National Electrical Installation Standards

Standards as High as Your Own

 
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Friday, November 15, 2019

Question:

Charlie,

Our apprenticeship class is discussing the following: 358.26 (EMT) states “there shall not be more than the equivalent of four quarter bends (360 degrees total) between pull points (this is also stated in other articles)…..My question is whether a 180 degree bend would be acceptable as part of the total 360 degrees.

Some in the class say the code is not prohibiting the 180 degree bend, others feel that 90 degrees would be the implied maximum for any bend.

We would appreciate your input.

Sal Genovesi
A

Answer:

Hey Sal thanks for your question, it is good to see that you are having NEC discussions. You are correct the maximum 360 degrees of bends between pull points is typical in many raceway articles in the XXX.26 section. Those sections do not limit each bend to 90 degrees so a 180 degree or even a 360 degree bend would not be a violation but they also don't make a lot of sense in an actual installation. Keep having those discussions.

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