EMT - Manual?
- Thread starter yeldogt
- Start date
Marctrees
Well-known member
LX - Here we have yet again an example of a misunderstanding reading a Text posting.
My misunderstanding.
When you said the "bicycle" comment, somehow in my late night head I construed that to be a snipe against ME.
Now, next morn, I have no idea why I perceived it that way.
So then, the ONLY reason I stated my work history, was to show my work experience was l;imited.
Never did a lot of pipe.
It was no way a boasting of my work, if anything, the opposite.
Then, you made a mistake and thought I was trying to snipe you.
Not my intent at all.
So it all started because of my misunderstanding what you said.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/51/7c/98/517c985b618355098a3aa1ba963019e3.jpg
Marc
My misunderstanding.
When you said the "bicycle" comment, somehow in my late night head I construed that to be a snipe against ME.
Now, next morn, I have no idea why I perceived it that way.
So then, the ONLY reason I stated my work history, was to show my work experience was l;imited.
Never did a lot of pipe.
It was no way a boasting of my work, if anything, the opposite.
Then, you made a mistake and thought I was trying to snipe you.
Not my intent at all.
So it all started because of my misunderstanding what you said.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/51/7c/98/517c985b618355098a3aa1ba963019e3.jpg
Marc
nsula_country
Well-known member
+1
Industrial covers. Use the screws and nuts included to mount receptacle. Takes more time, looks more finished. Mud Rings look like **** when surface mounting conduit.
CT
nsula_country
Well-known member
rburke65
Well-known member
I'm sure there are plenty of YouTube videos on this subject.
Marctrees
Well-known member
rburke65 - Not much on youtube, but MANY MANY pay websites.
If you're into that sort of thing.
I hear alot of it is faked though. Marc
If you're into that sort of thing.
I hear alot of it is faked though. Marc
Marctrees
Well-known member
Thanks for the guys that brought up the new style covers.
Have not seen them before.
Heres a great price on a 10 pack - $11.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-Squ...Lo7ELSz3Hiux6VRk3sb56hoC3h_w_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Have not seen them before.
Heres a great price on a 10 pack - $11.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-Squ...Lo7ELSz3Hiux6VRk3sb56hoC3h_w_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
nsula_country
Well-known member
Those are the ones to use for surface mount applications. I stand by mud rings and standard covers look like hack work.
CT
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
.....and the corners of the stainless steel cover plates are as sharp as ninja throwing stars 
I'm running 3/4" EMT in my new(to me) garage right now. I found these covers at the Orange Box for the 4" square boxes. http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-Squ...Two-Duplex-Receptacles-10-Pack-907C/202058438
They'll also work with these boxes http://www.homedepot.com/p/Two-Gang...h-1-2-and-3-4-in-KO-s-10-Pack-683SP/204855678.
I like the drawn boxes because they are deep and don't have the cut yoself edges like the folded/welded boxes.
From a fellow EMT bending noob, you keen do eet!
I spent Summers in High School as an apprentice electrician, commercial and residential. I don't remember doing much, if any, EMT bending though. My dad was an electrician for 20+ years and gave me some pointers on bending. He said he would come by and make it look all 'spiffy' for me but I couldn't wait until he had the time.
I started out with a frustrating first couple hours making ****** yard art. But after 2 or 3 10' pipes I threw in the corner I started getting the hang of it. And it's actually kinda fun seeing how neat and tidy I can make the runs.
Definitely do your drawings for your layout and plan extra allowance in your conduit for circuits later.
LXCam had an excellent suggestion on the offsets. Definitely makes it look more like a professional job than a weekend spazzer job.
They'll also work with these boxes http://www.homedepot.com/p/Two-Gang...h-1-2-and-3-4-in-KO-s-10-Pack-683SP/204855678.
I like the drawn boxes because they are deep and don't have the cut yoself edges like the folded/welded boxes.
From a fellow EMT bending noob, you keen do eet!
I spent Summers in High School as an apprentice electrician, commercial and residential. I don't remember doing much, if any, EMT bending though. My dad was an electrician for 20+ years and gave me some pointers on bending. He said he would come by and make it look all 'spiffy' for me but I couldn't wait until he had the time.
