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What in Tarnation?
What in Tarnation?
by timmp, September 10
Plumber meets Electrician
Plumber meets Electrician
by timmp, September 10
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 10,007
Likes: 37
G
Member
I was putting EMT in a Bell box the other day and I tried one of those offset connectors. I got lucky that in one end it lined up right with it wrench tight but if I had needed one on the other end I would have been in trouble. Made up tight without a lock nut it was about 90 degrees from laying against the wall and with a lock nut there weren't enough threads engaged to actually tighten it up.
Usually I just bend an offset but I was trying something new.


Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jun 2007
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J
Member
I just bend the small offset myself. If you are doing many many boxes they do make a tool to bend this offset. Looking, it is a time saver, but I have not used one before.

Joined: Jan 2005
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Cat Servant
Member
Greg, I think maybe you misunderstand the reason for those offset connectors. Let's look at another job, just for the fun of it ...

You are installing a timer, a contactor, a manual bypass switch - all next to a surface mount panel. Your various enclosures and boxes have pre-punched knock-outs.

Now ... look closely ... the KO's are not at the same distance from the wall. Your 4" box, in particular, has it's KO's much closer to the wall than the others. What to do?

Well, that's where the offset connector comes in handy. Using it, you can instantly adjust for whatever minor differences there may be.

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 10,007
Likes: 37
G
Member
Reno I am guessing you are talking about the thread to thread connector with lock nuts on both ends. These are EMT to thread.
It does make a lot cleaner installation than an offset, less places for spider webs. wink
When used with a KO and a lock nut it is easy to insure it is tight when properly aligned. When you have a threaded hub like a Bell box it gets tougher.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Jan 2005
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Cat Servant
Member
EMTto thread? How ... decadent! laugh

Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 946
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N
Member
Bending a offset looks a whole lot better then one of those fittings & a Greenlee "little kicker" is nice & quick.

Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 745
E
Member
I've never been a fan of those offset fittings. They send up a big red "DIY" flag to me, just like factory-made EMT ells that they sell in the big box stores. A nice clean EMT job with professional bends and offsets (not just guessed where the box ends up at the end of the pipe) have always impressed me.


---Ed---

"But the guy at Home Depot said it would work."
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Joined: Dec 2000
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The Greenlee "Little Kicker" makes consistent offsets, but because it's non-adjustable for the depth of the offsets, they're consistently...... the wrong depth.

It doesn't bend to the depth of any box offset that I've ever encountered, and the conduit (or the bender) has to be rotated for the EMT to fit flat on the wall.

I'd rather bend my own.

Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 73
B
Member
Originally Posted by EV607797
I've never been a fan of those offset fittings. They send up a big red "DIY" flag to me, just like factory-made EMT ells that they sell in the big box stores.


You say that like it's a bad thing. smile

We get lots of people pulling homeowner's permits, so those fittings, ells, etc. make it easier for the homeowner to do his/her own work (perfectly legal here, with a permit, and they live in the house). If it meets code, we approve it. Doesn't meet code, we don't, same as any other permit pulled by an EC.

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,044
Tom Offline
Member
I've been using the Greenlee Little Kicker for many years and all the offsets for 1/2" EMT fit 4x4 & 4 & 11/16 boxes perfectly. The 3/4" model is a little different and how much offset you get depends on how far you pull the handle, you can offset too much for a 4x4 box.


Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

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