conduit bends less than 90 deg. illegal?

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roger

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Staff member
Location
Fl
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Retired Electrician
We tried once in a continuing ed. class. In attendance were the Director of Inspectors, two city inspectors, two state inspectors, and around 450 electricians. They would not budge on this because of the phrase "four quarter bends". Maybe I'll submit a proposal to have that verbage removed. Just to see what they say.


Well, your proposal may be a little late and you can show this to your local inspectors too.


From the 2001 ROP's


8- 219 - (345-11, 346-11): Reject


SUBMITTER:
Bruce Mitchell, Thornton, CO
RECOMMENDATION


:
Revise text to read as follows:
The cumulative total of all angles formed by bending of the
conduit between pull points (e.g. conduit bodies and boxes) shall
not exceed 360?.
SUBSTANTIATION:


Current language is imprecise and could be
interpreted as implying that any bend greater than a quarter (90?) is
not allowed.
PANEL ACTION:


Reject.
PANEL STATEMENT:


The existing text adequately explains the
requirements for conduit bends. Four quarter bends is used as an
example and does not limit the angle of any bend to 90 degrees or
less.
NUMBER OF PANEL MEMBERS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE:


14
VOTE ON PANEL ACTION:
AFFIRMATIVE: 13

NOT RETURNED: 1 Corry



Roger
 

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
After reading this thread I can't believe how dumb some of the code enforcement officials out there are.

A box set automatically counts as a 45 degree bend?

The lack of understanding the word equivalent?

And unless you're installing small conduit and conductors a "C" condulet will usually not satisfy the code as a pulling point. If you look at the restrictions of the size and number of conductors imprinted within the condulet usually it's for smaller conductors and fewer conductors then are permitted by the conduit fill for the raceway.
 

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
The inspector insisted that any offsets, no matter how shallow, are considered to be 45 degrees.

Sink his battleship.....
Use 2 pre-fabbed 15? bends to make an offset....;)

To really show off ~ add a scrap of pipe between the 15? bends to make the sets bigger/longer .....
and yet no matter how long [even w/a full stick between bends] it will always total 30?. :smile:


Then thank him...now when you use pre-fabbed 30?'s...it only counts as 45? instead of 60? :grin:
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
How many degrees in a mobius bend?

∞?
HoltBlueDot.jpg

 

cycotcskir

Senior Member
I once had to get a conduit from one 1900 box out the top and into another one right next to it. I don't remember why I couldn't put in a short nipple, though. I think there was something that couldn't be cut or disturbed in between. The max distance between the knockouts was about 4" c-c and it was in a wall, so LB's or other fittings couldn't be used.

The Foreman told me to figure it out.

Well, here is an approximate of what the pipe looked like:

View attachment 3538

The radius was about 6". It looked extremely odd, but it was very easy to push wire into.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Well, here is an approximate of what the pipe looked like:

View attachment 3538

The radius was about 6". It looked extremely odd, but it was very easy to push wire into.
Imagine someone tracing out wires in these boxes one day, and finding this using a push-and-pull motion.

"What the heck?" :-?


Added: You could also have joined them with three 90's, making 3/4 of a rectangle.

Better yet, four 90's, coming in the far sides of both boxes. Now, that would be funny to watch someone discover. :grin:
 
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daleuger

Senior Member
Location
earth
The term Bo Peep seems to be one of the few electrical slang terms recognized nationwide. I have had J-men in my supervision from all over the country and most have called that a Bo Peep bend
I've heard Shepherd's hook far more than Bo-Peep. Maybe that's just me :roll:

I once had to get a conduit from one 1900 box out the top and into another one right next to it. I don't remember why I couldn't put in a short nipple, though. I think there was something that couldn't be cut or disturbed in between. The max distance between the knockouts was about 4" c-c and it was in a wall, so LB's or other fittings couldn't be used.

The Foreman told me to figure it out.

Well, here is an approximate of what the pipe looked like:

View attachment 3538

The radius was about 6". It looked extremely odd, but it was very easy to push wire into.

I had that situation once. I've slept a good number of times since then so I unfortunately I can't remember either. It certianly was funny when he saw how I figured it out but hey....what are ya gonna do?
 

e57

Senior Member
Been down this greater than 90 thing before....

How does one make more than a 90 degree field made bend? Since I am yet to hear of anyone with a ring roller on their truck????

Tell me who sells this 180 bender? For most it would be pushing it a little far to shoot for the typical 93 - 94 to accomadated for spring back....

For many of us it would mean making two consecutive 90's back to back (two seperate bends) or hickying the bejesus out of it.... Still two or more bends to make a 180.

FWIW I tied some PVC in a knot the other day - pipe too hot and messed around with the noodle - inspector saw it hanging around the site and said "too many bends..."
 
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jrannis

Senior Member
I was told that in one bend of a conduit, I couldnt have more than 90 degrees. Meaning an acute angle bend is illegal. I couldnt find anything in the NEC confirming this. Any comments?

Stay away from whoever told you that.

Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see...........:roll:
 
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