Learning how to bend EMT Conduit opens up even more options for your DIY projects! A conduit bender that you can find in your local big box store makes it easy to bend conduit. Getting started can be intimidating, but I assure you that anyone can!
TOOL NEEDED
The electrical aisle at your local home improvement store will have some tools for installing EMT conduit. A good example of this is this tool that has a long handle and cast head in curved shape.
Known as a conduit bender, this tool is used to bend conduit. To ensure a proper fit between the bender and the EMT conduit, you must choose the correct size.
HOW TO BEND ELECTRIC CONDUIT
A series of marks can be seen on the bender’s head, as well as a channel through which the conduit will run as it is bent. There is an arrow pointing to the channel, and this is where you should begin to bend the conduit.
The bend should be 12″ from the end of the conduit, so mark the conduit with a sharpie or marker and line up the arrow with that mark. The next thing you’ll notice is a stem sticking up that appears to be a foot pedal.
The bender is stepped on and you apply a little force and pull the handle to start the bend. In the channel you mentioned earlier, the conduit will be bent while you bend it. The side of the channel is marked with angles.
These marks let us know where we are with the bend. The conduit would be parallel with the 45 degree mark on the bender if you want a 45 degree bend, for example. The process is the same for other angles as well.
The radius size of the bend is also noted as one of the other marks. Most benders will have the same radius as the one we used, which has a 6″ radius. Keeping this in mind is crucial when lining up and constructing other conduit and connections.
HOW TO GET U-SHAPED BENDS
On the bender, there is one final mark that will help us align the U-shaped bend in the desired location. Marked with a star, this mark is at the opposite end of the arrow. A star mark indicates the beginning of a bend.
For example, if your bent begins 24 inches from the end, then you would mark the conduit, line up the mark with the star mark, and bend. In order to avoid getting a crooked pipe or a dog leg, the U bend must be in the same plane as the first bend.
CORRECT OVER BENT CONDUIT
There is an adjustment tool built into the pipe bender that you can use if you overbend the pipe. Bender handles have a slightly larger radius than conduit, so you can slide them over overbent conduit. After removing the pipe from the other, you can easily correct your bend by pulling the pipe apart.
CONCLUSION
By practice and patience, you can learn to bend conduit to your liking and use it on your projects! Get in touch with us if you need more help learning how to bend conduit. We will be happy to offer more advice. It will be interesting to see how you incorporate bends into your EMT Conduit projects.
