Discuss Why? Is metal conduit so thick in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Dustydazzler

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I have been given a short length of Emt tube from America , which is basically their ‘go to’ produce for surface wiring.
It is thinner than our version and much easier to bend than our version.
I would say it’s not much thicker than copper plumbers pipe.
But imo offers good mechanical strength (I have jumped on it and hit it with a small hammer and it stands up just fine)

So why don’t we use something much similar which can g manipulated and bend by hand using a small hand pipe bender

Thoughts ?
 
We used to have different grades of conduit. Close joint (non welded seam) conduit was thin, weak and not even watertight, or you could have a welded version made of the same gauge metal. These were not suitable for threading, only for 'slip' or lug grip fittings. For threading there were two weights at one time, one or both of which IIRC were standardised from the Simplex product range.

The normal galvanised product we use now is the metric equivalent of the one that eventually found the greatest application. We dropped lightweight systems in favour of all-insulated wiring, while the US carried on with metallic systems to a greater extent.
 
Why is it so thick?
Have you tried hitting a plumber over the head with a metre of pvc pipe?
They just get up again.o_O

*disclaimer*
I, and forum staff and owners, in no way condone violence of any type toward a fellow tradesperson.



Unless they use the holes I drilled in joists for cables with their pipes.... Then its war!:mad:
 
Why is it so thick?
Have you tried hitting a plumber over the head with a metre of pvc pipe?
They just get up again.o_O

*disclaimer*
I, and forum staff and owners, in no way condone violence of any type toward a fellow tradesperson.



Unless they use the holes I drilled in joists for cables with their pipes.... Then its war!:mad:
Attaching a three way box on the end makes a fine mace like war club for these situations, apparently.
 
I’m sorry to tell you that galvanized rust over time
we do have stainless conduit. generally used in hospitals , the food industry, and in extreme locations.
 
Also has to do with our conduit systems can be relied on as the circuits CPC.

In the US a ground withe must be run with the system.
Rob yes we have to install a equipment ground in our conduit. We have several kinds of conduit schedule 40 PVC, schedule 80 PVC, EMT, galvanized, aluminum, and Rob Roy conduit which is conduit duped in a rubber coating inside and outside
 
we have 2 types of conduit. older stuff is imperial (3/4" or 1") later stuff is (ach, spit,) metric.1 fits and 1 does not. :eek::eek::eek:
 
Why so thick ,
My take on this is Iron / steel resist aprox 10 x worst than copper ... so it was needed for a Low Resistance (E)/cpc !
(and also gives a DIYer something to find with his drill )

@telectrix was that Spit / or split --bendy stuff !
 
we have 2 types of conduit. older stuff is imperial (3/4" or 1") later stuff is (ach, spit,) metric.1 fits and 1 does not. :eek::eek::eek:
...Used to use quite a few 3/4''/20 conversion couplers, still have some somewhere.

and to DD......it's not thick, it's clever.
 
Different grades of conduit are available, it's just unusual to find anything other than class 4 at most wholesalers these days.

I had the misfortune of having to pick up a couple of lengths from CEF a few months ago, it seemed incredibly soft to bend and thread, when I looked a bit closer at the writing on it I found that it was class 3 conduit.
 
Different grades of conduit are available, it's just unusual to find anything other than class 4 at most wholesalers these days.

I had the misfortune of having to pick up a couple of lengths from CEF a few months ago, it seemed incredibly soft to bend and thread, when I looked a bit closer at the writing on it I found that it was class 3 conduit.
Why so thick ,
My take on this is Iron / steel resist aprox 10 x worst than copper ... so it was needed for a Low Resistance (E)/cpc !
(and also gives a DIYer something to find with his drill )

@telectrix was that Spit / or split --bendy stuff !
Are you sure it’s conduit and not some other kind of pipe
 
Different grades of conduit are available, it's just unusual to find anything other than class 4 at most wholesalers these days.

I had the misfortune of having to pick up a couple of lengths from CEF a few months ago, it seemed incredibly soft to bend and thread, when I looked a bit closer at the writing on it I found that it was class 3 conduit.
I have had the same happen to me. Also at CEF. Probably charged the same as class 4 also.
 

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