14/08/2026

Conduit Pipe Size Chart for Electrical Wiring in India

Electricians ask us the same three questions at the counter: which size, which grade, and how many wires will fit. This chart answers all three — with the same numbers we run on the extrusion line at Pirana.

1. Sizes, walls and inside diameters

Conduit is sold by nominal outside diameter (OD). Wall thickness depends on grade — LMS (light), MMS (medium), HMS (heavy) — and the wall is what you're paying for: it decides crush resistance during slab casting. Inside diameter (ID) is simply OD minus two walls, and ID is what limits how many wires fit.

Size Chart · Rigid PVC Conduit3 m lengths
Nominal ODGradeWallApprox. IDTypical use
19 mmLMS / MMS / HMS1.2 / 1.5 / 2.0 mm16.6 / 16.0 / 15.0 mmLight & surface runs, point wiring
20 mmLMS / MMS / HMS1.5 / 2.0 / 2.1 mm17.0 / 16.0 / 15.8 mmStandard concealed circuits
25 mmLMS / MMS / HMS1.5 / 2.0 / 2.1 mm22.0 / 21.0 / 20.8 mmMains runs, DB feeds, bunched circuits
32 mmLMS / MMS / HMS1.5 / 2.0 / 2.1 mm29.0 / 28.0 / 27.8 mmFeeders, risers, multi-circuit pulls
ID = OD − 2 × wall · values rounded to 0.1 mm

2. How many wires fit? (40% fill rule)

Fill a conduit past ~40% of its internal area and wires start scuffing on the pull and running hot in service. Using that rule with common FR-insulated copper wire ODs (≈2.8 mm for 1.5 sq mm, ≈3.2 mm for 2.5 sq mm), the practical counts are:

Indicative Wires per Conduit40% fill
Conduit (MMS)1.5 sq mm wires2.5 sq mm wires
19 mm10–128–10
20 mm10–128–10
25 mm17–2013–16
32 mm30+24+
Indicative — wire OD varies by brand; long runs and multiple bends reduce practical fill

3. Which grade for which job

LMS — surface runs, false-ceiling feeds, light duty. MMS — the default for concealed wall chases in brickwork. HMS — anywhere conduit is cast into RCC: slabs, columns, beams, or where trolleys and rebar walk over it before the pour. The extra wall is cheap insurance against a crushed run you can never re-pull.

On 20mm and 25mm, our LMS and MMS grades carry the ISI mark under IS 9537 (Part 3), licence CM/L-7200284611 — printed on the pipe, verifiable on the BIS portal. Full details on the ISI quality page.

Size-Chart FAQs

What is the standard size of conduit pipe for house wiring?
20mm MMS is the default for concealed 1.5–2.5 sq mm circuits in Indian homes; 25mm where circuits bunch toward the DB; 19mm remains a popular economical trade size for light runs.
What size is 20mm conduit in inches?
20mm nominal is close to 3/4 inch; 25mm is about 1 inch; 19mm is about 3/4 inch in the older inch-based trade language.
What is the 40% fill rule?
Good practice fills a conduit to roughly 40% of its internal cross-section so wires pull without damage and heat dissipates. The wires-per-conduit numbers in this chart use that rule.
Is PVC conduit code-compliant in India?
Rigid PVC conduit for electrical installations is covered by IS 9537 (Part 3). ISI-marked conduit carries the licence number on the pipe — ours is CM/L-7200284611 for 20/25mm LMS/MMS.