Five reasons Champion Fiberglass equals savings

There are more than five ways that Champion Fiberglass can save you money on your next project – a quick click through our website’s Resources section highlights many of them. But we’ve put together a “Top 5” list that showcases the real numbers around Champion Fiberglass and savings.

Fiberglass conduit has been steadily improving in design, range of customizable options, breadth of application, and overall quality, leading to increasing usage across industries and quite a few budget-saving benefits. Here are just five of the things you should consider about fiberglass conduit when specifying projects – compared to PVC-coated steel, GRC, and other commonly used conduit materials, you’ll find Champion Fiberglass comes out ahead. (Want to compare directly material and installation costs for your next project? Compare now with our online Conduit Calculator tool.)

#1 Low starting cost. High quality.

Champion Fiberglass conduit’s benefits start at the beginning – with a low initial material cost. That doesn’t indicate low quality, however – just an efficient, effective production process. Once you’ve moved on to installation, fiberglass continues to win the race – installing heavy PVC-coated conduit to design specifications requires much more manpower and equipment that’s not typically on-hand in the field for a contractor.

#2 Lower installation costs.

It’s sometimes assumed that fiberglass conduit requires more supports to get the job done. Those days are behind us. Champion Fiberglass recently received a UL Listing for extended support spacing distances for both Haz Duct® and Champion Duct® conduit. Both now feature extended support spacing distances for many diameters. If you’re worried about installation costs, let’s do a little math here. The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) estimates man-hour labor rates for a normal 100-foot installation of 5″ diameter conduit at:

Make that 1″ diameter conduit instead, and the installation man-hours come out at:

#3 Savings are growing across industries.

It seems there was a time when fiberglass conduit’s many uses were a mystery. Who was using it? What were they using it for? Why were they using it? Above ground? Below ground? How was its long-term performance in different environments? Those answers are now readily available. Champion Fiberglass conduit has been used successfully by engineers representing the wastewater treatment, utilities, port authority, industrial/commercial, petrochemical, pipeline, transportation and data center applications fields, among others. In each of these instances, it was fiberglass conduit’s ability to stand up to a wide range of corrosive and ambient environments that led engineers to choose it. Visit our robust Case Studies section to see exactly how Champion Fiberglass conduit supported success (and savings) for each of these industries.

#4 Strength = Savings.

Fiberglass conduit is a rigid conduit and is now approved for Class I, Division 2 installations per the National Electrical Code, NEC. This tough, rugged product can absorb a significant mechanical impact, compressing and flexing back to its original shape without affecting its serviceability. It offers superior vibration resistance, especially useful in the utility and energy fields. It also offers zero burn-through, fault resistance and a lower overall coefficient of friction when compared to PVC-coated steel.

#5 Safety also = Savings.

Safety comes first when you’re considering materials. Fiberglass conduit is a non-toxic material, unlike PVC conduit and other thermoplastic conduits. In the event of a fire, the chlorine or bromine released by PVC-based materials aren’t an issue with fiberglass. Fiberglass conduit, if subjected to fire, emits very low smoke and zero halogens.

Fiberglass doesn’t conduct electricity – it serves as an electrical insulator. An electrical fault within a fiberglass conduit won’t turn the entire conduit into an electrical safety risk. In a field where over 500 contractors suffer preventable, fatal electrical shocks every year, fiberglass offers a peace of mind you just can’t put a number on.

Strength, cost, safety, ease of use, toxicity – with Champion Fiberglass, they all equal savings. But there are many more reasons that fiberglass deserves another look. If you’d like to learn more about how Champion Fiberglass can increase your savings, please contact us. We welcome the chance to talk with you about these five ways we can help you save – and a few more, as well.