Canless Can Light?

[James L]

Now you're dodging and you know it. You know as well as I do your "anyone can do it" phrasing was never meant to imply the general potential of people's ability to learn how to bend conduit, but was rather intended to devalue what goes into running conduit as it compares to running NM. That's what makes sense in context at least.

Man you old timers are stubborn farts sometimes, lol. Here I am trying to extend the olive branch and bridge the conduit / NM divide and I feel like I'm now dodging arrows, lol.

I think I'm entering my first year on the senior tour (50 y.o. this month)
I've been around commercial work, but I love stapling my wire

It for sure takes skill an artistic ability to run pipe like a wizard.

It also takes skill and artistic ability to run Romex like a wizard.

Honestly, I think the difference is functional vs technical.

If you have a good nm guy run pipe without having been taught, it's probably a functional disaster for whoever pulls it.

But if you have a great pipe installer run nm without being taught, he probably won't have any idea what to put on a circuit, he'll have wires too close to the edge of studs, wires inside cold air returns, and other technical disasters.

Each one desrves his props.

But I'll say, I had a pipe bending wizard (10 year guy) help me in a residential kitchen finish last month, and he asked me is the "copper" screw hot. Context - he was installing a keyless lampholder as a temporary fixture. 10 years, and he isn't even an electrician.

 

[LarryFine]

I'm more of a bend-by-eye kinda guy, with the help of a ruler and pencil. That's me in the gray before I lost weight:

 

[retirede]

I'm more of a bend-by-eye kinda guy, with the help of a ruler and pencil. That's me in the gray before I lost weight:

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“It’s not bragging if you can do it.” - Dizzy Dean

Seriously, nice work!

 

[Fred B]

I'm more of a bend-by-eye kinda guy, with the help of a ruler and pencil. That's me in the gray before I lost weight:

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That is some seriously good bending if you got all that to lay in that tight.

 

[James L]

I agree. Looks like wizardry to me.
Fantastic

 

[LarryFine]

Thank you, guys! I can work RGS when I need to, too. This is a job we got running a pair of 2" conduits from the basement to the roof of a 10-story apartment building with power and lightning/equipment grounding for a cell site. We ran 4/0 cu for the 200a 1ph supply, and I think a 2/0 for ground.

The cellular guys ran the 1-1/4" RGS for the phone line, so I can't take credit for that. They used threadless fittings to avoid threading after their cuts. I suggested using the building's old service conduits instead of making new basement wall penetrations, and the building owner loved the idea.

 

[Jerramundi]

It for sure takes skill an artistic ability to run pipe like a wizard.
It also takes skill and artistic ability to run Romex like a wizard.
...
Each one desrves his props.

Thank you dude. That's all I'm looking for is a little humility, you know what I mean?

 

[Jerramundi]

But I'll say, I had a pipe bending wizard (10 year guy) help me in a residential kitchen finish last month, and he asked me is the "copper" screw hot. Context - he was installing a keyless lampholder as a temporary fixture. 10 years, and he isn't even an electrician.

In regards to what you said about the pipe guy not knowing if the copper screw is hot... that's shocking.

Seems to me like an industry problem that's perpetuated by the fact that companies hire low-level scrubs to do nothing but take orders everyday so as to increase their bottom line, whether it be pipe or NM.

A good business that wants to grow TRAINS UP.

I suppose I can see how doing nothing but running conduit every day doesn't teach one about the wiring, but running NM every day can... that is unless as an NM guy your just taking orders and not thinking for yourself. If you're just stapling wire per the supers orders and not thinking, it really doesn't teach you much of anything... and the same goes for conduit.

But again, that is just one aspect of thousands and it is far from conclusive as to which methodology requires more skill... and anyway, does it even matter? To be a good electrician, IMO, you should be well versed in both methodologies and have respect for both.

 

[Jerramundi]

I'm more of a bend-by-eye kinda guy, with the help of a ruler and pencil. That's me in the gray before I lost weight:

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Excellent pipe work Larry! Now, see me, I would spend half an hour tripping out about maintaining that half inch space all the way through the runs, lol. But beautiful work!

 

[480sparky]

Back to the OP: I talked to my AHJ this morning during an inspection and asked about the cans I've been installing. Listed for 5 #14s, but only 6.8 cubic inches. He said if it's listed, then you can install two 14/2s and it's all good.

 

[Jerramundi]

Thank you, guys! I can work RGS when I need to, too. This is a job we got running a pair of 2" conduits from the basement to the roof of a 10-story apartment building....

I've only done some commercial work, so this may be a dumb question... but why go over the parapet wall like that? Are you not allowed to penetrate it? Why not just nipple through to an LB? Seems like it would be really difficult to get two 90's tight to that ~1ft wide wall, if not impossible.

 

[LarryFine]

I've only done some commercial work, so this may be a dumb question... but why go over the parapet wall like that? Are you not allowed to penetrate it? Why not just nipple through to an LB? Seems like it would be really difficult to get two 90's tight to that ~1ft wide wall, if not impossible.

It's not a dumb question, but I opted to avoid asking about penetrating it or doing it. We had to climb stairs to get to the roof, except for one day, so I chose what I brought up carefully. And, it's not a pair of 90s; the 90 joins a 45. There is a ledge about 4' wide about 4' below the parapet.

I ran up from the disco with the 90 you can see, coupled to the 45, a straight section at a 45-degree angle, a 90 around the edge of the ledge, another straight piece at 45 degrees, and then a 45 to get the run pointing down the wall.

We actually built it from the top to the bottom. We assembled the pieces I just described above, and attached it to the disconnect and the wall under the ledge. Then I ran a piece of nylon rope through the pipe

 

[LarryFine]

I got a few decent pics from Google maps. They've since painted. And, it may have been only two supports per stick.



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