jorgeaviles70
Member
- Location
- New york
- Occupation
- Electrician
Can you use empty EMT as supports for lighting ? I know 358.15 (5) said you can’t not but the pipe it not a raice way
EMT
- Thread starter jorgeaviles70
- Start date
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
yes, it is just a length of round steel tubing, it is not a raceway
jorgeaviles70
Member
- Location
- New york
- Occupation
- Electrician
Thank you for the replay .. There is an article for that thank you
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
There is no article that says you can't. A piece of EMT is just a piece of metal as long as there are no wires in it.
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
I once used 3/4 EMT to make a geodesic dome. The pieces were a bit shy of 5 feet long. You could hang hammocks from the vertices. No wires were installed in the EMT.
While my son was in middle school I took a bundle of 1/2" EMT to make a many sided dome. Cut 10' lengths into thirds ( 3' 4" ) and had kids drill holes in ends and use 3/16 stove bolts to assemble them. Had 4 or 5 kids on sides at the same time.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
There is a Home Depot in North Carolina where they used 1/2” EMT to suspend 8’ flouresnts. Weight of the fixtures bowed the EMT badly! (Not us, another contractor)
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
Yes, this is where length matters
If you have a long piece of metal tube between supports, and put a side load on it, it will bend. EMT isn't really made to be mechanically strong.
But a short piece or a piece used in direct tension or compression will be plenty strong for many applications.
The domes that @garbo and I mentioned are a specific case where the geometry puts the forces on the EMT into pure compression. The dome I made, it could hold multiple adults in hammocks hanging from the intersection points. But one kid trying to hang from the middle of a piece of EMT bent it beyond repair.
Years ago most ceiling bar joist were fairly close together but have doubled or more in spacing. In that case might have to use 3/4" heavy wall conduit. Some businesses owners will get a free lightning layout when purchasing luminaries from supply houses . Problem with that they do not take in account huge HVAC duct work, double runs of overhead conveyors etc. Had to go back after installing 250 watt luminares and hang 8' two tube fluorescent fixtures to kill shadows.