support wires for lay in lights

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cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
The GC could eat any cost just having the framer throw up some top
plate framing to cover. He doesn't need to cover any other expense.

JMSO
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
It is my goal on my jobs to build a relationship that says.
A ..Yes I can find a way to get it done and still do it right, because it matters to me and if I can't do it for an understood basic same cost. I need to be compensated to keep offering you A service.
This GC will pay them or me the extra, but I won't make him unless I have to.

You co tradesmen Telling me top plate bracing will work means the GC will have the framers put me some bracing.
Thanks
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
Sorry .At a hotel we did 5 floors. All the restrooms had tile ceilings.
Its usually hard lid. The need for access to all the equipment meant drop ceiling would be better. Every can had 2 ceiling wires. All mc had to be ran with bldg lines so that maintenance wouldn't open a tile to mc all in the way. The concrete was about 3' above tile. So there were so many ceiling wires it was like the support cables for a bridge. I bet there were 50 in each restroom.
 

jumper

Senior Member
Sorry .At a hotel we did 5 floors. All the restrooms had tile ceilings.
Its usually hard lid. The need for access to all the equipment meant drop ceiling would be better. Every can had 2 ceiling wires. All mc had to be ran with bldg lines so that maintenance wouldn't open a tile to mc all in the way. The concrete was about 3' above tile. So there were so many ceiling wires it was like the support cables for a bridge. I bet there were 50 in each restroom.

Got it, thanks.:)
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Sorry .At a hotel we did 5 floors. All the restrooms had tile ceilings.
Its usually hard lid. The need for access to all the equipment meant drop ceiling would be better. Every can had 2 ceiling wires. All mc had to be ran with bldg lines so that maintenance wouldn't open a tile to mc all in the way. The concrete was about 3' above tile. So there were so many ceiling wires it was like the support cables for a bridge. I bet there were 50 in each restroom.
How big were these restrooms? Seems the typical hotel restroom is small enough you would never have that much equipment you would need to provide support for.

If structural ceiling is 3 ' above - you can use up to 6 foot whips of flex, MC, AC, etc. from junction boxes to luminaires and other items with no additional support besides the raceway/cable connectors.
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
How big were these restrooms? Seems the typical hotel restroom is small enough you would never have that much equipment you would need to provide support for.

If structural ceiling is 3 ' above - you can use up to 6 foot whips of flex, MC, AC, etc. from junction boxes to luminaires and other items with no additional support besides the raceway/cable connectors.

Omni hotel.
Inspector could care less about code minimum.
He made us pull out all the mc on a whole floor because circuits must begin and end in orginating color. As well ass all phasing had to be red black blue in that order and mc colored to distinguish.
 

ADub

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
Occupation
Estimator/Project Manager
Seems like the bathroom lid is always where the most action is. Might have something to do with it usually being the only dropped ceiling in the room.
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
Seems like the bathroom lid is always where the most action is. Might have something to do with it usually being the only dropped ceiling in the room.

There were so many trades in there at the same time we started putting 6 ladders in each restroom and literaly step from one ladder to another and keep workung without getting down or having to move for someone.:thumbsdown:
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Omni hotel.
Inspector could care less about code minimum.
He made us pull out all the mc on a whole floor because circuits must begin and end in orginating color. As well ass all phasing had to be red black blue in that order and mc colored to distinguish.
Is there local code amendments with some of what you mentioned? NEC alone doesn't require any of what you said, but if you have more then one voltage system on the premises you do need to separately identify them by voltage and phase. red, black,blue happens to be a common practice for 208-240/120 volt systems, but NEC doesn't specify any particular identification method - could just be tags or markers and would be NEC compliant.

And if you only have one voltage system on the premises you don't have to identify each phase at all if you don't want to.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Anyway you can support them. I would be careful about wood bracing if the fire code would disallow it.

I usually use the same wire that the ceiling grid is hung with. I paint it orange and install my own on the corners

They shouldn't need to be painted orange if they are attached directly to the fixture. Then they aren't ceiling wires.
 

FREEBALL

Senior Member
Location
york pa usa
Ive also used wires painted orange it gives the inspector a good visual that the fixture isn't laying on the grid only when looking at a large area, also gives other contractors a note that the wire isn't theirs when they get material laying on the floor. I worked on jobs as one has said, where the ceiling guys added extra wires to their anchors for our lights which is nice but you don't see that much in todays cost effective construction. I used a 10' piece of 1/2 inch emt with a flag cut in it to reach high bar joist works great.

be safe
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
Id sure love to have you guys come to texas so when the inspector says do it cause he said so and yal tell them its not in the code book. I ll be right there with but kinda towards back or maybe out in the hall downstairs out side. .
My boss asked where in the code book some of his request could be found. When he came back he had a copy of the workmanship page. He said make a copy for your employees its all on that page...... I dont like your method so you will do it my way.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Id sure love to have you guys come to texas so when the inspector says do it cause he said so and yal tell them its not in the code book. I ll be right there with but kinda towards back or maybe out in the hall downstairs out side. .
My boss asked where in the code book some of his request could be found. When he came back he had a copy of the workmanship page. He said make a copy for your employees its all on that page...... I dont like your method so you will do it my way.

When an inspector takes that kind of attitude, it is time to go to his supervisor with complaints. Make sure you actually do have legitimate reasons to complain about or you will be told again that you were wrong. If the entire AHJ department is corrupted - you need to get a group of electrical professionals to work together at getting it straightened out.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
What changed? The purpose of identifying wires "tied to the grid" is so that it is clear they aren't part of the grid system. A wire going to a light fixture is obviously not part of the grid system.

Some people can't figure that one out, just like they can't figure out that a white conductor landed on breaker is likely not a neutral conductor:happyyes:
 

ActionDave

Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
Occupation
Licensed Electrician
What changed? The purpose of identifying wires "tied to the grid" is so that it is clear they aren't part of the grid system. A wire going to a light fixture is obviously not part of the grid system.
Colouring the wires used to only be required if the ceiling was Fire Rated. In '08 or '11 it changed and was required all the time.
 
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