Got told my conduit bends were too tight for 6 months straight

Old master electrician named Frank at the supply house in Nashville pulled me aside and said my 90s were pinching the wire path on a job we were both working. He showed me how a 6 inch radius instead of 4 inches saves the pull every time. Has anyone else had a journeyman call out a basic habit you thought was fine?

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3 Comments

graceprice3mo ago

Did I ever tell you one of my 90s was so tight it squeaked when the wire went through?

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ramirez.blair5mo ago

Bet you never thought about the actual conduit fill ratio underneath those tight bends. Frank was right about the radius, but here's the thing nobody talks about: even with a perfect 90, if your wire fill is over 40 percent, that tight bend turns into a friction nightmare anyway. I measure my fill first now and adjust my bender to match the load, not just the code minimum. That old timer probably saved you from a headache down the line, bet he had a reason for everything he did.

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the_oscar5mo ago

Nail that fill ratio before you even think about bending anything, learned that the hard way myself.

2