# Electric in black iron pipe



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Depends, is it wire that needs conduit? If so, pipe will need to be listed.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??


Yes. Iron is conductive, and electricity will run through it.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Yes. Iron is conductive, and electricity will run through it.


 Yeah, but you can only use black iron for the hot. If he needs a neutral, he'll need some white iron. Not to mention the green iron for the EGC....

-John


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Big John said:


> Yeah, but you can only use black iron for the hot. If he needs a neutral, he'll need some white iron. Not to mention the green iron for the EGC....
> 
> -John



You don't need green for the EGC. You can use plain ol' galvanized.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

480sparky said:


> You don't need green for the EGC. You can use plain ol' galvanized.


Here is application. Need 80 ft of raceway with 6-10 boxes for sconces. This hideous 80's brass is coming down


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

OK, so why do you want to make it look worse by using black iron?


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## JoeKP (Nov 16, 2009)

hey, you stole my 6 ft ladder, dont let ol pete see that


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

480sparky said:


> OK, so why do you want to make it look worse by using black iron?


It matches more withdecor. Old historical relics and lots of medevil stuff with lots of dark wood. Switch leg only comes out of wood at one point. Existing track connects rest


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> It matches more withdecor. Old historical relics and lots of medevil stuff with lots of dark wood. Switch leg only comes out of wood at one point. Existing track connects rest


Use UL-listed rigid and a couple cans of black spray paint.


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## drumnut08 (Sep 23, 2012)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??


I don't know , can you ? Sorry , had to go there , lol ! Will it work , yes . Is it legal , no . Black iron pipe is not listed and labelled as conduit , therefore , wires do not belong in there . If black is really the color you're going for , try painting EMT , or 500 series wire mold ? As long as the fixture boxes are fastened properly , the raceway doesn't have to be rigid .


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Use UL-listed rigid and a couple cans of black spray paint.


That was backup plan. She just loves the look
Ofblack iron pipe


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??



It's not black and it's not iron......


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## JoeKP (Nov 16, 2009)

dont they sell black EMT?
http://www.alliedeg.us/index.php?P=TrueColorEMT


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Cletis said:


> That was backup plan. She just loves the look
> Ofblack iron pipe


So........your also a interior decorator technician.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

JoeKP said:


> dont they sell black EMT?
> http://www.alliedeg.us/index.php?P=TrueColorEMT


That may work. If we just sanded and spray painted emt im worried it would look hideous. Lots of iron weapons/artifacts in house she would like to blend with


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

Cletis, paint the conduit black.:thumbup:


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

John said:


> So........your also a interior decorator technician.


Yes, i am in an online lighting design school. No degree yet. More money in design then installing


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> That may work. If we just sanded and spray painted emt im worried it would look hideous. Lots of iron weapons/artifacts in house she would like to blend with


Oh, she's one of those dominatrix types, huh?


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Oh, she's one of those dominatrix types, huh?


Just you're type.:thumbup::laughing::laughing:


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## running dummy (Mar 19, 2009)

Cletis said:


> That may work. If we just sanded and spray painted emt im worried it would look hideous. Lots of iron weapons/artifacts in house she would like to blend with


I would paint some rigid black then. I think she would hate how any of the emt couplings look anyway, even compression.


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

Cletis said:


> That may work. If we just sanded and spray painted emt im worried it would look hideous. Lots of iron weapons/artifacts in house she would like to blend with


I think ull find u gotta buy a lift to get the colored stuff... Thats what my supplier told me anyway.... Nonstock of course


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

Either rigid or emt depending on what they want to spend, it will look fine painted if you do it right. Make sure its nice and clean no nasty threader marks or anything, sand them and wipe down with acetone to get rid of any oil, spray black and then a coat of clear and it will look even better than black iron


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Chris1971 said:


> Just you're type.:thumbup::laughing::laughing:



Just you are type? :001_huh:


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## D-Bo (Apr 15, 2012)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??


Then you'd have to hire someone who knows how to work with it.


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## retiredsparktech (Mar 8, 2011)

John said:


> So........your also a interior decorator technician.


Just so he promises us, that he won't beat us with his purse. :laughing:


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## BIGRED (Jan 22, 2007)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??


Why not, I found a guy who did.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??


Looks like you already have.

*







*


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Big John said:


> Yeah, but you can only use black iron for the hot. If he needs a neutral, he'll need some white iron. Not to mention the green iron for the EGC....
> 
> -John


Wouldn't it be simpler if he would just use colored EMT?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

wendon said:


> Wouldn't it be simpler if he would just use colored EMT?



C'mon........ this is _Cletis,..........._ remember?


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## big2bird (Oct 1, 2012)

Cletis said:


> Can i run electric through black iron??


The very first raceway was black iron gas pipe. The first electrification of gas lite houses was using the gas pipe as a chase to the fixtures. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about doing it as long as it was "safe."


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## big2bird (Oct 1, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Looks like you already have.
> 
> *
> 
> ...


OMG. Think of how long that took to do. :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## TooFarFromFenway (Jul 15, 2011)

Cletis said:


> That may work. If we just sanded and spray painted emt im worried it would look hideous. Lots of iron weapons/artifacts in house she would like to blend with


Buy a paint made by Krylon called "Hammered". I've done it before to make a custom 14' down rod for a fan and it came out awesome!! 

http://www.krylon.com/products/outdoor_spaces_hammered_finish/


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

I would put up black tracks with new fixtures


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## black (Oct 12, 2011)

Saw an old, out-of-use service in a house coming through one of these. Cables not capped off or anything. Woo hoo!


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

As Cletis knows it is not a listed raceway in the NEC. Will it work- Yes and should not be an issue but ..........


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

big2bird said:


> OMG. Think of how long that took to do. :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


id bet you that the romex is no more than a foot in that pipe in the picture. Look you can see an orange rust line on the romex of where it was resting before someone messed with it to take the pic.


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