I have a new installation with Pendant gym fixtures hung on 3/4 rigid pipe from a Mallable Tee Condulet supported by 3/4" EMT. The EMT has set screw fittings and the conduit is supported withing 3" of the Tee. I feel this is in violation of 314.23(F)Exeption (2)a. What are your thoughts? These fixtures will be subject to physical damage from kick balls, volley balls, and such.

Attached Images

	Pendant 1.jpg (20.3 KB, 44 views)
	Pendant 2.jpg (38.3 KB, 37 views)
	Pendant 3.jpg (23.6 KB, 35 views)

Do you have access to the electrical part of the blueprints and schedule? This would allow you to see if some changes were made on the attachment of the fixtures.

I think that 314.23(F)Exception (2)a does cover what you are saying and your concern, but I would still like to know to see what the designed for the building.

Do you know if the AHJ approved the design and install?

In the picture it is hard to tell and I don't see any, but are there any safety cables/chains attached to the fixture? Many areas require them, all of the AHJ's in my area require them on all commercial pendant lights like the ones in your pictures.

__________________
Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

SP The electrical prints are available and everything was installed according to the Engineers specs. The AHJ has not approved this and quotes the article mentioned and may also require the chain support you mentioned, although the fixture is a fluorescent type and falls just under the 50lb requirement for the added support.

The inspector is correct.
That condulet can not be supported solely by EMT.
If you are using the conduit to support the condulet it must have threaded hubs and the conduit must be rigid. The phrase "wrench tight" tells su that it must be threaded conduit. You can not wrench tight EMT as it is the fitting that you are wrenching tight.
You also can not use rigid conduit with threadless connectors.

Another article that may come into play. There are 2 items that must be answered "yes" before this is an issue with that install.
1) - Is that jurisdiction enforceing the 2008 NEC ?
2) Is that a roof deck the conduit is runnning under?
If the answer is yes to BOTH of these questions there is a violation of
Article 300.4 (E)
E) Cables and Raceways Installed Under Roof Decking. A cable- or raceway-type wiring method, installed in exposed or concealed locations under metal-corrugated sheet roof decking, shall be installed and supported so the nearest outside surface of the cable or raceway is not less than 38 mm (1 1/2 in.) from the nearest surface of the roof decking.
FPN: Roof decking material is often repaired or replaced after the initial raceway or cabling and roofing installation and may be penetrated by the screws or other mechanical devices designed to provide “hold down” strength of the waterproof membrane or roof insulating material.

Exception: Rigid metal conduit and intermediate metal conduit shall not be required to comply with 300.4(E).

I think Ken has covered it pretty well.

__________________
Scott Patterson
Spring Hill, TN
http://www.traceinspections.com

Sounds reasonable. I'd hate to see one of those come down on someone's head. 48 lbs. from that height would do some damage.

Can chains be used at this point, or does the conduit have to be replaced with threaded?

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Jim Robinson
New Mexico, USA

Let's go back to the beginning here ...

- 3154.23
- - (F) Raceway-Supported Enclosures, with Devices, Luminaires, or Lampholders. An enclosure that contains a device(s), other than splicing devices, or supports a luminaire(s), lampholder, or other equipment and is supported by entering raceways shall not exceed 1650 cm3 (100 in.3) in size. It shall have threaded entries or have hubs identified for the purpose. It shall be supported by two or more conduits threaded wrenchtight into the enclosure or hubs. Each conduit shall be secured within 450 mm (18 in.) of the enclosure.
- - - Exception No. 1: Rigid metal or intermediate metal conduit shall be permitted to support a conduit body of any size, including a conduit body constructed with only one conduit entry, provided the trade size of the conduit body is not larger than the largest trade size of the conduit.
- - - Exception No. 2: An unbroken length(s) of rigid or intermediate metal conduit shall be permitted to support a box used for luminaire or lampholder support, or to support a wiring enclosure that is an integral part of a luminaire and used in lieu of a box in accordance with 300.15(B), where all of the following conditions are met:
- - - - (list of (a) through (f) follows but is not necessary to this answer)

Now back to the original statement: "from a Mallable Tee Condulet supported by 3/4" EMT" ... see the problem right there?

Rigid or intermediate metal conduit is allowed to support that conduit body, not EMT.

Then all the other things too.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )
www.AskCodeMan.com

Ken; Thanks! We are under the 2008 NEC. I had to take a second look at the roof deck too. The conduit is installed on strut in the web. The roof is also several inches of Foam on top.
Jim; Chains can be added at this point and may be needed.
The engineer is trying to argue that he compensated for the rigid with steel fittings, but he wont give documentation. Its still a code issue!
Jerry; I agree. Rigid or Intermediate. Seems pretty clear to me too. I am glad for all the reinforcement.

From what I saw in your pictures , it looks to me that the conduit is mounted right to the lower part of the metal pan decking. Looks like it is on minerlac straps. The code article 300.4 states it must be 1 1/2 inches below the lowest part of the decking. It makes no difference of what is on the roof. If it is a roof you must be 1 1/2 " down from the lowest part. This goes for boxes also. They can not be mounted to the lower part of the decking anymore.


Steel fitting do not relieve the code requirements for threaded conduit