Chapter 10 Raceway Systems 149 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. PROCEDURE Offset Bend after an Obstruction 1. Measure the height of the off set. Measure the distance between the connection point and the edge of the obstruction, and mark the conduit at this distance. 2. Consult an off set bend chart or calculator to determine the angle you would like to use for the off set bends. Note the shrink amount and the distance between the bends at your chosen angle. Note: If the conduit will be installed on a continuous surface (no change in level after the ob- struction), the angle of the bends after the obstruction most likely will be the same as the angle used before the obstruction. 3. Using the distance between the bends (from step 2), mark the conduit forward from the fi rst mark. 4. Place the conduit bender handle on the fl oor and secure it in place with your foot. 5. Position the conduit in the bender so that the fi rst mark is aligned with the arrow. 6. Bend the conduit to the angle determined in step 2, being careful not to kink it. 7. Without removing the conduit from the bender, rotate the conduit 180° and slide it until the second mark is aligned with the arrow. 8. Bend the conduit to the angle determined in step 2, being careful not to kink it. PROCEDURE Box Offset A box offset is made with two shallow bends of about 5°, bringing the conduit off the mounting surface so that it can fit into a knockout hole of an electrical box. It is the most common type of offset, since it is used at most electrical boxes. See Figure 10-11. 1. Make one mark 2″ from the end of the conduit that will connect to the box. 2. Make a second mark 8″ from the same end of the conduit. 3. Place the conduit bender handle on the fl oor and secure it with your foot. Position the conduit in the bender so that the 2″ mark is aligned with the arrow. Bend the conduit to a 5° angle. 4. Without removing the conduit from the bender, rotate the conduit 180° and slide it forward (away from you) until the second mark is aligned with the arrow. Bend the conduit (now in the opposite direction) to a 5° angle. 5. Test-fi t (or install) the conduit with the box. The end should be aligned with the knock- out while the remainder of the conduit is fl ush against the wall. PRO TIP Keeping Bends Aligned When putting two bends in a piece of conduit, they must be in perfect alignment so the con- duit will lie flat against the wall. If one bend veers to the left and the other veers to the right, the conduit will not lie flat. To maintain align- ment, find a seam in a concrete or tile floor, if available. Line up the first bend and the bender with the seam to keep the second bend prop- erly aligned. PROCEDURE Saddle Bend The saddle bend goes around an obstruction and, unlike the offset bend, returns to the same level after passing the obstruction. The most common saddle consists of one 45° center bend and two 22 1/2° lateral bends. See Figure 10-12. 1. Measure the height of the obstruction (for example, 4″ high). 2. Measure the distance between the con- nection point and the center of the ob- struction (20″ in this example). 3. For every 1″ of obstruction height, move the center mark forward 3/16″ (assuming 1/2″ conduit is being used). (In this exam- ple, 4 × 3/16″ = 3/4″. Mark the conduit with this new center mark, at 20 3/4″.) (Continued)