EETC Conduit & Raceway Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When making a 90° stub-up bend with a hand conduit bender, the term 'deduction' or 'take-up' refers to:
- The total length of conduit consumed by the bend
- The stub height measured after the bend is formed
- The amount subtracted from the desired stub height to mark the bend point (Correct answer)
- The radius of curvature formed by the bender shoe
Correct answer: The amount subtracted from the desired stub height to mark the bend point
The deduction (take-up) is the amount subtracted from the desired finished stub height to determine where to place the arrow mark on the conduit before bending, accounting for the conduit that travels through the curve.
Question 2: An 'offset bend' in conduit is used to:
- Make a 90° turn around a structural corner
- Shift the conduit parallel to itself to clear an obstacle such as a beam (Correct answer)
- Join two pieces of conduit end-to-end without a coupling
- Create a bend angle greater than 90°
Correct answer: Shift the conduit parallel to itself to clear an obstacle such as a beam
An offset consists of two equal bends in opposite directions that shift the conduit sideways while maintaining the same general direction, allowing it to bypass beams, pipes, or other obstructions.
Question 3: The 'gain' (or 'shrinkage savings') in conduit bending refers to:
- Additional conduit length required to complete the bend
- The length saved because conduit travels diagonally through the curve rather than in a right-angle path (Correct answer)
- The amount of conduit material wasted during the cutting process
- The increased wall thickness created by bending
Correct answer: The length saved because conduit travels diagonally through the curve rather than in a right-angle path
Gain is the length saved in a bend because the conduit travels along the arc of a curve rather than along two straight legs meeting at a right angle, so less total conduit is needed than a simple right-angle calculation would suggest.
Question 4: When installing EMT into an enclosure located in a wet location, the NEC requires:
- Set-screw type fittings sealed with thread compound
- Compression-type fittings listed and marked for wet or rain-tight use (Correct answer)
- Push-in type fittings with neoprene gaskets
- Any standard fitting covered with electrical tape
Correct answer: Compression-type fittings listed and marked for wet or rain-tight use
NEC 358.42 requires fittings used in wet locations to be listed for wet locations; compression-type fittings provide the rain-tight or wet-location seal required by the Code.
Question 5: The maximum spacing between conduit supports for 3/4-inch EMT installed in a horizontal run is:
- 6 feet
- 8 feet
- 10 feet (Correct answer)
- 12 feet
Correct answer: 10 feet
NEC 358.30 requires EMT to be supported at intervals not exceeding 10 feet for trade sizes up to and including 1-1/4 inches, and within 3 feet of each outlet box or fitting.
Question 6: When field-bending PVC conduit, the approved method is to:
- Use a standard metal hand bender with conduit shoes
- Apply heat with a heat gun or oven until pliable, then form the bend by hand (Correct answer)
- Cold-bend the conduit over a mandrel without heating
- Use a hydraulic bender the same way as for metallic conduit
Correct answer: Apply heat with a heat gun or oven until pliable, then form the bend by hand
PVC conduit must be uniformly heated until pliable (using a heat gun, heating blanket, or hot box) and then bent to shape; cold-bending PVC causes cracking and kinking.
Question 7: A 'saddle bend' (four-bend saddle) in conduit is used to:
- Make a single 90° direction change
- Pass the conduit over a pipe or obstruction while returning to the original plane (Correct answer)
- Connect conduit to a junction box at a 45° angle
- Secure the conduit to a structural member
Correct answer: Pass the conduit over a pipe or obstruction while returning to the original plane
A four-bend saddle uses two pairs of equal opposing bends to rise over an obstacle and return to the original pathway height, allowing the conduit to bridge obstructions like pipes or beams.
EETC Conduit & Raceway Systems 2
When making a 90° stub-up bend with a hand conduit bender, the term 'deduction' or 'take-up' refers to: