ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues conduit to suspended ceiling

Does emt piped directly to a box in a suspended ceiling tile violate the NEC? The tile will no longer be removable or replacable.

How did you support the EMT within 3' of the box?
How is the box secured?
Answer those and it is probably legal.

I would start at 314.23(D) and work backward from there.

If the box was independently supported from the structure of the building it would make the decision easier. Then the ceiling is just "there" and not part of the equation.

Sounds VERY flaky.

It'd get shot down here.

If it's directly on the tile then it's unsupported by California standards.

It's not a bad question ...

Caddy and B-Line both make brackets that are designed to clip onto the grid and support a box anywhere in the tile. The 'customary' wiring method is for the last part of the conduit run to transition to flex or MC; then you can still move things if needed.

Yet, these days we're not supposed to 'support' anything from the grid. Light fixtures need their own support wires. Would this bracket also need to have wire supports too? Or, is the support of the conduit enough?

What if the ceiling tile has been replaced by a wood panel, and the box attached to it?

I fear we have pretty much made the suspended ceiling obsolete.

What if the ceiling shifts?

Reno, 314.23(D)(1) does make it sound like those caddy clips are legal if the box is smaller than 100 cu/in



I still imagine most AHJs will want to see a supplemental support wire or two. You could do the EMT thing if it was supported by the building structure within 18" of the box.
I have seen smokes and alarm beacons or beepers in a 1900 box, hanging in the grid but they were on an MC whip.