Attic Receptacle

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Depending on what journeyman I am with, we wire for attic radon fans in different ways. One guy wires a receptacle and another leaves a jbox to direct wire the radon fan. I ask why he doesn't just put in a recep, and he claims that you cannot have a continuous duty recep in an attic. I cant find this in the codebook anywhere. How do you guys handle receps in an attic? Also, I would think cutting the end of the cord to direct wire would void the UL listing?
 

ActionDave

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Welcome to the forum.

I don't know anything about a continuous duty recpt in attics either. If the fan comes with a cord on it it should be plugged in.

The fans you guys are putting in have cords? All the in line fans I have wired up don't.
 

infinity

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New Jersey
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Continuous duty receptacle? That's a new one. :)

Cutting the end off the cord and hard wiring will almost always create a violation unless the fan is listed to be wired that way.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Depending on what journeyman I am with, we wire for attic radon fans in different ways. One guy wires a receptacle and another leaves a jbox to direct wire the radon fan.


From what information I can find it looks as if there are different install methods for differnent fans. One type comes with a cord and plugs into a receptacle and another type gets hard wired with a disconnect switch.

I guess you would need to know what type of fan that's to be installed before makeing a decision. Or just install a receptacle and if they need to hard wire they can remove it and install a switch.

I would not cut off the cord. If it comes with a cord that's what I would use.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
From what information I can find it looks as if there are different install methods for differnent fans. One type comes with a cord and plugs into a receptacle and another type gets hard wired with a disconnect switch.

I guess you would need to know what type of fan that's to be installed before makeing a decision
. Or just install a receptacle and if they need to hard wire they can remove it and install a switch.

I would not cut off the cord. If it comes with a cord that's what I would use.

+1
You can't go wrong. If he's qualified to make up a connection in a j-box, he's qualified to remove a receptacle. Maybe even leave a flat cover right next to it tacked to the joist.
 
The fans you guys are putting in have cords? All the in line fans I have wired up don't.
All except for one has had a cord and we have done about a dozen in the year I have been with them. The one that did not have a cord we just roughed in a wire rolled up in the general area and on the trim we took the wire right into the jbox on the radon fan (Edit: the rolled up wire was after a disconnect switch). I just don't know why the other guy gets all bent on continuous duty receps in an attic. Maybe he is thinking of an attic like a drop ceiling or something.
 
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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
The fans you guys are putting in have cords? All the in line fans I have wired up don't.

I never seen one with a cord either. I also never see the instructions, but I guess a cord would be acceptable if the unit were listed for cord and plug connection.

I guess if the unit is 1/8 hp or less (which most probably are) the branch circuit device can be the disconnecting means and doesn't have to be within sight, but I generally place a toggle switch nearby anyhow.
 

zcanyonboltz

Senior Member
Location
denver
When we do a new home with radon we just put a receptacle in the attic, this has passed inspection in several cities, I have not been back on the trim to see what type of fan is plugged into the receptacle. One thing I just thought of is technically wouldn't a gfi and a light be required to service the equipment.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
When we do a new home with radon we just put a receptacle in the attic, this has passed inspection in several cities, I have not been back on the trim to see what type of fan is plugged into the receptacle. One thing I just thought of is technically wouldn't a gfi and a light be required to service the equipment.

Light would be required. GFCI only required in crawlspaces that are at/below grade level.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Why no GFCI, the fan doesn't count as serviceable equipment?, whenever we have a furnace in the attic we always do a GFCI and a light.

210.8(A) is for dwellings, it has 10 subsections. Subpart (4) is the only one that mentions crawlspaces and only requires GFCI for those that are at or below grade.

210.8(B) is for other then dwellings and doesn't mention crawlspaces at all.

I still say no GFCI is required in an attic unless you somehow introduce conditions of one of the other 9 subsections to that attic.
 

zcanyonboltz

Senior Member
Location
denver
210.8(A) is for dwellings, it has 10 subsections. Subpart (4) is the only one that mentions crawlspaces and only requires GFCI for those that are at or below grade.

210.8(B) is for other then dwellings and doesn't mention crawlspaces at all.

I still say no GFCI is required in an attic unless you somehow introduce conditions of one of the other 9 subsections to that attic.

I am thinking GFCI or not isn't a receptacle required because of the reason to service the radon fan equipment in the attic?

Isn't that a GFCI protected workmen's receptacle because of the furnace?

Yes we always put a GFCI in the attic to service the furnace, I always thought the GFCI was code but a non GFCI is legal, the GFCI seems to be a requirement of the AHJ.
 
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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I am thinking GFCI or not isn't a receptacle required because of the reason to service the radon fan equipment in the attic?



Yes we always put a GFCI in the attic to service the furnace, I always thought the GFCI was code but a non GFCI is legal, the GFCI seems to be a requirement of the AHJ.
210.63 requires a receptacle near heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, a radon fan is not one of those.

My guess is the reason 210.63 exists is the common need for refrigerant recovery and evacuating equipment commonly needed when servicing such equipment.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
My guess is the reason 210.63 exists is the common need for refrigerant recovery and evacuating equipment commonly needed when servicing such equipment.


I'm glad you mentioned the recovery equipment because this gives me a reason when homeowners ask why a receptacle is needed there other than to say it's required by code.
 
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