Wiring a space for electricity or telecommunications is a challenging job. You can’t simply string a wire from Point A to Point B and hope for the best. Improperly installed or unprotected lines can increase the risk of fires or electrical accidents. Using proper conduits can help.
Running wiring through conduits is a great way to make sure your circuits are protected, functional and compliant with strict electrical codes. If your conduit is rigid, you’ll need a conduit bender to shape it so that it fits neatly into corners.
In this article, you’ll learn the basics of using a conduit bender safely so you can boost operational productivity.
What Is Conduit?
Conduit is any pipe or tube that contains wire or cabling. Electricians and IT professionals use conduits to protect electrical lines, fiber optic cable or other wiring installations. Conduit can be rigid or flexible and are often made of metal or plastic.
If you’re using electrical metallic tubing (EMT), intermediate metal conduit (IMC), or rigid conduit, you’ll also need a conduit bender.
What Is a Bender?
A bender, or conduit bender, is a tool that helps contractors bend rigid conduit into the precise angle and shape they need to run cabling safely around corners or other obstacles. Benders can be manual, electric or hydraulic tools.
Types of Conduit Benders:
Let’s dive deeper into the different types of benders and how they work.
- Hand Benders: Hand benders feature a curved shoe at the end of a pole, allowing you to create bends manually. You put the conduit in the shoe and pull the bender down, like a lever, to create the bend.
- Mechanical Benders: Mechanical benders are unpowered machines that make manual bending easier.
- Electric Benders: Electric conduit benders plug into your site’s power supply and bend conduit for you. Some are programmable, allowing you to set the angle of the bend and handle a high volume of conduit.
- Hydraulic Benders: Hydraulic conduit benders are powered by a hydraulic pump. They are great for bending larger diameter conduit, up to 4 inches in diameter.
How Does Safety Depend on Good Conduit Bends?
There should be no more than four 90-degree bends (360-degrees total) in a single run, or line, of conduit.
Conduit is designed to protect wires and cables from damage. A damaged electrical wire can quickly become a fire hazard. Damaged cabling can also be costly if your equipment and computers stop working and business grinds to a halt.
Unfortunately, improper conduit bending can damage the very lines it’s trying to protect. If the conduit pinches, scrapes or bends the wire inside too much, the wire can overheat or break. When this happens, there’s more risk of damage, electrical shock and fire.
Before using conduit, review your area’s electrical code and safety regulations. They will tell you what kind of conduit to use and how many bends can be in a run (the length of conduit between connection points).
How to Bend Conduit with a Conduit Bender
The process of shaping conduit with a bender is relatively simple. But it can take some practice and patience to create perfect angles.
Use the following basic steps to learn the general process first. Then, go to the next section to learn how to create specific types of bends.
1. Gather the Right Equipment
First, find the diameter of your conduit. Then, select a bender and shoe that can handle that diameter. For example, 0.5-inch to 2-inch electric conduit bender won’t be able to bend conduit that’s 4-inches in diameter. For a 4-inch diameter conduit, you’ll likely need a hydraulic bender.
Basic Supplies You’ll Need:
- Conduit
- Conduit bender and shoes that can handle the diameter of your conduit
- Conduit reamer or knife to cut conduit and smooth the edges
- Measuring tools to plan and check the bends
- Angle measure or protractor
- Tape measure
- Level
- Permanent marker
Additional Supplies You May Need:
- Software or a conduit bending calculator to help create a plan
- Bending table to make bending more ergonomic
- Power supply and/or hydraulic pump to run the bender
- Cable puller to thread cable through the conduit
2. Measure the Space and Plan Your Bends
Next, plan where the conduit will go and how much conduit you need. To do this, carefully measure the space using your measuring tools and planning software to figure out the following:
- How Many and What Types of Bends Will Be in Each Run: The more bends there are, the longer the conduit will need to be. You may need to run conduit around a corner or obstacle, or you made need to run it across changes in elevation. Use an angle measure or protractor to find the exact angle of each bend.
- Length of Each Run of Conduit: Identify each pull point (such as a junction box) and measure the length between them, including any angles.
Remember! There should be no more than four 90-degree angles, or bends totaling more than 360 degrees, in a single run of conduit.
3. Prepare and Mark the Conduit Before Bending
Once you have your plan, it’s time to measure, mark and cut your conduit.
- Find and Mark the Start of Each Bend: Using your wiring plan as a guide, measure from the end of the conduit to the starting point of each bend. Draw a line on the conduit indicating where each bend should start.
- Account for Stub Height and Take-Up: The stub height (or stub-up) is the distance from the bottom of the bend to the end of the conduit after the bend. For example, if you’re running wiring from the floor and then up a wall to an outlet, the stub height is the distance from the floor to the outlet. Take-up is the length of conduit that makes up the curve. Use a conduit bending calculator or the bender to find the amount of take-up for the angle of the bend and the diameter of the conduit.
