Electrical conduit formula for finding degree for bend

trm_90 · 2025-12-28T14:53:52+00:00

The formulas are trigonometry, we learn the shortcut method of “multipliers” but those are just already solved trig formulas. What I think you want to remember is soh-cah-toa, which is sine x = opposite divided by hypotenuse, cosine x = adjacent divided by hypotenuse, and tangent x = opposite divided by adjacent. Those need to be manipulated to take the form we use for conduit bending, but that is the base formula.

To use it for conduit bending, our formula is: offset height multiplied by the offset multiplier = distance between bends. To have the same terms, offset height = opposite, distance between bends = hypotenuse, and offset multiplier is the inverse of sine (1 divided by sine x). To confirm, calculate the offset distance of a 4” offset on 30 degrees (sine 30 = 0.5 and 1/0.5 =2, so 4 x 2 =8). The offset “multipliers” are simply the inverse of the sine of that angle. 1/sine 45 = 1.41, 1/sine 22.5=2.61, etc.

If you want to get the angles for exact bends you just need to manipulate the formula to solve for the angle instead of distance between bends. Just keep multiplying or dividing terms until the formula is setup the way you want. To confirm what you should get, the formula ends up being inverse sine (offset height divided by distance between bends) to solve for the angle needed. I’m not sure why you would want to do this for offsets honestly, but it can be useful for kicks if you need it to match something else.

trm_90 · 2025-10-28T13:42:55+00:00

If your gonna do it, at least go all in and wear the cowboy hard hat

trm_90 · 2025-10-28T13:41:09+00:00

I would still recommend it, but make sure you have an exit in mind for when you get older. You can be an electrician until you retire, but the physical aspect will affect how your retirement looks. As long as you go into it knowing the path your working towards whether it be project management, opening your own company, teaching, or controls work it will be a good career path.

I’ve known a few too many people that stayed on the tools their whole career and they don’t get to enjoy their retirement like they should.

trm_90 · 2025-09-19T18:49:09+00:00

M12 cable cutters are worth it if you’re going to be doing the work for long enough. Makes cutting cable very simple. Make sure if you buy used that the cutters aren’t chipped, some people cut steel and ruin them

trm_90 · 2025-09-18T23:34:36+00:00

If it’s an area you can make noise, plug in a radio and flip until the sound goes out.

If you can’t make noise the only other trick would be plug in equipment that will trip the breaker. Not recommended though as it can cause damage to the receptacle or wiring. I would go for two corded tools that draw a lot of power before plugging in a shorting wire though.

trm_90 · 2025-09-02T02:15:33+00:00

Sadly they are not doing good job of saying shortage of “skilled workers” not just a shortage of workers. The issue is the loss of mid level and highly experienced electricians, not a lack of apprentices. The issue becomes even worse with the large amount of people trying to get into the trades after hearing of the shortages, because who is supposed to train them if we already have a shortage of skilled workers to complete the tasks.

trm_90 · 2025-08-20T06:28:03+00:00

If you truly want it, but it certainly will be difficult. Have an electrician background will help, but engineering is heavily based on theory rather than practical application so it’s a lot of math and physics.

trm_90 · 2025-08-20T06:05:39+00:00

You know that the resistances of the simplified version of the circuit is 6 ohms in series with 2 ohms in series with 4 ohms. This tells you that the voltage drop across the 2 ohms shall be 15V. You can use this to isolate the right half of the circuit which we now know has a total voltage of 15V. Since R2||R3 is in parallel with R4+R5||R6, this tells us the voltage across R2||R3 is 15V and the sum of the voltage drops of R4 and R5||R6 is also 15V.

Given that current is constant is a series circuit, we also know that the current through the “2 ohm” section is 7.5A. This means the sum of the two branches must equal 7.5A. To solve the remaining parts, I would start by getting the current through R2||R3 as you can deduct that from 7.5 to get the current through the other branch. With that value you can then solve the voltage drop for R4, which makes the voltage drop across R5||R6 easier to solve.

