always on

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dreamsville

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Here's one I never thought about. Customer called who bought a foreclosed home. Says the ceiling light in the living room is always on. He went in the attic and followed the wire to a junction box where it picked up a hot feed. No switch.

He has to have an inspection by the city for an occupancy permit. Is there anywhere in the code that says you have to have a switch on a luminaire? :smile:

We think that the previous owners had a ceiling fan/light combo operated by a pull switch. When they moved out they took the fan with them. The realtors or whoever installed a cheap fixture to fill in the hole in the ceiling. :rolleyes:
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
The NEC requires a lighting outlet to be controlled by a switch.

210.70(1) Habitable Rooms. At least one wall switch–controlled lighting outlet shall be installed in every habitable room and bathroom.

Nothing says you can't switch a receptacle. If there's no switched outlet, you may have to install one. If nothing else, pick a recep, fish up and install a single-pole switch to control half of it.

So buy a fan/light with remote.

I got 5? that says the box (if there even is one) isn't fan rated.
 

Rockyd

Senior Member
Location
Nevada
Occupation
Retired after 40 years as an electrician.
If the panel is in the room, maybe a SWD breaker would coast you through,... a bit of abuse of the code?
 

dreamsville

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Pull the fixture off and blank off the box. Beat feet.

I've thought of numerous solutions including the ones offered, but I was just wondering.....would the code require this extra ceiling light to have a switch? Or could the homeowner, if he wanted too, leave this light permantly on? :smile:
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Pull the fixture off and blank off the box. Beat feet.

exactly..other option pull chain or new fan light. the switched receptacle makes the room Code compliant.
The fan (and box) very well have been added
 

Rockyd

Senior Member
Location
Nevada
Occupation
Retired after 40 years as an electrician.
Per your NEC posting

210.70(1) Habitable Rooms. At least one wall switch?controlled lighting outlet shall be installed in every habitable room and bathroom.

The panel would have to be in the same room, for a SWD breaker to qualify as the switch...missed the fact that there was a switched receptacle in the room (mentioned after I had already weighed in)
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
I've thought of numerous solutions including the ones offered, but I was just wondering.....would the code require this extra ceiling light to have a switch? Or could the homeowner, if he wanted too, leave this light permantly on? :smile:

If there's a switch that controls a recep, that alone satisfies 210.70(1). A ceiling light merely exceeds the minimum.
 

Rick Christopherson

Senior Member
The NEC requires a lighting outlet to be controlled by a switch.

210.70(1) Habitable Rooms. At least one wall switch–controlled lighting outlet shall be installed in every habitable room and bathroom.

Nothing says you can't switch a receptacle. If there's no switched outlet, you may have to install one. If nothing else, pick a recep, fish up and install a single-pole switch to control half of it.



I got 5? that says the box (if there even is one) isn't fan rated.
210.70 requires that each room have a switch controlled lighting outlet, not that every lighting outlet be switch controlled. However, I think you understood this from your last posting.
 
Twist the lamp partially so it does not light. Plug a floor lamp fixture into the switched receptacle. When the inspector comes, switch the floor lamp fixture on and off.


or

Install a switch, a pullchain fixture, a fan or a fan/light combo.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
clapper.jpg

:grin:​
 

SpiderMT

Member
You already have a switched outlet, install a keyless w/ pullchain if you are worried about being able to turn the fixture off and call it good.
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
You are code-compliant as-is. Do any of the things described above, if you wish, and if the owner will pay for it. But you don't need to do any of it. As Rick pointed out, nothing in the NEC says that if there is a ceiling light, it must be controlled by a switch. As long as you have the required minimum of one wall switched light or one switched receptacle, you have met the rules.

The intent of 210.70(1) is clearly that a person must be able to walk into a dark room, and dispell the darkness with a switch. You've got that already.
 
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