Set screw EMT connectors.

[kwired]

common answer it usually "they're better."

I've seen some say people forget to tighten set screws occasionally. I've seen compression nuts that were forgotten as well. If anything the set screw often has higher visibility to indicate it may not been tightened. Kind of depends on which brand it is, some are easier to visually tell than others.

 

[ActionDave]

die cast compression is also the cheap way to go.

Though there was period about 20 years ago when zinc prices spiked and it was about same cost either way for a time. I stopped using die cast fittings back then, partly because my favorite ones "Regal fittings" closed the doors on their operation and have almost exclusively used steel fittings ever since.

Regal had excellent threads and locknuts, you had to actually try pretty hard to cross thread them, unlike about any fitting available today that cross threads just looking at it. Though they were supposedly die cast, as good of threads as they had there must have been some machining done after casting to get such a fine product.

My old boss would only buy Regal fittings. When the supply house stopped stocking them he would special order them till he couldn't get them anymore. He said that even though they were die cast fittings the threads on the lock ring were cut. I don't know if that was true. For a long time I thought he was just being that crazy, quirky, old guy until we didn't have any left and started buying the regular stock the store had. I never appreciated how nice it was to effortlessly spin a lock ring down on the fitting with your fingers till it was too late. I should probably send him a card telling him that.

 

[LarryFine]

I only use steel fittings, too. Modern zinc lock-nuts only have most of a singe thread, and they're loose.

 

[garbo]

I was told set screw EMT connectors do not meet the 2023 NEC code but I cannot find any specific guidance one way or another. The conduit is inside an aircraft hangar, not being used for ground purposes and is definitely not in a wet location defined by the NEC. Are EMT compression fittings required in this case or do the set screw fittings meet code?

Like to have a dollar for every EMT compression fitting that I came across that were apart in my 50 years in the trade. The longer heavier steel type are a lot better then flimsy blue light special die cast compression fittings. Stopped using any metallic conduit for providing a ground as soon as I got my electrical license.

 

[kwired]

My old boss would only buy Regal fittings. When the supply house stopped stocking them he would special order them till he couldn't get them anymore. He said that even though they were die cast fittings the threads on the lock ring were cut. I don't know if that was true. For a long time I thought he was just being that crazy, quirky, old guy until we didn't have any left and started buying the regular stock the store had. I never appreciated how nice it was to effortlessly spin a lock ring down on the fitting with your fingers till it was too late. I should probably send him a card telling him that.

One of their fittings I really miss at times is AC/MC cable fittings. Ever try to thread a locknut on a deep one gang you just pulled in with cable pre attached in the wall with just two fingers because that is all you can get in there to do it with? It worked pretty well with Regal fittings as they were hard to cross thread. It sometimes becomes a 10 or 15 minute job just trying to start that locknut with many other fittings.

 

[jaggedben]

The electrician who'll be connecting our solar system to the LINE side at the MCP (and before you say you can connect on the LOAD side, we don't want to derate the MCP). The only thing I can think of is local codes require it (not the NEC).

San Francisco has a rule that EMT cannot be used for service conductors and they'd probably consider these to be service conductors. If the aircraft hanger isn't at SFO, he's probably technically incorrect. That said, it's not very common to install service conductors in EMT in California, and in any case that would cover all types of EMT fittings, not just set screw fittings.

California requires local ammendments to be filed with the state and published.

 

[mtnelect]

San Francisco has a rule that EMT cannot be used for service conductors and they'd probably consider these to be service conductors. If the aircraft hanger isn't at SFO, he's probably technically incorrect. That said, it's not very common to install service conductors in EMT in California, and in any case that would cover all types of EMT fittings, not just set screw fittings.

California requires local ammendments to be filed with the state and published.

Also ... They must be stricter than the California Building Code, which is based on NEC (National Electrical Code).

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I couldn't agree more. Half of the time on large compression fittings they're never fully tightened because you cannot tighten them when they're close together. Steel set screw and an impact gun will ensure that every fitting is tight. Now of only engineers would understand this no one would ever spec compression again over steel set screw.

If you are using the cheap die casts ones, you just tighten until the screw snaps off at the fitting

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The electrician who'll be connecting our solar system to the LINE side at the MCP (and before you say you can connect on the LOAD side, we don't want to derate the MCP). The only thing I can think of is local codes require it (not the NEC).

Our city code only permits IMC or RMC for service conductors and we would see the line side connection conductors as service conductors.

 

[mtnelect]

Our city code only permits IMC or RMC for service conductors and we would see the line side connection conductors as service conductors.

Same for Southern California Edison.

 

[kwired]

If you are using the cheap die casts ones, you just tighten until the screw snaps off at the fitting

With QC these days I occasionally have a steel fitting strip out and/or is cross threaded fresh from the box. And I mostly been using Hubbell/Raco fittings. If I should happen to purchase the generic branded ones at big box store they look nearly identical and guessing very likely were made at the same facility.