EMT

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paul renshaw

paul renshaw

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Cordova, Maryland
Is it legal to fasten conduit (EMT) to a water or steam line? There was an install done in our plant like this and I'm trying to find a code section that prohibits it.
 
I also just noticed that they ran two conductors that feed 120V to indicator lights in this conduit from a valve, with no neutral, and picked up a neutral off of an ice cube relay that is in the cabinet where the conduit ends. The valve 120 volt and the cabinet 120 volt are from different sources, but they just tapped the neutral fromthe other source, plus used flexible cord as a permanent connection.
 
You should start a second "Thread" it will keep confusion down.

The EMT

How is the EMT supported?
You say fasten to it. Could you be more specific?
Do you really mean snug up to it, parallel?
 
paul renshaw said:
I also just noticed that they ran two conductors that feed 120V to indicator lights in this conduit from a valve, with no neutral, and picked up a neutral off of an ice cube relay that is in the cabinet where the conduit ends. The valve 120 volt and the cabinet 120 volt are from different sources, but they just tapped the neutral fromthe other source, plus used flexible cord as a permanent connection.
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Are the two conductors powering two separate indicator lights?

My first thought was the two conductors are simply a supply and switch leg, but you used the plural form of light. Two switch legs would make it a violation.
 
paul renshaw said:
Is it legal to fasten conduit (EMT) to a water or steam line? There was an install done in our plant like this and I'm trying to find a code section that prohibits it.
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What's the temp of the outside of those lines?

What is supporting the EMT (connector)? Hose clamps? Zip ties? Tie wire?

The codes for those other trades may prohibit it just as I'm sure the NEC doesn't want EMT used for a closet pole to hang your laundry on.
 
Well 300.11 basically tells us other equipment should not be supported by raceways or cables in general. It does not specifically tell us we can not support raceways and cables from other equipment either.

Other codes may have similar wording that would prevent supporting foreign equipment to the item covered by that code - like the steam line can not supply wiring.

Compromises sometimes need to be made where two systems are associated with one another and come together at a piece of equipment, and that may be included in some of those codes that apply.

As far as attaching raceways to steam lines - with or without codes may not be all that great of an idea - consider what kind of temperature may be encountered by the conductors within. Steam will be at least 100 deg C at zero atmosphere pressure - will be even hotter when in a closed system under pressure - your average everyday use conductors are only 90 deg C conductors.
 
I've attached to other piping before without issue. I won't run 100' of conduit strapping to the side of it but sometimes you need to hit a piece of equipment a little ways off the wall or in the middle of a room and the only way out there is to throw a piece of strut across another pipe and strut strap it and your conduit together.
 
Cow said:
I've attached to other piping before without issue. I won't run 100' of conduit strapping to the side of it but sometimes you need to hit a piece of equipment a little ways off the wall or in the middle of a room and the only way out there is to throw a piece of strut across another pipe and strut strap it and your conduit together.
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But yet if another trade hangs something off your raceway.....
 
They are hung with minerlacs back to back, and the conductors each feed a separate indicator, no neutral in the conduit with them, they just tapped a control relay in the cabinet, which is from a different source. I'm going to get the engineer involved in the steam line mounting, I just don't think it's a real good idea.
 
paul renshaw said:
They are hung with minerlacs back to back, and the conductors each feed a separate indicator, no neutral in the conduit with them, they just tapped a control relay in the cabinet, which is from a different source. I'm going to get the engineer involved in the steam line mounting, I just don't think it's a real good idea.
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I don't think it is either. I also would have to wonder why the steam line is not insulated, to reduce heat loss as well as for safety.
 
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