i’m getting differing opinions on whether or not each fluorescent fixture is required to be branched off of a junction box or if the connections can be made directly within the fixture itself. case in point: there’s quite a few in my house, garage and shop and it runs about 50/50, box or not. anybody care to kick in their 2 cents? thanks.
m
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One of my hats is as a site supervisor for a large Hospitality chain...on a recent job the electrical sub tried to sell us on j-boxes for all the bath vanity lights being changed out...I told my PM that to the best of my knowledge code required only that the feeds be properly terminated at the fixtures....the electrician bitched, the PM said he wasn't sure, but in the end that's how it got done...no j-boxes....
Why did the electrical sub want to install j-boxes?
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
1000 units x $$$$ per!!!!!
I think in general this is a UL listing issue more than a code issue. A given fixture is listed for feedthrough or not. AFAIK, most are, and some (fixtures designed to be lined up end-to-end) pretty much demand it.
I don't believe it would normally be legal to have an unrelated circuit in the fixture, or feed off, eg, to a duplex outlet.
thanks- the circuits i'm asking about are dedicated overhead lighting only. it seemed like a waste of time and $ to individually box each connection when there's obviously plenty of room within the fixtures themselves. i figure a romex clamp going in and it's good to go.
m
Depends.
The fixtures are used are the determining factor. Some are rated as suitable for making connection in and some aren't. Most fluorescent fixtures are rated for this. Commercial units almost always have the rating. Cheaper units sometimes don't. Some have it but you will need to contact the manufacturer to find out.
But then some of this is a local or customary practice. Most local inspectors, as a matter of course, accept, within limits, the fluorescent fixtures as wiring boxes. The limit is tacitly understood as being a limit of two cables or conduits, proper provision for strain relief and protection of the insulation at the entry point, and only the lighting circuit being involved.
Part of this has to do with the construction of the fixture, its ability to protect the connections, keep flammable materials at bay and sparks inside, containing a connection that may go bad and the room inside, in terms of cubic inches, available for the connections. Fluorescent fixtures tend to be made of fairly thin but stout sheet metal, that totally surrounds the connections, and have a lot of room so the connections aren't cramped.
Essentially the fixture has to act as a box. The ability of the fixture to perform this role depends on the fixture in question. A fixture which is open facing the ceiling or wall, as the case may be, seldom qualify. Also there is the question of mounting. Many fixtures are very dependent on the box for mounting. Fluorescent fixtures seldom require the services of a box for such mechanical support.
Part of this question is the assumption that a box is somehow difficult, complicated or expensive to install. All false. In fact a nail-up box it quick and easy to install. It also gives the electrician somewhere to run the cables to and protects the wiring from the tender mercies of the drywallers.
Not uncommon that drywallers and finishers will slice the cables that are protruding and coiled awaiting the fixture. Those drywall knives are sharp. Been more than one case where I had to find slack or replace a run, if no slack was available, after the finisher sliced the cable all the way to the copper flush with a ceiling or wall. Quite an ordeal compared to the minute, or less, it would have taken me to install a box.
Mounting a fixture that doesn't require a box on a box is a whole lot less time consuming than installing a box after you find out you need one. Even if the cable hasn't been mutilated by the finisher.
that gives me an idea- i think i'll put in a single gang nail-on box at all my fixture locations as a clean, cheap (i already have a bunch of them from the project in general), practical means of coming thru the ceiling. the rockers will have a clear unit to work around instead of just punching holes for cable. while i'll be making the actual connections in the fixture*, not the j-box, the box will also provide an additional measure of strain relief**.
*i'm planning on using pretty decent fixtures, as well as replacing a few of the cheap-a$$ existing units (previous owner) which sound like an angry bumblebee even after they're on for an hour.
**reminds me of one my early construction job experiences when i was about 16. i'm about 20' up on a ladder replacing a ballast in a warehouse (first time) and just as the last screw is coming free, my brother says, "be careful, those are really heav..." - as it rips the rest of the fixture off the ceiling and goes crashing to the floor...
thanks,
m