Light pole acceptance

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buzzed

Member
Location
el Paso Texas
City inspector is requiring UL listing for a site assembled light pole built to engineers specs.
Citing NEC definition 110.2 and 3
approved ,identified,labeled,listed.
also the fixture had a wall mount and we bolted it to a flat metal plate on the pole.
I think that this is stretching the interpretation way out of bounds.
Are all wooden temp poles UL rated?
 

luckylerado

Senior Member
I sense something else is going on.


If the pole truly is the issue, my suggestion is to kindly point him to 410.36(G) and then look at him blankly while he reconsiders.
 
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buzzed

Member
Location
el Paso Texas
light pole acceptance

light pole acceptance

The pole was designed by an engineer 3 1/2 welded steel tube with a mounting plate for the light fixture. bolted to the ground and the building.
The inspector sites NEC definitions 110.2 and 110.3 requiring UL label for the steel pole. All criteria are met hand hole,grounding etc.
I thought UL pertained to the fixture for obvious reasons.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
The pole was designed by an engineer 3 1/2 welded steel tube with a mounting plate for the light fixture. bolted to the ground and the building.
The inspector sites NEC definitions 110.2 and 110.3 requiring UL label for the steel pole. All criteria are met hand hole,grounding etc.
I thought UL pertained to the fixture for obvious reasons.


Just because the engineer designed it that does not preclude the need for a 3rd party testing lab. All light fixtures can be required to have a listing. You can hire a 3rd party testing lab but it will cost thousands
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Just because the engineer designed it that does not preclude the need for a 3rd party testing lab. All light fixtures can be required to have a listing. You can hire a 3rd party testing lab but it will cost thousands
All light fixtures may be required to be listed. But if you attach a listed fixture to a pole does the pole need to listed too?
If you attach the same fixture to a wall, does the wall have to be listed?
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
IIRC the code requires a luminaire to be listed. I don't have the handbook. Do they give any guidance on this? I always looked at wind loading on poles but in El Paso I can't imagine what peril an inspector would be worried about. Tumbleweed impact?

Definition of luminaire:
 

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iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
All light fixtures may be required to be listed. But if you attach a listed fixture to a pole does the pole need to listed too?
If you attach the same fixture to a wall, does the wall have to be listed?

No but it has to be approved and that is up to the AHJ.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Do lights attached to a building require that the building be listed for the light fixture support? IMO the inspector is incorrect, sometimes common sense is required.:roll:
 

iwire

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Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Guys, the wall example is cute but really misleading.

Typically walls are built to codes and inspected so in a way they are 'listed'.

Do you guys feel I could build a pole out of anything I like and the inspector must accept it because the NEC does not require a listing?
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
Guys, the wall example is cute but really misleading.

Typically walls are built to codes and inspected so in a way they are 'listed'.

Do you guys feel I could build a pole out of anything I like and the inspector must accept it because the NEC does not require a listing?

The walls are built to a prescriptive code or they are engineered, or both. In this case the pole is engineered. It needs to carry loads. An engineer has engineered it to do just that. What's lacking?

When we do stadium lighting are the light towers listed?
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
The walls are built to a prescriptive code or they are engineered, or both. In this case the pole is engineered. It needs to carry loads. An engineer has engineered it to do just that. What's lacking

The approval of the AHJ or their designated person.

Are you saying the inspector is required to accept or approve anything an engineer designs?

When we do stadium lighting are the light towers listed?

Likely no, but they where approved.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
In my opinion an AHJ is within their authority to require a listing in order to approve it.

90.4 Enforcement. This Code is intended to be suitable for mandatory application by governmental bodies that ex-ercise legal jurisdiction over electrical installations, includ-ing signaling and communications systems, and for use by insurance inspectors. The authority having jurisdiction for enforcement of the Code has the responsibility for making interpretations of the rules, for deciding on the approval of equipment and materials, and for granting the special per-mission contemplated in a number of the rules. By special permission, the authority having jurisdiction may waive specific requirements in this Code or permit alternative methods where it is assured that equivalent ob-jectives can be achieved by establishing and maintaining effective safety. This Code may require new products, constructions, or materials that may not yet be available at the time the Code is adopted. In such event, the authority having jurisdiction may permit the use of the products, constructions, or mate-rials that comply with the most recent previous edition of this Code adopted by the jurisdiction.

Approved. Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.


As far as the OPs problem, I would be willing to bet it will be cheaper and faster to simply purchase a factory built light pole instead of trying to move forward with the DIY one.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
In my opinion an AHJ is within their authority to require a listing in order to approve it.






As far as the OPs problem, I would be willing to bet it will be cheaper and faster to simply purchase a factory built light pole instead of trying to move forward with the DIY one.

I agree with what you're saying.

I also think we all agree he has the authority to approve it; he just won't.

With a signed and sealed drawing by a licensed professional engineer I'd certainly approve it unless there was something blatantly obvious about its ability to carry a light fixture.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I agree with what you're saying.

I also think we all agree he has the authority to approve it; he just won't.

With a signed and sealed drawing by a licensed professional engineer I'd certainly approve it unless there was something blatantly obvious about its ability to carry a light fixture.

:thumbsup:
 
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