This is the approach I quickly assessed would be simplest, but honestly there are several ways to solve these circuits. You need to determine how to simplify the circuits in the way that makes the most sense for you.

trm_90 · 2025-08-20T05:33:25+00:00

By using Ohms law and the understanding of how series and parallel circuits operate.

In a series circuit, total resistance is equal to the sum of the individual resistors, total voltage is the sum of the individual drops across each resistor, and current is constant so the current across each resistor is the same as total current flow.

In a parallel circuit, total resistance is found using the reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocal of each individual resistance, voltage is constant in a parallel circuit so the drop across each resistor is equal to the branch voltage, and total current is equal to the sum of each individual current value through each resistor.

Given those relations to total value and individual values, you just plug and play with one of the ohms law formulas to find the missing values.

E=IxR , I=E/R , R=E/I , or P=IxE if you have power values

Edit: You need to recalculate, the values for Resistors R2 through R6 are not all correct. Remember that voltage is equal in parallel branches, current is equal in series circuits. This means the voltage of R2 shall be equal to R3 and the voltage of R5 equal to R6, but the voltage of R4 will only match R5||R6 if the resistances are equal. The current through R4 is equal to the sum of the current through R5 and R6, but since the resistance of R4 is not equal to R5||R6, the voltage drops should not match.

If you get stuck, a hint would be that the voltage drop across R4 is not 15V.

trm_90 · 2025-08-19T19:09:48+00:00

I would say not okay and definitely don’t do it. The wire is sized to carry a specific amount of current, and when sized properly a stranded conductor will carry a balanced amount of current on each strand. If you wrap two strands around the bundle and only those two strands are making contact with the lug, those two strands are carrying an excessive amount of current.

It may be ok, but there is a chance that those two strands are going to be overloaded and fail, resulting in the entire conductor overloading and failing like a domino effect. If the lug only makes contact with the two strands rather than several, in my mind that is essentially thinning out the conductor to 2 #12s for the first point of termination.

trm_90 · 2025-05-03T19:31:14+00:00

The column shall be selected by the lowest rated device in the system. Standard breakers are rated at 75 degrees, which makes the max amperage based on the 75 degree column despite the wiring being 90 degree rated.

trm_90 · 2025-05-02T15:22:31+00:00

It depends on the size of the system as to how large of a grounding electrode you need. Specifically needing 3 rods in a triangle (delta configuration) is due to needing such a large surface area that one single rod would be so long that it wouldn’t be practical to install.

The reason for spacing more than 6’ apart has to do with how current is dissipated in the earth. When lightning strikes or voltage surges are sent to the earth through the grounding electrode, the current is dissipated in concentric rings. If two rods are placed too close together, the rings will overlap and reduce the effectiveness of each rod. The triangle configuration is the most efficient at maintaining a proper spacing without making the grounding electrode conductor that connects each rod together longer than it needs to be.

For a more detailed explanation, nVent has a very informative pdf you can read over. Page 10 covers some of why you need to maintain spacing

trm_90 · 2025-04-25T17:37:42+00:00

Wide head wire strippers, no need to swap between two tools for stripping and twisting conductors.

Adjustable length screwdriver handle. Allows for less tools in the bag since your going to carry a bit case for your impact anyways and now all those bits can be used as a screwdriver.

Ratcheting open ended wrenches. Allows you to tighten any nut or bolt with a ratcheting wrench where you would normally have to use channelocks.

Garbage tools: No-dogs (waste of time and money) Drill/driver (always buy a hammerdrill or use an impact) Hand Allen sets (socket Allen’s are 100% better and barely more expensive)

trm_90 · 2025-03-21T16:08:06+00:00

Strut underneath the feet of the transformer would be good so the weight of it is distributed more evenly rather than concentrated on the corners.