I started out with a frustrating first couple hours making ****** yard art. But after 2 or 3 10' pipes I threw in the corner I started getting the hang of it. And it's actually kinda fun seeing how neat and tidy I can make the runs.
Definitely do your drawings for your layout and plan extra allowance in your conduit for circuits later.
LXCam had an excellent suggestion on the offsets. Definitely makes it look more like a professional job than a weekend spazzer job.
Marctrees
Well-known member
brocken - Good covers and boxes.
Except, I'm not sure they will work together.
Note that the box you spec has device ears, that's what makes it a "Handy box".
A standard 1900 "4 square box" has screws in the diag corners for mounting a mud ring, and then devices.
Your combo may work, but I don't think so.
I may certainly be mistaken, check it out. Marc
Except, I'm not sure they will work together.
Note that the box you spec has device ears, that's what makes it a "Handy box".
A standard 1900 "4 square box" has screws in the diag corners for mounting a mud ring, and then devices.
Your combo may work, but I don't think so.
I may certainly be mistaken, check it out. Marc
You can get regular 4" square 2 1/8 deep drawn boxes, with corner mounting screws. Don't use the handy boxes, they're much less flexible.
Now you guys tell me! HD is limited on the options - if i saw the 4" square 2 1/8 drawn boxes I would have grabbed those instead. The handy boxes do make mounting a little more work.
I have the covers mounted through the device screws into the device ear tabs on the handy boxes.
Looks very clean, just a little more tedious to install. They also seem a little more solid than using the 4" square boxes with the plates that you mount the devices to.
So the moral of the story is don't go shopping at HD. Go to your closest electrical supply store and check out their selection.
Even my dad asked why the heck I bought handy boxes... I told him I wanted it to look nice.
I had the regular 4" square boxes with mud rings in my last shop and I didn't like the look.
I have the covers mounted through the device screws into the device ear tabs on the handy boxes.
Looks very clean, just a little more tedious to install. They also seem a little more solid than using the 4" square boxes with the plates that you mount the devices to.
So the moral of the story is don't go shopping at HD. Go to your closest electrical supply store and check out their selection.
Even my dad asked why the heck I bought handy boxes... I told him I wanted it to look nice.
I had the regular 4" square boxes with mud rings in my last shop and I didn't like the look.
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
Just say no to greenfield!
Attachments
aka Larry
Well-known member
I used these to avoid having to do offsets in all my boxes. They look much better IMO and they work great. They screw to the wall and when you are ready, slide the EMT in, give it a little shove, and the clamp closes around it and clicks it into place.
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
HD is made for do it yourselfers. They carry a number of 4" square boxes of differing configurations
Electrical Supply stores are made for professionals.
One of the quickest sure fire way to piss everybody involved off is to waste the counterman's time with questions and "checking out the selection" (ie having the poor guy pull out everything but the kitchen sink.)
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I'm reading all this with a fair amount of interest. Where I live, metallic conduit is required by local code for all wiring, whether commercial or residential, and so I've pretty much always known how to work with it. Even though I'm not a sparky, I have my own bender, tubing cutter, spools of wire on a rack, boxes full of mud rings, connectors, 4" boxes, standoffs and clamps, all that stuff. I buy 1/2" EMT in bundles of 10 and just store it until I need some for a home improvement project.
In all my life I've done exactly one significant Romex project, remodeling a basement in another city, and although I appreciated how easy it was to run new wiring compared to rigid conduit, I missed having the luxury of color-coded wires and the convenience of pulling a new circuit through existing pipes without having to open a wall.
So I'm here to +1 what brocken said: You keen do eet! If I could teach myself to run conduit, so can you. A little practice on the bends and the rest is just like tinker toys.
In all my life I've done exactly one significant Romex project, remodeling a basement in another city, and although I appreciated how easy it was to run new wiring compared to rigid conduit, I missed having the luxury of color-coded wires and the convenience of pulling a new circuit through existing pipes without having to open a wall.
So I'm here to +1 what brocken said: You keen do eet! If I could teach myself to run conduit, so can you. A little practice on the bends and the rest is just like tinker toys.
Marctrees
Well-known member
Ya, it really doesn't workout going to any mechanical electrical HVAC or similar "wholesale"to the trade supply houses unless you can rattle of specifically what you want.
Specially for a homeowner quantity.
Those guys working the counter really love stuff like this.......
