engineer2
Well-known member
With EMT it's easy to make changes or do upgrades.
Obviously done without a permit
- Thread starter loumoon
- Start date
They frown on cable wiring methods so residential is pretty much EMT, while it does make changes easy, it is a union make work scheme.
ddawg16
Well-known member
Would you like to sell that light?
lakeroadster
Well-known member
Conduit has been required roughly for ever (If I remember right, since at least 1910, but maybe earlier, and often gas piping was reused for conduit.). My house was done in something approximating rigid conduit (isn't seamless, but it's better finished than gas pipe) originally (EMT wasn't invented until the late 20s, and was not widely used until the late 30s). Later work is mostly emt.
The use of conduit meant that I could have almost every piece of wire, and almost all devices, replaced in two days, with no damage. (To the house, plenty of damage to my wallet...)
checkthisout
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I didn't know that. Conduit is definitely better but obviously a lot more work and cost involved. I had no idea olde skool wiring was required to be in conduit back then. I have never seen that. Just old knob & tube around here.
checkthisout
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Custom home builder I talked to a couple years ago, who does work in the collar counties, including some towns where he can use romex, told me the cost for using EMT is about $1000 more than romex, almost all labor. There are some savings, because there is less rework (wires aren't pulled until drywall is done, so they can't cut wires in boxes with the rotozip; it's easier to change a switch to three way, etc) His houses aren't small, but costs are probably higher elsewhere in the country because the electricians aren't as experienced running EMT.
I've lived in that area my whole life, and I grew up thinking EMT was normal. Learned to bend conduit when I was a teenager. Didn't realize it was so unusual until much later.
Another unusual thing about Chicago is that outlets are typically mounted horizontally. Usually it's 4" metal boxes with single-gang mud rings, so it's possible to attach them either way, but everyone does them horizontal. It's a problem for the occasional accessory or appliance that assumes a vertical plug, like this one:
Another unusual thing about Chicago is that outlets are typically mounted horizontally. Usually it's 4" metal boxes with single-gang mud rings, so it's possible to attach them either way, but everyone does them horizontal. It's a problem for the occasional accessory or appliance that assumes a vertical plug, like this one:
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
A GFCI does not establish a ground.
hd54kh
Well-known member
Not re-reading the thread but what I mean't is run a grounded circuit and install a GFCI outlet. The GFCI is required due to the opener being plug in device.
Terry
Terry
kylefitz
Well-known member
You guys need a permit to use an extension cord? Man that sounds like a fun place to live.
engineer2
Well-known member
No, you may freely use extension cords. You can even burn your house down from mis-using extension cords if you like. Happens every winter around here from space heaters.
Municipal building code in our area requires using a licensed electrician and a permit to do ANY electrical work, but they have no way to enforce it. You are free to screw up your own house. I had to fix a lot of electrical ******** the previous owner did. I know some of you will say unpermitted work will screw up a home sale, but it's pretty rare for a buyer to check unless they have a reason to believe something Major isn't right.
Having dealt with running new circuits in Romex (not around here), I'd rather have EMT.
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
What kind of "inspector", a home inspector or an city/county inspector?
What type of test equipment did he use?
Flail
Well-known member
Off topic question: is the roof pyramid shaped and framed with angle iron? How is the sheathing attached?
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
My son's garage had some of the worst wiring I ever saw. 14/2 NMB to 2 conductor (not then THHN) to 12/2. I ripped it all out and started again.
The only thing the did right was pull 10/3 UF from the house (I some areas less than 1' deep). They only hooked up one leg, but luckily the wire for the second leg was left with about a 4" pigtail in the load center in the house so I could splice onto it and replace the single breaker with a double so he had 240V in the garage.
The only thing the did right was pull 10/3 UF from the house (I some areas less than 1' deep). They only hooked up one leg, but luckily the wire for the second leg was left with about a 4" pigtail in the load center in the house so I could splice onto it and replace the single breaker with a double so he had 240V in the garage.
That looks like my old garage in Oak Park, on Linden a couple houses south of North Ave.
When I moved away the company I worked for bought the house as part of a relocation. Had to pass their inspection though. They found two things, extension cord for garage door and 2nd story deck with no railing.
Removing the extension cord solved the first problem to their satisfaction.
Second required that I install a metal railing, so I did, across the doorway out onto the deck. This may sound stupid, but the deck was removed long ago along with the original iron railing, so what we really had was a door that opened onto the flat roof of the sun room.
The company inspector missed the unused oil tank buried in the front yard. I forgot, they found a third thing, they required asbestos abatement for the insulation on the hot water pipes.
When I moved away the company I worked for bought the house as part of a relocation. Had to pass their inspection though. They found two things, extension cord for garage door and 2nd story deck with no railing.
Removing the extension cord solved the first problem to their satisfaction.
Second required that I install a metal railing, so I did, across the doorway out onto the deck. This may sound stupid, but the deck was removed long ago along with the original iron railing, so what we really had was a door that opened onto the flat roof of the sun room.
The company inspector missed the unused oil tank buried in the front yard. I forgot, they found a third thing, they required asbestos abatement for the insulation on the hot water pipes.
CJ7VFR
Well-known member
I do believe that the NEC, as well as many towns, allow you to direct bury UF at one foot deep, as long as it is GFCI protected, and sleeved on the outside of a structure, prior to it going into the ground.
Perhaps the latest version of the NEC codes has changed that, and someone more up to date on NEC codes can verify that. But when I built my shed back in 2012, and ran the a single 12/2 UF line out to it for a light and one outlet for a battery tender for my lawn tractor, it was code compliant to bury it one foot deep as long as I had it GFCI protected and sleeved before it went into the ground from the house.
Jim
That exception works in residential settings where not subject to vehicular traffic (+ other misc) but only up to 20A ckt @ 120vac.