coupler vs extended lengths for EMT

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?

Reply to
Don Y
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As a rule, most professional electricians go a thousand miles out of their way to avoid altering the building structure.

Reply to
Jack Legg

...maybe you're actually micky with multiple personalities?

Reply to
bob_villain

Use a setscrew coupling as it is much thinner.

Reply to
Mr.E

I have never seen EMT conduit sold in lenghts longer than 10ft.

Having worked as an electrician, I have never made offsets in EMT by couplers. Nor have I ever seen any electrician do that. Just put the coupler on the conduit and put your hangers on the conduit in the normal manner, staying at least one foot away from the coupler. The conduit will flex slightly to make a neat appearance and will work just fine. Obviously, if you use the couplers with screws, dont put the screws against the wood. Sure you could make a recess in the wood, but why? You're just making a lot of unnecessary work for yourself.

Reply to
Paintedcow

Is that like chair lifts? Best not to modify, for liability reasons?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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. 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.

Reply to
gfretwell

Yeah, but that could simply be a consequence of "everything's a nail when all you have is a hammer". I.e., easier to bend pipe than carry assorted woodworking and masonary tools.

Reply to
Don Y

You must be an amateur wannabe electrician.

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Reply to
Fred

Don Y posted for all of us...

Very... Don't screw with the joists. A reply was posted for 20' sections- which I wasn't aware of. IDK if you can get a supplier to one off a section.

Use what Greg Fretwell recommends and you won't go wrong.

Reply to
Tekkie®

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!]

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!
Reply to
Don Y

I doubt most people could even see a 3/32" deflection in a 20' run of EMT, even sighting directly down the pipe.

Reply to
gfretwell

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