DIYbanter - View Single Post

Don Y[_3_]

On 2/22/2016 10:23 AM, wrote:
On Sun, 21 Feb 2016 22:56:01 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

I've got a ~20 ft (possibly longer, I'd have to check) run.
I can piece together two standard 10' lengths of EMT with
a coupler. Or, try to find a supplier for the extended lengths
available, locally (then, figure out how to get it home!).

The advantage of the longer length is no offsets in the
middle (for the coupler) -- just at the box ends.

OTOH, I can get crude and *route* a recess in the wooden
joist that's alongside the EMT so the "inside" bulk of
the coupler fits into that recess instead of lying *on*
that surface.

How "tacky" is this?

Halex makes drawn steel connectors that are thinner than the cast zinc
connector and will only offset your EMT about 3/32ds of an inch.

Yes, but you still end up effectively creating an offset
(the pipe is bent under stress and held in that position
by the clamps affixing it to the structure). I can just
as easily NOT put box offsets in at the ends and "float"
the pipe offset from the structure.

[I think this looks tacky and invites folks to tug on the pipe;
lost a security system at one business by crooks who were smart
enough to realize they could just tug on the EMT to eventually
yank the wires out of the protected camera enclosure -- cuz they
had beaten the last UNPROTECTED camera with a baseball bat!]

You will not find EMT in anything but 10' from normal suppliers.
That is what U/L calls the "standard" length. There are provisions for
longer lengths but I have never seen it.

I was hoping one of the industrial electric suppliers might carry
it. Or even RMC.

But, getting it *home* would be a challenge. Ten foot lengths are
manageable; 20 is tedious.

E.g., when I buy bar stock, I have it cut to length at the foundry
instead of saving a few pennies and trying to transport 20 ft lengths
home to cut with a hacksaw!

I suspect I could buy 20 ft lengths of EMT or RMC from my metal supplier
but that's a good 10-15 mile trip.

OTOH, if I could buy it at a big box retailer, I could hand carry it the
2 or 3 miles home!