(Picture a small crowd of sweaty non smiling Electricians waiting for service after this guy (man bun, skinny girl jeans, $12 haircut he paid $90 for) below-)
"Lets see... OK I need 2 of those joining things, no no.. 3 , ya 3 , not two......wait............ ya 3.. then 3 of the screw on jobbies, and do you think I should get the tie downs with one or two holes.... or maybe the plastic ones??"
Oh, I'll ask you how to do this part later, but keep in mind this all needs to be able to be run by an App, of course......
"And do I use tape for the wire or those funny looking hat button things with a hole....and do I need the tape to keep them on??......
Oh, and my Wife said she saw different colors for those and wants me to ask if they come in Awareness Pink?
And how bout the tape? pink too?
She said if not pink, just anything but black.
The green might be ok....... hmmmm.... we are trying to go green..........
We do have green duck tape at home.. can I use that?
Will I need some special saw tool to cut the wire stuff ?
ooooooooooooohhh ...........and what colors can I get the wire in?
O WOW so you DO have pink !!!"..........................
Can I use the staple gun I have at home?...............
Do you have different sizes than Home Depot?
My neighbor said I need special sizes in my garage..
And here's where they gently show you the door - " those box things...do you have different ones, and in what colors?"
Marc
Specially for a homeowner quantity.
Those guys working the counter really love stuff like this.......
(Picture a small crowd of sweaty non smiling Electricians waiting for service after this guy (man bun, skinny girl jeans, $12 haircut he paid $90 for) below-)
"Lets see... OK I need 2 of those joining things, no no.. 3 , ya 3 , not two......wait............ ya 3.. then 3 of the screw on jobbies, and do you think I should get the tie downs with one or two holes.... or maybe the plastic ones??"
Oh, I'll ask you how to do this part later, but keep in mind this all needs to be able to be run by an App, of course......
"And do I use tape for the wire or those funny looking hat button things with a hole....and do I need the tape to keep them on??......
Oh, and my Wife said she saw different colors for those and wants me to ask if they come in Awareness Pink?
And how bout the tape? pink too?
She said if not pink, just anything but black.
The green might be ok....... hmmmm.... we are trying to go green..........
We do have green duck tape at home.. can I use that?
Will I need some special saw tool to cut the wire stuff ?
ooooooooooooohhh ...........and what colors can I get the wire in?
O WOW so you DO have pink !!!"..........................
Can I use the staple gun I have at home?...............
Do you have different sizes than Home Depot?
My neighbor said I need special sizes in my garage..
And here's where they gently show you the door - " those box things...do you have different ones, and in what colors?"
Marc
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Here's a visual aid to help OP see what's being discussed:
Old style exposed work cover on the left, new style on the right.
It was a needed change. Though the old style with a single middle screw was faster to install, I've seen outlets bent and broken from being mounted that way in hard use environments.
Thanks -- I have been reading the Greenfield manual. I have to give it some thought as far as layout.
Do most people stick to the 4" square boxes for everything ? Believe I have seen single outlet covers for them.
My plan was to have task lighting -- so I would have a switch and outlet in many spots.
Do most people stick to the 4" square boxes for everything ? Believe I have seen single outlet covers for them.
My plan was to have task lighting -- so I would have a switch and outlet in many spots.
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
aka Larry
Well-known member
The 4" boxes are MUCH easier to work within, or at least they were for me in my shop, so that's what I used. Yes, they make them with covers for single outlets. I have about 10 of them in my shop.
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
Do you mean the Benfield (conduit bender) Manual instead of the Greenfield (flex conduit) Manual?
Single outlet covers are readily available at HD and Lowes.
nsula_country
Well-known member
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
Do you mean the Benfield (conduit bender) Manual instead of the Greenfield (flex conduit) Manual?
Single outlet covers are readily available at HD and Lowes.
Yes, there are single outlet covers for them:
But why would you want to? The single-gang cover is 30 cents MORE than the 2-gang cover at Lowe's, and a residential 15A duplex receptacle is 68 cents. So for a total of 38 cents more you could have twice the outlets at that box; why would you not?
Do you mean the Benfield (conduit bender) Manual instead of the Greenfield (flex conduit) Manual?
