Using EMT as a raceway -- design question

[Chuck-OH]

I'm drawing out a design for a new electrical system in my garage using EMT. It's all drawn and sized properly, conduit and boxes, etc. But now for the life of me I can't figure out how to get it snug against all the walls and the ceiling. For instance, the first run ascends from the subpanel in the garage and turns 90 degrees across the ceiling. Given the depth of the emt connector I'll need at the subpanel, won't I need to leave almost an inch between the ceiling conduit and the ceiling? Otherwise, I won't have clearance to get the conduit high enough to clear the lip of the connector.

The same issue arises, it seems to me, any time the conduit run approaches any of the walls. I would have to leave almost an inch between the conduit and the wall, to get enough clearance to make the prior connection.

Yet all the pics I see of conduit designs are all flush to walls and ceiling.

I realize this is sort a special problem, but I thought there might be one or more people here with experience with this.

Am I just overlooking something obvious?

Thanks.

 

[seige101]

You are just overlooking the simple. Right before each box you simple bend an offset. This is basically in simple terms 2 small 45* bends to make the pipe stick off the wall. Easily accomplished with an emt bender.

Here is a picture of a pre-made PVC offset

If you need a little more info i will snap a picture at work tomorrow with a couple more examples.

 

[Chuck-OH]

You are just overlooking the simple. Right before each box you simple bend an offset. This is basically in simple terms 2 small 45* bends to make the pipe stick off the wall. Easily accomplished with an emt bender.

Here is a picture of a pre-made PVC offset

If you need a little more info i will snap a picture at work tomorrow with a couple more examples.

Seige--maybe I'm not grasping what you're saying, but I think you're referring to not lining the conduit up with the boxes (?). Whereas I'm referring to a problem with the length of the conduit. If I go straight up from the subpanel, and bend the emt properly to fit snug against the ceiling, how can I actually place that conduit into the fitting on the subpanel, with no room to raise it an inch higher than the ceiling? The ceiling will be in the way, or I'll have to force either the conduit or the fitting to bend a little to get it to clear.

In other words, if its 30 inches from the top of the box to the ceiling, and I bend the emt 90 degrees with a stub of 30 inches, how will I then get the emt over the one-inch length of the connector sitting on the box?

 

[seige101]

My bad i wasn't grasping what you were saying. A couple tricks, put the emt into the connector and tighten the set screw, then put the threaded part of the connector into the sub panel, now you are only trying to get 1/2" in. You will have to put the conduit w/ connector in at an angle (pull out towards you) so the 90* bend will give you a slight bit more clearance while wedging it in.

Does that make more sense?

One last trick is cut the conduit slightly shorter we are talking 1/8 to 1/4 in depending on the depth of the connector, this will allow you to slide the conduit into the connector to get lower and then slide it back tight with the ceiling. Make sure there is still enough of the emt in the connector for the set screw to grab.

With those 3 methods it should be fairly easy with out lots of struggling or marring of your ceiling.

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, the trick is to enter the connectors at an angle to (not perpendicular with wall/ceiling) as seige101 said. Cutting a little short or angling the cut slightly may help. You could also leave the boxes loose to give you some wiggle room until everything is in place.