Conduit Support - ECN Electrical Forums

Quote

Another one for the "lawyers" out there.

NEC says conduit must be supported- but doesn't say how. This pic shows the most minimal support I've ever seen. I looks like the tie wire was placed when the mortar was laid down.

I believe this was in place since WWII, and only recently supplimented by some proper straps.

- renosteinke

John,
Is this RMC?.
My understanding of "supported" means having the wieght taken off of it along along it's length. [Linked Image]

May also wish to look for the UL sticker on that tie wire as an approved support, might be hard to find.

George,

Quote

May also wish to look for the UL sticker on that tie wire as an approved support, might be hard to find.

There is no code requirement that conduit supports be listed. Many of the commonly used supports that are recognized for the purpose are not listed.
Don

Material here is EMT- made a dull grey color by age.

If it has indeed been in place since WWII, who says it wasn't perfectly legal back then? And if so, the fact it's still hanging on says a lot. How many of today's conduit supports (listed or not) do you think will still be sound in 60 years? [Linked Image]

A lot of the old stuff still works better than the new stuff anyway. Ask some of the POCO guys about transformers, for instance.

Quote

Here's another pic of unusual conduit support. In this one, 1 1/4 PVC is supported by a bicycle hook.

- renosteinke

Okay, now that is just wrong. The bike hook would not in any way,shape or form be an adequate or approved support!

Quote

here are two more "original" methods to hang your pipe.

Now, code does not allow you to hang a sewer line grom your EMT- but can you do the reverse? Let alone, use rope?

And what about hanging RMC from EMT, using "plumbers' tape?"

- renosteinke

At least they used compression fittings below the plumbing pipe (wet location if I have seen one!), and I think that this is the first time I have seen a picture of knob and tube with EMT in the same shot. Is that romex branching off the knob and tube in the last pic? That is what I am used to seeing when people tap off of knob and tube. Code acceptable or not, i've seen it before.

Yes, Val, your eyes are correct.

This small house (last two pics) was built with a full "basement/ garage" about the same time as FDR was promising a chicken in every pot. The original wiring method was K & T for the two household circuits, with rigid used for the range circuit. The water heater, for some reason, got EMT.

In several places, the piping was interrupted, over the years, to splice in additional outlets. I took the pics during my demolition of this mess; that is why the RMC is just hanging there, empty, in one pic.

The dryer in this basement was connected, by "flying splice" to the range conductors. The washer was spliced in a similar mannet to the K & T, using Romex. There were many, many "creative" wiring techniques used throughout.

Not only was the original system lacking in an equipment ground- wherever there was one, created by the use of pipe, it was removed when the pipe was interrupted.