Conduit on duct work hangers

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awg

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Can anyone tell me where in the code it states or discusses not running conduit on other crafts hangers, such as duct work hangers?
Thanks in advance
 
This is interesting, I know it is in there somewhere, but we support feeders to equipment supported by the black iron pipe airline all the time. It seems that we used to run a piece of unistrut from the ceiling down but noe we just attatch to the airline.

Haven't been cited for it, but will now that I mentiomed it.
 
Art. 300.11(B)(1-3) may be what your looking for.:smile:

This applies to using the electrical raceways as a means of support for "...other raceways, cables, or non-electric equipment...). It does not specify what you can attach ther raceways to.
 
IMO this wouldn't be in the electrical code but may be in a mechanical code.
 
In addition to what has already been said, I try not to do this just because of the fact that it is not a dedicated support to the conduit, or perhaps cable tray for that matter that you are running. If for some reason at some point the ductwork were to be removed or otherwise modified from it's current configuation, I doubt that the contractors working on it would care that the conduit was supported from it. If it is not actually written somewhere not to do it, I shy away because of the previously listed reasons. It just makes for a better installation if our stuff is independently supported.
 
Some strut assemblies for racks of fitter's pipework are engineered to carry the weight of their pipes full of whatever material is in them, with a safety margin. They don't want you adding weight to their racks with your conduits full of wire too. That said, if I spy a piece of kindorf with only ductwork on it that has a bit of room on it, you can bet I'm going to run a conduit on it. Ductwork weighs nothing. There is some sort of unwritten jobsite etiquette code that says everyone hangs their own strut. Running your pipe on someone else's Kindorf is sort of a faux pas, more than anything else. I tight quarters, it's nice when the trades can coordinate a little and hang more strut than they need so other people can use it too. That only works when you don't have any crybabies on the job.
 
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mdshunk said:
There is some sort of unwritten jobsite etiquette code that says everyone hangs their own strut. Running your pipe on someone else's Kindorf is sort of a faux pas, more than anything else. I tight quarters, it's nice when the trades can coordinate a little and hang more strut than they need so other people can use it too. That only works when you don't have any crybabies on the job.
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It's got to with cost...so why don't YOU run a 30" rack for your 1/2" EMT and I'll run my 24" duct down it too.
Thanks buddy.
heul.gif
 
celtic said:
It's got to with cost...so why don't YOU run a 30" rack for your 1/2" EMT and I'll run my 24" duct down it too.
Thanks buddy.
heul.gif
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Yes, that's what it's all about. Crybabies, crying the blues about erecting strut for their stuff and having someone else hijack a ride for "free". (I've never had framers cry for me running wires through their studs.) That's why it's nice to work together a little bit if quarters are tight, and pool your Kindorf together a little bit, formulate a plan that will work for both of you, and work together hanging strut. If you're in wide open spaces, everyone should hang their own stuff.
 
mdshunk said:
If you're in wide open spaces, everyone should hang their own stuff.
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I had the control guy get all upset with me when I ran a 1-hole piece of strut to strap my 1" EMT to on a job. This guy, who is an old high-school friend, always waited till we were done and run right down our strut racks to get to all the units. So I decided to have a little fun with him. He still brings that 1-hole strut up in conversation, years later. :grin:
 
I think it's got more to do with code than with courtesy or crybabies. It's not in the NEC, but I believe it's in the IBC or the UCC. I've been directly told by inspectors that I cannot use a support for other sytems ( sprinkler, duct work, ceiling, etc) to support my pipe or cable. Everything is to be "independantly supported". So that's the way I do it.
 
JES2727 said:
I think it's got more to do with code than with courtesy or crybabies. It's not in the NEC, but I believe it's in the IBC or the UCC. I've been directly told by inspectors that I cannot use a support for other sytems ( sprinkler, duct work, ceiling, etc) to support my pipe or cable. Everything is to be "independantly supported". So that's the way I do it.
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If that's the case, we'd all need our own set of bar joists to run in. I don't buy it.
 
Thanks guys I appreciate all the response. In this instance I don't have the concern of other crafts. This is an existing facility. I work for an electrical contractor that has a maintenance contract and provides the electrical support for a large data center. The data center personnel are the ones suggesting the route, which is duct work hangers. We will only be running a few feet of 1/2" EMT for each installation. I really don't see a problem in this instance but we are hired for our expertise and I wanted to make them aware if this was a code issue. Since I couldn't find it in the code I thought it might be something that is written in the scope of work documentation of a construction project. I can see many reasons that it wouldn't be allowed during construction. I thought this forum would be a good place to pose this question. I have also posed it to my project manager but haven't heard back from him. Some of the posters may have a point in that it could be in the other crafts codes.
Thanks again
 
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mdshunk said:
If that's the case, we'd all need our own set of bar joists to run in. I don't buy it.
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Bar joists are part of the building structure. Duct work, sprinklers, conduit, etc, are not. These systems need to be supported by the building structure. We cannot have one supporting another. That's the way I understand it anyway, and I happen to agree with it. But it's quite alright with me if you see it another way.
 
Cooperation

Cooperation

I am both the electrical and HVAC contractor for most of my jobs so I have no problem with hanging conduit from my own duct supports (or ductwork for that matter)... provided it is capable of safely handling the extra weight. There are not any HVAC codes restricting it except in specific installations or municipalities. I also work with my plumbing contractors to share supports and negotiate which joist and stud spaces each of us will use.
HINT: I supply coffee, donuts, and occasional pizza and beer for "meetings", and it doesn't hurt to "donate" a helper and/or some of the supports. You'd be amazed at how cooperative other contractors can be... our job sites can get confusing trying to figure out which contractor is which because we help each other so much. I probably spend 1/3 of my time helping the carpenters or plumbers... but their help more than makes up for it. ;)
 
Dave,

You're correct. It's amazing what a box of donuts will do when you bring them in the morning for another trade and drop them off in their job shack.
 
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