Hay loft wiring method

[pgordon]

I am wiring a barn with a hay loft.
My inspector called for RMC. art 547.1.a and 501 II ....
Is there any body who agrees or disagrees with this >
seems over board to me. any input would be great. Thanks

 

[augie47]

I am often faced with the prediciment of where a "barn" falls under the venue of Art 547. Is a "one horse barn" a 547 installation ?
In any event, a 547 location does not automaticaly indicate a RMC install.
547.5 permits Art 502 wiring but does not necessarilky require it.
The "classification" of an area is rarely, if ever, the inspectors call but rather one for an engineer or insurer.
If your barn is sizable (locally >5000 ft? )it should have engineering drawings which would resolve the issue.
If it's small, I'd think his call is a bit overboard, but that's just my opinion and I'm unsure how you change his mind.

 

[pgordon]

1 st floor , two stalls, 1 tac room,1 tool room, 1 munure room,
the walls will be covered with t&g wood, RE: Romex with wp covers.
2nd floor is all exposed post and beam with hay loft. RE: Pipe of some sort. ??
each floor is 2500 sq'

 

[augie47]

5000 ft?.....That's a sizable barn, here.
I'll be interested in how others look at it. Locally it would be Art 547.
NM would not be allowed anywhere, but it would need to be a 547.5 wiring method.
By State (TN) statue it would need enclosed fixtures in the hay areas but it would not require Art 502 wiring unless specified by an engineer.

 

[raider1]

I too would say that this barn would fall under Article 547.

NM cable would not be permitted.

547.5 has the permissible wiring methods for agricultural buildings.

I would not require a 502 part II wiring method unless an engineer specified it.

Chris

 

[steve66]

Seems like overkill to me. Especially when I think about all the old barns I've seen with cloth insulated wire.

Can you get enough hay dust to make an area classified? I'm not sure. It seems similar to grain dust, but I think hay dust is probably made up of larger particles.

I believe in Illinois, a typical privately owned barn would be exempt from needing any engineering design, since it would not normally have any human occupancy.

Steve

 

[augie47]

Seems like overkill to me. Especially when I think about all the old barns I've seen with cloth insulated wire.

Can you get enough hay dust to make an area classified? I'm not sure. It seems similar to grain dust, but I think hay dust is probably made up of larger particles.

I believe in Illinois, a typical privately owned barn would be exempt from needing any engineering design, since it would not normally have any human occupancy.

Steve

here's one

View attachment 4425

 

[pgordon]

I am glad i asked..... UF, NMC, MC behind the t&g wood ,547.5. I plan using all wp covers and vapor proof fixtures, upstair I was going to use emt or pvc.
still not convinced on RMS. the ahj told me RMC for the hay loft......I guess
I will ask him again. the spec is coming from an Architects not an EE

 

[mcclary's electrical]

I am glad i asked..... UF, NMC, MC behind the t&g wood ,547.5. I plan using all wp covers and vapor proof fixtures, upstair I was going to use emt or pvc.
still not convinced on RMS. the ahj told me RMC for the hay loft......I guess
I will ask him again. the spec is coming from an Architects not an EE

I did one almost identical to this last year,and I used sch 80 PVC in the loft area. They'll never hurt that with a bale of hay