EMT Conduit

What is EMT Conduit?

EMT conduit stands for electrical metallic tubing. As it’s name implies, it is a type of conduit that is made out of metal, typically coated steel or aluminum. EMT conduit is different from other types of metallic conduit such as GRC conduit (galvanized rigid conduit) or RMC conduit (rigid metal conduit) in it’s wall thinkness.

Because EMT conduit has thinner walls it is cheaper and lighter, making it preferred over GRC conduit, especially in large commercial or industrial electrical installations where even a small difference in price can mean a big overall saving.

EMT flexibility

Because of it’s thinner walls, EMT is more flexible than other rigid metallic conduits such as GRC and RMC. In spite of this, if your application requires bending other types of conduit are recommended over EMT, such as FMC conduit (flexible metallic conduit). EMT’s thin walls also make it easy to accidentally deform during moving or installation, so additional care must be taken. EMT must be bent where needed using a metallic conduit bender, and can be easily manipulated to take different angles as needed.

EMT conduit fittings

It is normally not possible to add threads to EMT conduit, however if needed threaded fittings can be clamped to the conduit. Instead of screwing into EMT conduits, these are typically joined using clamp type fittings that press down on the conduit.

EMT conduit uses

Typical EMT conduit uses include industrial and commercial installations in which the conduit is exposed and requires bending. In these cases the conduit will look cleaner, and in some cases you will not require a ground wire for 20 amp circuits. To cut it to your required size you can use a hacksaw or simply an abrasive chop saw, and if needed use a tool such as a reamer to remove any burrs that remain from the cuts.