MR. S
Member
- Location
- Connecticut
OK, 2 surface mounted metal boxes 19" apart connected by 1/2" EMT. Do I need a support on that piece of EMT because it is less than 3' ?
OK, 2 surface mounted metal boxes 19" apart connected by 1/2" EMT. Do I need a support on that piece of EMT because it is less than 3' ?
As useless as it may be a support is required.
@Mr. S,
Let me help you answer your own question. Here is what the NEC Says:
(A) Securely Fastened. EMT shall be securely fastened in place at least every 3 m (10 ft). In addition, each EMT run between termination points shall be securely fastened within 900 mm (3 ft) of each outlet box, junction box, device box, cabinet, conduit body, or other tubing termination.
So, if you have two junction boxes with an EMT "terminated property" at each end of the EMT, to a junction box.....would an additional fastener provide any additional value?
Wait let me ask it this way....Is your EMT securely fastened within 3' of each termination point?...If you say "YES" you have your answer.
Unsupported Raceways. Where oversized, concentric
or eccentric knockouts are not encountered, Type EMT
shall be permitted to be unsupported where the raceway is
not more than 450 mm (18 in.) and remains in unbroken
lengths (without coupling). Such raceways shall terminate
in an outlet box, device box, cabinet, or other termination at
each end of the raceway.
Disagree.
2008 NEC had this:
Unsupported Raceways. Where oversized, concentric
or eccentric knockouts are not encountered, Type EMT
shall be permitted to be unsupported where the raceway is
not more than 450 mm (18 in.) and remains in unbroken
lengths (without coupling). Such raceways shall terminate
in an outlet box, device box, cabinet, or other termination at
each end of the raceway.
But it was removed from the 2011.
Whew....see you answered your own question but man the way I asked it was "a leap of faith"
Ok...so the reason I answer it that was is due to a proposal I have going in for the 2017 NEC. I need all the support I can get which is why I stated the 36" part....sorry for my madness.
More Info, in working with a specific junction box manufacturer and their mounting specifications, they believe that when a junction box is properly mounted, secure to the surface that if the raceway in less than 36" and is secured at both ends then additional securing is not needed. Hey..I tried but never the less the proposal will go in.
Yes, we had a one cycle reprieve from this dumb requirement. Maybe someone can fix this (again) in 2017.
"Wait let me ask it this way....Is your EMT securely fastened within 3' of each termination point?...If you say "YES" you have your answer." I disagree, you are supporting your EMT by boxes. They are not approved to support Conduit.
there is nothing in the code that says conduit terminations for any of the non-flexible conduits are conduit supports. If they were, then why does the code require a support within 36" of a conduit termination?"
I don't see a real need to support such conduits, but I think that the current code is very clear, that a conduit, no matter how short, is required to be secured and supported.
The answer to this is, as stated above, to specify that for raceways that are 36" or less in length, that the conduit terminations shall be permitted to be used as the securing and supporting method.
The code says that, but I don't think there are too many inspectors that actually enforce that.... But as of right now..."sigh" add the strap