clearance for 4 square J box?

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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
That happens with the enforcement of every subjective rule in the code book. How can any subjective rule be enforced without "making up a rule"?

One of the best ones IMO is location of service disconnecting means - "nearest the point of entrance".

Many AHJ's actually have adopted their own official meanings to that as amendments or other rules, which I guess is better then each inspector in a jurisdiction having his own rule, but you run into places where you don't enter the building at all, some where it must be directly back side of point of entrance, some where they maybe allow certain length of service conductors anywhere from 3 feet to maybe 10 feet to be inside, some you can run service conductors just about any distance if vertical but have restrictions if any part of run is horizontal.
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
One of the best ones IMO is location of service disconnecting means - "nearest the point of entrance".

Many AHJ's actually have adopted their own official meanings to that as amendments or other rules, which I guess is better then each inspector in a jurisdiction having his own rule, but you run into places where you don't enter the building at all, some where it must be directly back side of point of entrance, some where they maybe allow certain length of service conductors anywhere from 3 feet to maybe 10 feet to be inside, some you can run service conductors just about any distance if vertical but have restrictions if any part of run is horizontal.

Code is minimum and couple that with interpretation = I said so sometimes -- may not be the best way to do things but if your goal is life safety measures and you are responsible to make boarderline decisions being above & beyond code is not so bad. As long as structure did not have to be removed to access conductors the J box is accessible per code. If you don't agree then a dishwasher recept behind a fixed appliance or a garbage disposal recept behind waste piping would not quailfy as accessible IMHO.

I always thought 230.32 Protection Against Damage.
Underground service-lateral conductors shall be protected against damage in accordance with 300.5. Service-lateral conductors entering a building shall be installed in accordance with 230.6 or protected by a raceway wiring method identified in 230.43. is an interesting section to condusctor point of entrance.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Code is minimum and couple that with interpretation = I said so sometimes -- may not be the best way to do things but if your goal is life safety measures and you are responsible to make boarderline decisions being above & beyond code is not so bad. As long as structure did not have to be removed to access conductors the J box is accessible per code. If you don't agree then a dishwasher recept behind a fixed appliance or a garbage disposal recept behind waste piping would not quailfy as accessible IMHO.

I always thought 230.32 Protection Against Damage.
Underground service-lateral conductors shall be protected against damage in accordance with 300.5. Service-lateral conductors entering a building shall be installed in accordance with 230.6 or protected by a raceway wiring method identified in 230.43. is an interesting section to condusctor point of entrance.

You are right with protection against physical damage - and not just limited to 230.32 - but anywhere physical damage is mentioned.

I have said this before and will again down the road - 4 inch RMC is subject to physical damage, just takes a lot more force to cause that damage then it does for most other wiring methods. You have to draw the line of what damage is most likely under "normal" circumstances, as there is really no limit on non-normal circumstances.
 
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