moving a piece of electrical conduit

Posted by sendtojosh@gmail.com on October 10, 2009, 10:32 pm

I've been attempting to install a new ceiling fan in my bathroom. the
motor in the old one started making noise, and it was about 20+ years
old...so I figured an upgrade was in order.

I live in an old loft building, where I access the fan from above my
bathroom (there is a crawlspace above the bathroom) but the rest of
the loft is open.

I'm trying to not have to pull down the sheetrock in my bathroom in
order to swap out this fan or otherwise make repairs. To be honest,
I'm not the best with drywalling a ceiling..and that is a bit involved
for just swapping out a ceiling fan right?

Anyway...their is a piece of metal conduit that was running next to
the old fan. I need to move that conduit by 2 inches in order for the
new fan to fit. The metal conduit is connected to another piece about
3 inches behind the fan...my inclination is to disconnect the conduit
from the extension, and replace it with a piece of flexible conduit.
that will allow me to go nicely around the new fan.

can I connect a piece of flex conduit to a piece of regular conduit (I
assume I will use a junction box)?
can I assume that because I have flex, I can run it diagonally and not
have to worry that the wires won't make it?

I've been making bad assumptions about this project from the
outset...so I thought those on the interweb could help me out.

thanks in advance

Posted by RicodJour on October 10, 2009, 11:58 pm

wrote:

> I've been attempting to install a new ceiling fan in my bathroom. =A0the
> motor in the old one started making noise, and it was about 20+ years
> old...so I figured an upgrade was in order.
> I live in an old loft building, where I access the fan from above my
> bathroom (there is a crawlspace above the bathroom) but the rest of
> the loft is open.
> I'm trying to not have to pull down the sheetrock in my bathroom in
> order to swap out this fan or otherwise make repairs. =A0To be honest,
> I'm not the best with drywalling a ceiling..and that is a bit involved
> for just swapping out a ceiling fan right?
> Anyway...their is a piece of metal conduit that was running next to
> the old fan. =A0I need to move that conduit by 2 inches in order for the
> new fan to fit. =A0The metal conduit is connected to another piece about
> 3 inches behind the fan...my inclination is to disconnect the conduit
> from the extension, and replace it with a piece of flexible conduit.
> that will allow me to go nicely around the new fan.
> can I connect a piece of flex conduit to a piece of regular conduit (I
> assume I will use a junction box)?

There are transition fittings that will enable you to go from conduit
(EMT) to armored cable or flexible metallic conduit. Ask for a Type
EFC or EGC combination coupling. There's no reason to use a junction
box unless you will be cutting the wires and splicing.

> can I assume that because I have flex, I can run it diagonally and not
> have to worry that the wires won't make it?

No, that is your principal worry. Take a piece of string or wire and
lay it on the existing layout, then move it to where you want it to
be. If it doesn't quite make it, then you will have to go with plan B
and install a junction box.

R

Posted by bud-- on October 11, 2009, 2:49 am

RicodJour wrote:

> wrote:

>> I've been attempting to install a new ceiling fan in my bathroom. the
>> motor in the old one started making noise, and it was about 20+ years
>> old...so I figured an upgrade was in order.
>> I live in an old loft building, where I access the fan from above my
>> bathroom (there is a crawlspace above the bathroom) but the rest of
>> the loft is open.
>> I'm trying to not have to pull down the sheetrock in my bathroom in
>> order to swap out this fan or otherwise make repairs. To be honest,
>> I'm not the best with drywalling a ceiling..and that is a bit involved
>> for just swapping out a ceiling fan right?
>> Anyway...their is a piece of metal conduit that was running next to
>> the old fan. I need to move that conduit by 2 inches in order for the
>> new fan to fit. The metal conduit is connected to another piece about
>> 3 inches behind the fan...my inclination is to disconnect the conduit
>> from the extension, and replace it with a piece of flexible conduit.
>> that will allow me to go nicely around the new fan.
>> can I connect a piece of flex conduit to a piece of regular conduit (I
>> assume I will use a junction box)?

>
> There are transition fittings that will enable you to go from conduit
> (EMT) to armored cable or flexible metallic conduit. Ask for a Type
> EFC or EGC combination coupling. There's no reason to use a junction
> box unless you will be cutting the wires and splicing.

You can also make a "gofrom" using an EMT connector to a rigid pipe
couping to a flex connector (assuming "metal conduit" is EMT). I would
use a "Tomic" coupling, which is 1/2 length, but they are probably
relatively hard to find.

>> can I assume that because I have flex, I can run it diagonally and not
>> have to worry that the wires won't make it?

>
> No, that is your principal worry. Take a piece of string or wire and
> lay it on the existing layout, then move it to where you want it to
> be. If it doesn't quite make it, then you will have to go with plan B
> and install a junction box.

Or re-fish new wires.

