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John Grabowski John Grabowski is offline
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Default moving a piece of electrical conduit


John Grabowski wrote:

I've been attempting to install a new ceiling fan in my bathroom.
the
motor in the old one started making noise, and it was about 20+
years
old...so I figured an upgrade was in order.

I live in an old loft building, where I access the fan from above
my
bathroom (there is a crawlspace above the bathroom) but the rest
of
the loft is open.

I'm trying to not have to pull down the sheetrock in my bathroom
in
order to swap out this fan or otherwise make repairs. To be
honest,
I'm not the best with drywalling a ceiling..and that is a bit
involved
for just swapping out a ceiling fan right?

Anyway...their is a piece of metal conduit that was running next
to
the old fan. I need to move that conduit by 2 inches in order
for the
new fan to fit. The metal conduit is connected to another piece
about
3 inches behind the fan...my inclination is to disconnect the
conduit
from the extension, and replace it with a piece of flexible
conduit.
that will allow me to go nicely around the new fan.

can I connect a piece of flex conduit to a piece of regular
conduit (I
assume I will use a junction box)?

There are transition fittings that will enable you to go from
conduit
(EMT) to armored cable or flexible metallic conduit. Ask for a
Type
EFC or EGC combination coupling. There's no reason to use a
junction
box unless you will be cutting the wires and splicing.

You can also make a "gofrom" using an EMT connector to a rigid pipe
couping to a flex connector (assuming "metal conduit" is EMT). I
would use a "Tomic" coupling, which is 1/2 length, but they are
probably relatively hard to find.


can I assume that because I have flex, I can run it diagonally
and not
have to worry that the wires won't make it?

No, that is your principal worry. Take a piece of string or wire
and
lay it on the existing layout, then move it to where you want it
to
be. If it doesn't quite make it, then you will have to go with
plan B
and install a junction box.

Or re-fish new wires.


I love the Tomic connectors and can't understand why they're so
hard to come by these days. I did a search and came up with a
two piece connector of the type you might see holding a power
cord on the back of a clothes dryer instead of the one piece
connector that you pop on the end of EMT. When I worked for an
electrical supply company in the early 70's we had them in stock.
The last time I saw any of them was at a missile range in the
late 80's. I wonder what happened to them.



*I have no idea what a Tomic connector is. Using three search
engines all I came up with is the two screw strain relief dryer cord
connector clamp. Anyone have a picture or a link to a picture?

The connectors are very compact EMT connectors that slip on the
end of EMT like The Shark Bite connectors for plumbing. They
were very quick to install, you would slip it on the end of the
conduit and hammer it home with your lineman's pliers. It made
it easy to space conduits close together at a junction box. No
screw sticking out.


*The closet thing that I can think of that resembles what you are
describing are crimp connectors, but you need a crimp tool for them.
Perhaps the Tomic connectors are no longer approved.

The connectors had spring loaded teeth that cut into the metal
and held it in place. The things may be out of production for
some reason or other but I did like them.


I found one in the 'parts archive'. It is marked "TOMIC". It sticks up
only about 1/4" outside the box (1/2" connector). Most of the EMT
engagement is inside the threads.

Could probably figure out how to post a picture if someone is interested.

I remember the crimp EMT fittings. IMHO they sucked.


That's the one, perhaps a little digging and I can find out
what happened to the product.



*I asked an old timer in the supply house yesterday. He knew what they are.
He said the original company probably got bought by another company and the
product line got integrated. He did not have any in stock.