Single outlet covers are readily available at HD and Lowes.
by bad .. Benfield ------ not sure where "greenfield" came from.
Yes, there are single outlet covers for them:
But why would you want to? The single-gang cover is 30 cents MORE than the 2-gang cover at Lowe's, and a residential 15A duplex receptacle is 68 cents. So for a total of 38 cents more you could have twice the outlets at that box; why would you not?
I remember doing my outside work and the double outlets filled the box -- made splicing more difficult
I've had that problem with larger devices like dimmers or GFCIs, but never with just a couple of receptacles.
With a 2 1/8" deep box you shouldn't have any trouble wiring two receptacles in a box. And definitely grab the new style 'industrial' cover that was mentioned a few posts back. You'll have three screws per receptacle.
p.s. don't be intimidated by all the electricians about going to an electrical supply instead of big box. The electricians are making fun of the DIY crowd visiting a store like that. However, I think if someone is on here doing research before shopping then they are already more prepared than most DIYers.
Also, some of the electrical supply houses list their inventory online. You can build your pickup list before stepping in the store.
p.p.s. the counter people I've worked with at the supply houses are typically really nice and helpful. Even old electricians don't know everything about every part and need help finding things.
p.s. don't be intimidated by all the electricians about going to an electrical supply instead of big box. The electricians are making fun of the DIY crowd visiting a store like that. However, I think if someone is on here doing research before shopping then they are already more prepared than most DIYers.
Also, some of the electrical supply houses list their inventory online. You can build your pickup list before stepping in the store.
p.p.s. the counter people I've worked with at the supply houses are typically really nice and helpful. Even old electricians don't know everything about every part and need help finding things.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
May I suggest garvin industries to purchase boxes and fittings. http://www.garvinindustries.com/
Over 99 dollars is free shipping and it's at your front door in a day or two. They have an amazing selection from common stuff to very odd specialty boxes at better than supply house prices.
Here is standArd knockout 4" by 2-1/8 drawn
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-sdr
If you want a little fancier but higher price as its and specialty item
These are Chicago plenum boxes which have tighter and nicer looking knockouts
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-3-4-1vt
Really nice looking but you would have to drill/ punch your own knockouts.
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-blnk
Ultimate, stainless steel
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-blnkss
All the industrial covers available.
http://www.garvinindustries.com/covers-and-device-rings/4-square-covers-device-rings/industrial-covers
Over 99 dollars is free shipping and it's at your front door in a day or two. They have an amazing selection from common stuff to very odd specialty boxes at better than supply house prices.
Here is standArd knockout 4" by 2-1/8 drawn
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-sdr
If you want a little fancier but higher price as its and specialty item
These are Chicago plenum boxes which have tighter and nicer looking knockouts
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-3-4-1vt
Really nice looking but you would have to drill/ punch your own knockouts.
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-blnk
Ultimate, stainless steel
http://www.garvinindustries.com/electrical-junction-boxes/4-square-junction-boxes/2-1-8-in-deep-boxes/52171-blnkss
All the industrial covers available.
http://www.garvinindustries.com/covers-and-device-rings/4-square-covers-device-rings/industrial-covers
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Firebrick43
Well-known member
Yes, there are single outlet covers for them:
But why would you want to? The single-gang cover is 30 cents MORE than the 2-gang cover at Lowe's, and a residential 15A duplex receptacle is 68 cents. So for a total of 38 cents more you could have twice the outlets at that box; why would you not?
Why would one use a 68 cent outlet? Seen enough of the cheapies charred doe to crappy construction. I am not burning down my house to save a couple of 20's
I just based it on standard residential grade. What would you recommend instead?
Firebrick43
Well-known member
At least a br15 or cr15 commercial grade receptacle. Outlets I use constantantly such as above a bench a spec grade outlet. Refridgerator a and freezers get spec grade to as I had something fall behind a chest freezer once and if my wife hadn't caught it the next day I would have lost 800$ of beef.
Plus, the cheapie outlets are more of a pain to install. You have to create hooks in your wires and loop around a screw. The nicer outlets have terminal plates - you just strip your wire, insert, tighten screw.
The commercial grade receptacles are not that expensive. Around $2 for non-tamper resistant, if I remember correctly.
The commercial grade receptacles are not that expensive. Around $2 for non-tamper resistant, if I remember correctly.