- Example: You need a stub height of 25 inches and will be bending the conduit 90 degrees. So, you should mark the start of the bend 25 inches from the end of the conduit, right? Wrong. Since your bender indicates a 5-inch take-up, you have to add 5 inches to your desired stub height. The start of the bend will be 30 inches from the end of the conduit. (25-inch stub height + 5-inch take-up = 30 inches)
- Cut and Smooth the Conduit: Double check your marks and measurements before cutting the conduit down to size. Use the conduit reamer or knife to trim the length and smooth the edges. Smooth edges help keep workers and wiring safe from cuts.
4. Attach the Bender and Keep Steady
At this point, double-check the bender’s instruction manual to learn how to safely insert the conduit into the bending shoe and what the different symbols and lines on the bender mean.
- Insert the conduit into the bender.
- Line up the marks you made with the appropriate symbol (usually an arrow) on the bending shoe.
- Keep the conduit and bender steady and level. If needed, use a bending table.
- Double-check to make sure the bends will be on the correct plane. This is especially important if you’re making multiple bends in one run.
5. Create the Bend
Once you’ve double-checked that the conduit and bender are aligned correctly, it’s time to make the bend. Hold the conduit steady and operate the bender until you reach the correct bend.
- For Hand and Mechanical Benders: Pull back on the lever or bender.
- For Electric and Hydraulic Benders: Operate the bender according to the manual.
6. Check Angles and Alignments
Once you’ve reached your desired angle, remove the conduit from the bender. Double check the angle, length, and plane. You can use a level and protractor or place the conduit against the wall to make sure everything aligns as you expected. If something is out of alignment, adjust the bend or start again.
4 Types of Conduit Bends and How to Create Them
Now that you understand the basics of how to bend conduit, you may be wondering about the different types of bends and how to make them. The following list gives a few examples of the most common conduit bends.
1. 90° Stub-Up Bend and Back-to-Back Bends
When you run conduit from a floor or ceiling onto a wall or around a corner, you’re likely going to make a 90-degree bend. A single 90-degree bend is called a stub-up bend. Two 90-degree bends in a single run are called back-to-back or U-bends.
Tips for Creating 90-Degree Bends:
- Find the markings on the bender for the start and end of the bend (often an arrow and a star, respectively).
- Insert the conduit into the bender.
- Bend the conduit until the end marking (often a star) aligns with the back of the conduit.
- For back-to-back bends, create the first bend. Then mark the back of the second bend and align that mark with the bender’s end marking (star).
2. Circles and Arches
Circles and arches may be needed when wiring unique architecture, such as a circular space, or an art installation. The goal is to create large, swooping bends without exceeding 360 degrees of bends in a single run.
Tips for Creating Circles and Arches:
- Find your desired circle/arch diameter. This will determine how much conduit you need.
- If needed, break the circle/arch into segments. Create a series of bends in each segment.
- Use a bender with an angle setter to keep from over bending a segment.
3. Offset Bends
An offset bend can be used when conduit needs to keep running in the same direction but there is an obstacle in the way, like a change in elevation or staggered joists. A single offset bend includes two angles. You will need to use the bender twice.
Tips for Creating Offset Bends:
- Measure the distance needed to clear the obstacle.
- Choose the angle for each curve in the bend. For example, two 45-degree angles.
- Create the first bend, then flip the conduit or bender to create the second bend in the opposite direction. This will redirect the conduit back to the same direction as it started.
- Make sure the bends are in the same plane.
4. Saddle Bends
Saddle bends are used when conduit needs to go around or over an obstacle, like a pipe. A single saddle bend is made up of three angles.
Tips for Creating Offset Bends:
- Find the distance to the obstacle’s center and your offset distance.
- Create the first bend, then flip the conduit or bender to create the center bend. Move the bender to the far side of the center bend and create the last bend.
- Make sure all bends are in the same plane.
Shape Conduit Easily with a Bender from Herc Rentals
No matter how many bends are needed, shaping rigid conduit can be exhausting with hand benders or mechanical benders. If your project calls for a lot of bending or you simply need more power to shape large conduit, consider renting a conduit bender from Herc Rentals.
With a conduit bender from Herc Rentals, you can shape a wide range of diameters with ease. Our bender’s cutting-edge technology and ergonomic features minimize the physical and mental strain of shaping conduit.
Renting a conduit bender and working with a qualified and trusted equipment rental partner helps you meet the unique needs of each project without the hassle and expenses that come with equipment ownership.
Discover how renting an electric or hydraulic conduit bender from Herc Rentals can boost your team’s efficiency today. Explore high-quality electrical contractor tools or call 888-777-2700 to get started today.