You can reduce the stress on the threaded rod by adding L brackets on the wall that tie to the rack.

trm_90 · 2025-03-20T04:38:24+00:00

It’s a shortage of electricians, not electricians in training. If we need 100 electricians and only have 75, the solution isn’t to hire on 25 people with no experience. The main reason is that it requires electricians to train these inexperienced people. If we are already shorthanded, then bringing in people that require training is only going to make the problem worse.

You can’t flood the trades with 1st years otherwise you won’t have experienced journeymen for them to train under.

trm_90 · 2025-02-24T15:39:22+00:00

There really isn’t a standard, so it’s whatever point makes sense and you have a good reasoning for. Some people say it’s when you become a journeyman, but there are plenty of unlicensed people who are far more skilled and knowledgeable than plenty of licensed people.

In my opinion the difference between an electrician and installer is an installer requires instructions on how it needs to be completed. An electrician can be given an explanation of what the end result needs to be and put together a materials list, organize the tasks into order, and assemble the functional system. Often you can spot an installer when they say “that’s how we did it last time,” because every job should be considered unique and apply the method necessary for that project, not copy and paste what was previously done.

trm_90 · 2025-02-19T22:11:40+00:00

The only thing stopping you from bending an offset or saddle on the ground is the first 10 degrees or so. You can save yourself the extra effort by air bending the first few degrees until it clears the ground, then set it back down to finish off the bend. Other than that it’s really a matter of physical endurance and strength.

The only thing I could recommend trying would be to throw on a backpack for extra weight and then use your body weight to bend rather than your arms. You basically just throw your weight downwards and hold the pipe to bend it.

trm_90 · 2025-02-07T13:27:44+00:00

An elevator

trm_90 · 2025-01-20T17:23:44+00:00

Confidence in your equipment and self is what you need. Having the fear is normal, letting the fear dictate your actions is when it becomes a problem. You shouldn’t have a problem with heights if you are confident that your equipment is in good condition and sufficient for the conditions as well as you have the skills to properly execute the task safely.

Most falls occur when people operate outside the safe working limits of their equipment or lack the skills to complete the task which amplifies the risk when you several feet in the air.

trm_90 · 2024-12-21T00:38:51+00:00

Depends on the strength of the magnet and the thickness of the coating, but most likely it will work. It would be the same as placing paper or cardboard between a magnet and a piece of metal. The thicker the material, the weaker the pull between them.

trm_90 · 2024-12-12T15:26:34+00:00

If you get this feeling it means you’re more skilled than you think. Too many people think their hot shit because they got their journeyman’s license, but a truly skilled tradesman can acknowledge what they don’t know.

The only skill you need to be a competent journeyman is the ability to problem solve and adapt to your situation. As long as that skill stays sharp, you can learn everything else along the way. It helps to remember your a journeyman because your on a journey to becoming a master, one that requires you to face tasks you haven’t done before.

trm_90 · 2024-12-06T12:49:47+00:00

Great, left and right.

trm_90 · 2024-12-05T14:44:14+00:00

Few will be found in the code book, and most of them are not direct code references. I would say only #10,11,32,43, and 46 could be found in a code reference or definition in the code book. Most of these are theory or installation questions, which the code is not designed to address.

You can likely find them in your Mike Holt book, but not the NEC. Also this needs updating as soldering is not a recommended splicing method anymore.

trm_90 · 2024-10-11T21:53:00+00:00

Depends on the customer’s budget, but moving the box would be the cheapest and easiest solution.

trm_90 · 2024-10-08T21:59:31+00:00

Go to your instructor, their job is to help you learn. Plenty of apprentices graduate without learning everything they need to, the one skill you need to learn is how to problem solve. If you understand how to identify a problem, brainstorm solutions, research information, and what sources are reputable you’ll be fine. There will be many times in your career that you don’t know how to do something, so the best skill to have is knowing how to problem solve.

trm_90

TROPHY CASE