Is anyone else picky about EMT connectors?

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electrofelon

electrofelon

Senior Member
Location
Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
Occupation
Electrician
Got the absolute worst EMT connectors from big orange. So angry. Suing. The locknut doesn't grab so you can't do the 1/4 turn and done with the channel locks. AND to add insult to injury, you have to back out the set screw to slip it over the pipe. So angry. Got some coming from Platt tomorrow, they shouldn't let me down. My closest supply house, half a block from the job, has American fittings, which I REALLY want to like 'cuz they are made here, but I don't like them either. 🥺
 
I date back to diecast screw! Then they changed to square drive instead of slotted.
T&B made good connectors, electricians where I worked liked steel compression.
 
electrofelon said:
Got the absolute worst EMT connectors from big orange. So angry. Suing. The locknut doesn't grab so you can't do the 1/4 turn and done with the channel locks. AND to add insult to injury, you have to back out the set screw to slip it over the pipe. So angry. Got some coming from Platt tomorrow, they shouldn't let me down. My closest supply house, half a block from the job, has American fittings, which I REALLY want to like 'cuz they are made here, but I don't like them either. 🥺
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Not a fan of the American fittings set screw emt connectors either. At least 1-1/4" and up. They look nice, solid machined construction.

The shoulders are just too shallow though, pipes seat just deep enough, and the screws are small. Price is 3-5x as much as Raco or CH fittings too.

Their sealtite connectors are second to none though. Cheaper than the imports and assemble easy.
 
electrofelon said:
The locknut doesn't grab so you can't do the 1/4 turn and done with the channel locks. AND to add insult to injury, you have to back out the set screw to slip it over the pipe
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We had the same issue with a certain brand (can't remember which one). Having to partially back out the set screw on every connector and coupling is unacceptable. I think that the tightening thing was caused by poorly manufactured locknuts. We told our supply house don't send those fittings again.
 
I've only used negligible quantities of them recently, but I recall having a problem like that with lock rings that wouldn't tighten all the way down, once about 10 years ago. It was with a major brand, but I think it was a bad batch and they ended up fixing the problem eventually.
 
Only use quality steel EMT fittings ( on moonlighting jobs ) especially overhead where conduit might bend down a foot or do. The absolute worst are the die cast fittings made in India. Had way too many 3/4" of their couplings egg shape before I could secure conduit to ceiling strut. First company that I worked for only purchased T & B fittings. Best in class but not cheap.
 
electrofelon said:
Got the absolute worst EMT connectors from big orange. So angry. Suing. The locknut doesn't grab so you can't do the 1/4 turn and done with the channel locks. AND to add insult to injury, you have to back out the set screw to slip it over the pipe. So angry. Got some coming from Platt tomorrow, they shouldn't let me down. My closest supply house, half a block from the job, has American fittings, which I REALLY want to like 'cuz they are made here, but I don't like them either. 🥺
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As am sure you already know set screw EMT connectors dont have as strong URL testing results as compression type connectors for bonding to withstand bolted short circuits. They are only good at keeping conduit flush to the wall over compression type, but for the lock nuts not to hold is crazzy
 
Jpflex said:
As am sure you already know set screw EMT connectors dont have as strong URL testing results as compression type connectors for bonding to withstand bolted short circuits. They are only good at keeping conduit flush to the wall over compression type, but for the lock nuts not to hold is crazzy
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Do you have a link. I would like to read. Thanks
 
Jpflex said:
As am sure you already know set screw EMT connectors dont have as strong URL testing results as compression type connectors for bonding to withstand bolted short circuits. They are only good at keeping conduit flush to the wall over compression type, but for the lock nuts not to hold is crazzy
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I always used set screws. I always bottomed out the screw; there was no way that connection wasn't solid. Never had anything but trouble with compression type connectors.
 
Jpflex said:
As am sure you already know set screw EMT connectors dont have as strong URL testing results as compression type connectors for bonding to withstand bolted short circuits. They are only good at keeping conduit flush to the wall over compression type, but for the lock nuts not to hold is crazzy
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I don't believe that and if it's true it's only based on lab results and not real world applications.
There's been too many times I've been in a tight corner where it's amazingly difficult to get channel locks on a compression fitting to get it sinched down. Plus there's no way that compression fitting ring that bites the EMT is not any thicker than my fingernail.
 
ActionDave said:
I don't believe that and if it's true it's only based on lab results and not real world applications.
There's been too many times I've been in a tight corner where it's amazingly difficult to get channel locks on a compression fitting to get it sinched down. Plus there's no way that compression fitting ring that bites the EMT is not any thicker than my fingernail.
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IMO steel set screw type is the best fitting for couplings and connectors. I believe that a few decades ago a study was done after an earthquake and it was found that the only type of fitting that survived was steel set screw. Die cast fittings broke and compression came apart.
 
I agree I've seen lots of junk comp fittings that you just can't get tight (obviously there are some that are decent and they're not all junk).

So BTW I got the Eaton fittings from my other suppliers and they are great. Had to make up 100 4sq with three connectors each and every single locknut grabbed nice nice for my half turn tighten. They were 50% more than the home Depot fittings actually, .60/ea but this is one of those things I don't care how much they cost.
 
On the Home big box store set screw fittings I only use a square tip in a Makita impact gun to tighten them and I drive it pretty well into the shoulder. It is a definate overkill cause sometimes that penetrates the EMT in actuallity. Mostly it just means there is a bump in the interior of the pipe at the connection point. It hasn't ever interferred with the wire pulls. At least for me. I prefer die cast fittings and can get them tight enough with a simple screwdriver and have done so for 50 years now. Steel compression fittings sold in big box stores are pretty much junk. I dont trust them from pull apart even with the outer ring set completely with no threads showing. I have had instances where they pull right apart , and the inner ring is still there so it is a total defect, probably because the Orange Box conduit itself comes out shakey as far as circumference on occasions. I often wonder if they are sending metric size emt from the country of origin and that is what is causing the problem of loose fittings. Pardon the spelling errors, I had to turn off spellcheck due to it re-routes my words into some other words too often .
 
ActionDave said:
Absolutely. I've done a bunch of remodels and I can demo out compression fittings with just my hands and no tools.
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Perhaps the compression fittings were never tightened. The set screw type connector only has tight bonding from the diameter of a small screw. I can’t see how this is better
 
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