--
bud--

Posted by The Daring Dufas on October 11, 2009, 3:07 pm

bud-- wrote:

> RicodJour wrote:

>> wrote:

>>> I've been attempting to install a new ceiling fan in my bathroom. the
>>> motor in the old one started making noise, and it was about 20+ years
>>> old...so I figured an upgrade was in order.
>>> I live in an old loft building, where I access the fan from above my
>>> bathroom (there is a crawlspace above the bathroom) but the rest of
>>> the loft is open.
>>> I'm trying to not have to pull down the sheetrock in my bathroom in
>>> order to swap out this fan or otherwise make repairs. To be honest,
>>> I'm not the best with drywalling a ceiling..and that is a bit involved
>>> for just swapping out a ceiling fan right?
>>> Anyway...their is a piece of metal conduit that was running next to
>>> the old fan. I need to move that conduit by 2 inches in order for the
>>> new fan to fit. The metal conduit is connected to another piece about
>>> 3 inches behind the fan...my inclination is to disconnect the conduit
>>> from the extension, and replace it with a piece of flexible conduit.
>>> that will allow me to go nicely around the new fan.
>>> can I connect a piece of flex conduit to a piece of regular conduit (I
>>> assume I will use a junction box)?

>> There are transition fittings that will enable you to go from conduit
>> (EMT) to armored cable or flexible metallic conduit. Ask for a Type
>> EFC or EGC combination coupling. There's no reason to use a junction
>> box unless you will be cutting the wires and splicing.

>
> You can also make a "gofrom" using an EMT connector to a rigid pipe
> couping to a flex connector (assuming "metal conduit" is EMT). I would
> use a "Tomic" coupling, which is 1/2 length, but they are probably
> relatively hard to find.
>

>>> can I assume that because I have flex, I can run it diagonally and not
>>> have to worry that the wires won't make it?

>> No, that is your principal worry. Take a piece of string or wire and
>> lay it on the existing layout, then move it to where you want it to
>> be. If it doesn't quite make it, then you will have to go with plan B
>> and install a junction box.

>
> Or re-fish new wires.
>

I love the Tomic connectors and can't understand why they're so
hard to come by these days. I did a search and came up with a
two piece connector of the type you might see holding a power
cord on the back of a clothes dryer instead of the one piece
connector that you pop on the end of EMT. When I worked for an
electrical supply company in the early 70's we had them in stock.
The last time I saw any of them was at a missile range in the
late 80's. I wonder what happened to them.

TDD

Posted by John Grabowski on October 11, 2009, 6:10 pm

>>>> I've been attempting to install a new ceiling fan in my bathroom. the
>>>> motor in the old one started making noise, and it was about 20+ years
>>>> old...so I figured an upgrade was in order.
>>>> I live in an old loft building, where I access the fan from above my
>>>> bathroom (there is a crawlspace above the bathroom) but the rest of
>>>> the loft is open.
>>>> I'm trying to not have to pull down the sheetrock in my bathroom in
>>>> order to swap out this fan or otherwise make repairs. To be honest,
>>>> I'm not the best with drywalling a ceiling..and that is a bit involved
>>>> for just swapping out a ceiling fan right?
>>>> Anyway...their is a piece of metal conduit that was running next to
>>>> the old fan. I need to move that conduit by 2 inches in order for the
>>>> new fan to fit. The metal conduit is connected to another piece about
>>>> 3 inches behind the fan...my inclination is to disconnect the conduit
>>>> from the extension, and replace it with a piece of flexible conduit.
>>>> that will allow me to go nicely around the new fan.
>>>> can I connect a piece of flex conduit to a piece of regular conduit (I
>>>> assume I will use a junction box)?
>>> There are transition fittings that will enable you to go from conduit
>>> (EMT) to armored cable or flexible metallic conduit. Ask for a Type
>>> EFC or EGC combination coupling. There's no reason to use a junction
>>> box unless you will be cutting the wires and splicing.

>> You can also make a "gofrom" using an EMT connector to a rigid pipe
>> couping to a flex connector (assuming "metal conduit" is EMT). I would
>> use a "Tomic" coupling, which is 1/2 length, but they are probably
>> relatively hard to find.

>>>> can I assume that because I have flex, I can run it diagonally and not
>>>> have to worry that the wires won't make it?
>>> No, that is your principal worry. Take a piece of string or wire and
>>> lay it on the existing layout, then move it to where you want it to
>>> be. If it doesn't quite make it, then you will have to go with plan B
>>> and install a junction box.

>> Or re-fish new wires.

> I love the Tomic connectors and can't understand why they're so
> hard to come by these days. I did a search and came up with a
> two piece connector of the type you might see holding a power
> cord on the back of a clothes dryer instead of the one piece
> connector that you pop on the end of EMT. When I worked for an
> electrical supply company in the early 70's we had them in stock.
> The last time I saw any of them was at a missile range in the
> late 80's. I wonder what happened to them.

*I have no idea what a Tomic connector is. Using three search engines all I
came up with is the two screw strain relief dryer cord connector clamp.
Anyone have a picture or a link to a picture?

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