Slip coupling hack

[Electromatic]

I had to repair a piece of damaged EMT in a chipped-out single cell of CMU and had a heck of a time finding anyone with slip couplings in stock. As necessity is the mother of invention, I grabbed some regular couplings from the warehouse and started head-scratching. Just a few minutes of drilling out the three dimples in a compression coupling...voila! slip coupling. The ones I had on hand were Crouse Hinds, but it looks like Steel City also uses the dimples.

Thought I'd share in case someone else ends up in a bind.

 

[infinity]

Back in the day before they actually made listed slip couplings that's how we made them in the field. I've even taken a rotary file on a drill and ground down the entire ridge on die cast couplings.

 

[ActionDave]

We used to run them through the lathe in our shop and spray them with some orange spray paint so you could keep track of them in the bins in the truck. I like the idea of drilling out the dimples.

 

[wwhitney]

Do the resulting holes require closing up?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[AC\DC]

Does that violate the listing??? I would do it and not give a craps.

 

[ActionDave]

Do the resulting holes require closing up?

Cheers, Wayne

They are not meant to be water tight so I see no need to worry about it.

 

[wwhitney]

They are not meant to be water tight so I see no need to worry about it.

So it's just a matter of scale? The hole in the EMT in the picture in the OP is too large, but the hole in the coupling isn't? If the hole in the EMT were as small as the hole in the coupling from drilling the coupling, then the EMT wouldn't have required repair in the first place?

I don't have an opinion either way, just being inquisitive to try to understand the logic here.

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[AC\DC]

J-d weld

 

[infinity]

So it's just a matter of scale? The hole in the EMT in the picture in the OP is too large, but the hole in the coupling isn't? If the hole in the EMT were as small as the hole in the coupling from drilling the coupling, then the EMT wouldn't have required repair in the first place?

I don't have an opinion either way, just being inquisitive to try to understand the logic here.

Thanks,
Wayne

The hole drilled in the coupling is typically 1/4" or less depending on the size of the dimple.

 

[curt swartz]

If the hole in the block is going to get filled I would put some tape over any holes drilled in the coupling to prevent the mortar from filling the conduit.

No idea if it would work for conduit couplings but with copper plumbing couplings if you slide one over a galvanized nipple one size smaller and tap the dimple area of the coupling they will flatten out to become a no-stop coupling.

 

[ActionDave]

So it's just a matter of scale? The hole in the EMT in the picture in the OP is too large, but the hole in the coupling isn't? If the hole in the EMT were as small as the hole in the coupling from drilling the coupling, then the EMT wouldn't have required repair in the first place?

I don't have an opinion either way, just being inquisitive to try to understand the logic here.

Thanks,
Wayne

Everything is a matter of scale and context. In this case the size of the hole is not the issue. The hole in the conduit looks like a puncture leaving sharp edges inside the conduit. It would have needed to be cut out, replaced, and the wires re-pulled.

 

[Electromatic]

The actual slip couplings I was trying to get all had a "sight hole" in them to center the coupling on the pipe. They looked bigger than the hole I ended up drilling. This cell is supposed to get packed back with grout, so I did tape up the couplings/joints.