EMT or PVC spacers for a heat sink

[mark32]

Soon I will be installing an LED driver for a customer. I was going to mount it directly to a floor joist but the directions say not to mount directly to a combustible material. So, I'm going to cut 1/2" pieces of 1/2" emt or pvc in order to provide an air gap between the driver and the joist. I talked with the driver's manufacturer's tech and he said he liked the idea of the spacers, but gave the nod to emt as it will dissipate heat better. My theory is, emt will also conduct the heat to the joist much better than the pvc will. So, which would you use in this case, emt or pvc?

 

[GoldDigger]

For what it is worth, namely nothing, I would use PVC as long as the surface temperatures on the box were not above the thermal limit for PVC.
Technically PVC is combustible after all. :angel:

 

[petersonra]

I don't think it matters any. You are just trying for an air gap. Either will give you that gap.

 

[DrSparks]

Ugh.. not this again. I had to have a UL field rep come to one of my recent installations...

 

[DrSparks]

For what it is worth, namely nothing, I would use PVC as long as the surface temperatures on the box were not above the thermal limit for PVC.
Technically PVC is combustible after all. :angel:

Absolutely PVC is combustible. Put it in a hotbox for a long time and see what happens!

 

[ActionDave]

Absolutely PVC is combustible. Put it in a hotbox for a long time and see what happens!

Going out to the garage right now.

 

[mark32]

Ugh.. not this again. I had to have a UL field rep come to one of my recent installations...

So what was the outcome, did he make you use emt or pvc?