Hey Guys,
It’s been a while since I last posted. Breaktime looks a lot different!
Anyway, I’ve got a question about j-box accesibility.
The situation is I would like to change what switch one of my can lights is on. Doing it would be pretty easy, but it would require a junction box (seperate from the can light box) accessible only by removing the can light.
Is this okay? Or do I need consider “rotozip remodeling” and make the box accesible without removing the can light?
Also, is anyone interested in seeing my bar that I made with my own little hands?
Thanks!
Patrick
Replies
My electrician won't hide a junction box like that, but I'm not sure what the code actually says.
Let's see those bar pictures though!
"This is a process, not an event."--Sphere
And I'm a legitimate certifiable Tool Whore.--Dieselpig
Yes, let's see the bar!
I never had a problem with character,
people've been telling me I was one ever since I was a kid.
Yep, you can do that and be Code-compliant.
Having to remove the light fixture is O.K., as a fixture is not considered "the finished surface of the building". Any splice has to be accessible without disturbing the finished surface of the building. And splices have to be in a junction box.
The fact that it's not a Code violation (in my opinion) doesn't mean it's a good idea; if the splice ever goes bad or someone is tracing wires, a separate j-box above a can light is not gonna be high on the troubleshooters list of possibilities.
If the wiring in the j-box is part of the lighting circuit with the cans, it's less of an issue. A retrofit can has to be removed to get to the fixture j-box, anyway.
Cliff
In another thread there was a discussion about wiring for a bathroom vent fan.I forgot the number, but it was a Panasonic.It was a 2 speed unit wired with 3 wires. Hot, neutral and the 3rd was high speed select. You put it in high speed by connecting the 3rd wire to neutral. And when you put it in low speed there was a timer in the fan to keep it in high speed for selectable period. There was also a control in the fan to select the slow speed CFM.The person installing it was confused by the wiring and the instructions wheren't real clear.He was going to use duplex switch and break the tab so that he had 2 isolated switches. One for power and one for speed. I suggested that since that was not common type of wiring that he put a note in the switch box for anyone that comes along in the future.Having the j-box behind the can made me think of it. For situations that are a little different do you ever leave notes and if so where do you leave them so that people could find them?.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I would make a note on the back of the trim plate once in a while.
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., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
Bill,
I'll sometimes use a bit of romex jacket to label a wire. Especially a crowded box; lately, the CRS syndrome is getting worse...
Writing on the back of a wallplate is a good approach; I don't like putting any paper inside a box. Tinder, ya know?
But really, any house wiring is pretty simple. With a basic understanding of electricity and wiring conventions, a good circuit tracer (or a continuity tester and a lot of time), and a little luck, figuring things out is usually straightforward. When the wiring has been previously muddled up by some ignorant person, that's when experience and knowledge come in. And that's when it's time to pay for my expertise...
AT any rate, whether I'm roughing-in a new house, or doing old work, I set up circuits and run cable in a logical manner. Beyond that, it's up to the next guy to have enough basic knowledge and skills to figure it out.
Cliff
I would think it would be hard to argue with an inspector.
Even if you are technically correct and code compliant.
Oh, it's easy to argue with an inspector -- folks do it all the time. Pretty hard to win the argument, though.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
We won an appeal over min. space in front of a stool last year... I think I used up a once in a life time privlage there.
Besides that, I'd rather have them on my side then trying to bend me over all the time.
It all depends on the inspector, and your history with him or her.
And, like the cops say, whether you pass the "attitude test".
Cliff
All boxes must be accessible , so you can cover the junction box with a blank , or if it is attic space above, a box can be used up there .
Thanks guys!
I think I'll just write on the inside of the can with a permanent marker.
I'll have some bar pics tomorrow. I'm almost embarassed to post it here after all the great work I've seen on Breaktime. But, maybe everyone that's helped out with stupid basement remodeling questions might be interested in the seeing the finished product.
Pics tomorrow!
Patrick