Shop/garage light installation

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Sberry

Senior Member
Location
Brethren, MI
Occupation
farmer electrician
I believe it means you cant run lamp cords for extensions, the fixture cord will reach the outlet its good. I just did 30 of my own, already had recepts in place. I wouldnt wanna buy lights then cut the cords off.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
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retired electrician
Those fixtures are kind of outside the code. The instructions say they cannot be installed in a manner that would require tools to remove them. I believe that is an attempt to get around the rule in 400.12(1).
400.12 Uses Not Permitted.
Unless specifically permitted in 400.10, flexible cords, flexible cables, cord sets, and power supply cords shall not be used for the following:
  • (1)As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
Yes, I am aware that the uses permitted in 400.10 (2) says "Wiring of luminaires." However it is my opinion that is to permit the installation provided for in 410.62(C)(1).
 

augie47

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Location
Tennessee
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State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
IMO, unless the fixture is "directly below the outlet" {NEC Wording}, cord and plug is a violation of 410.62(C)(1)
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
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General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
I believe it means you cant run lamp cords for extensions, the fixture cord will reach the outlet its good. I just did 30 of my own, already had recepts in place. I wouldnt wanna buy lights then cut the cords o
IMO, unless the fixture is "directly below the outlet" {NEC Wording}, cord and plug is a violation of 410.62(C)(1)
OK I have to agree with Don and Augie, I don't have to use those luminaires, I was thinking of anchoring these https://www.lightbulbs.com/product/maxlite-94996 to the sheetrock ceiling, the description says there is a knockout at each end for photo cell, I was thinking then to use that knockout and run MC cable to my box. ?? These are the lamps I was considering for them https://www.lightbulbs.com/product/keystone-12096
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
It says it is UL Listed, but I have no idea of what it is listed as. I doubt it is listed as a luminaire.
OK well thanks for everyone's help, I am afraid to use the ones from Home Depot, maybe I can OK it with the inspector first but I think we'll probably have to find a more traditional troffer
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
Can anyone see anything wrong if I take this fixture and connect it through the knockout on the end (for photo cell) using a a wiring method like MC cable to my junction box, the box and the fixture would both be anchored to the ceiling?
Thank you
 

augie47

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Location
Tennessee
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State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
No Problem. If it's 6 ft or less you might want to use a fixture whip... they seem to be more flexible and lighter
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
No Problem. If it's 6 ft or less you might want to use a fixture whip... they seem to be more flexible and lighter
OK Great, does the whip have to be the same AWG as the BC or can it be smaller, it seems easy to find 3-conductor whips not so much for 2-conductor in the 14 AWG ?
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
That one uses Maxlite single ended bulbs.

Smaller--- See 240.5(B)(2)
This is a good one and one that never made sense to me, I seem to want to interpret this as if I was tapping the fixture wire to my branch circuit wire (THHN) but my whip would probably be THHN so maybe that would be 240.5(B)(2)3?

240.5(B)(2) Fixture Wire.​

Fixture wire shall be permitted to be tapped to the branch-circuit conductor of a branch circuit in accordance with the following:
  • (1)
    15- or 20-ampere circuits — 18 AWG, up to 15 m (50 ft) of run length
  • (2)
    15- or 20-ampere circuits — 16 AWG, up to 30 m (100 ft) of run length
  • (3)
    20-ampere circuits — 14 AWG and larger
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
That one uses Maxlite single ended bulbs.
So I was thinking that in the transition from fluorescent to LED it was OK to strip the out ballast and wire directly to the new LED tube but now that would affect the luminaires listing, If I use a lamp like this https://www.lightbulbs.com/product/hylite-00010 and my fixture has a compatible ballast then I would just be changing the tubes, otherwise I'm back to bypassing the ballast, https://www.lightbulbs.com/catalog/product_pdfs/hylite/doc20230608083555.pdf.
 

tthh

Senior Member
Location
Denver
Occupation
Retired Engineer
So I was thinking that in the transition from fluorescent to LED it was OK to strip the out ballast and wire directly to the new LED tube but now that would affect the luminaires listing, If I use a lamp like this https://www.lightbulbs.com/product/hylite-00010 and my fixture has a compatible ballast then I would just be changing the tubes, otherwise I'm back to bypassing the ballast, https://www.lightbulbs.com/catalog/product_pdfs/hylite/doc20230608083555.pdf.
It is just that most (all?) Type B (direct wire, ballast bypass) bulbs want each end to be either L or N.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
This is a good one and one that never made sense to me, I seem to want to interpret this as if I was tapping the fixture wire to my branch circuit wire (THHN) but my whip would probably be THHN so maybe that would be 240.5(B)(2)3?

240.5(B)(2) Fixture Wire.​

Fixture wire shall be permitted to be tapped to the branch-circuit conductor of a branch circuit in accordance with the following:
  • (1)
    15- or 20-ampere circuits — 18 AWG, up to 15 m (50 ft) of run length
  • (2)
    15- or 20-ampere circuits — 16 AWG, up to 30 m (100 ft) of run length
  • (3)
    20-ampere circuits — 14 AWG and larger
The rule in that section only applies if you use one of the wire types in Table 402.3. It does not apply if you use THHN.
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
The rule in that section only applies if you use one of the wire types in Table 402.3. It does not apply if you use THHN.
OK great, that makes sense, so I doubt whips with wire type found in table 402.3 are very common, ? so if my whip has THHN conductors then the ampacity of those conductors would have to be equal to or greater than the BC rating, is that correct ??
 

Max Headroom

Senior Member
Location
Claremont CA 91711
Occupation
General Building Contractor/Electrical Contractor
It is just that most (all?) Type B (direct wire, ballast bypass) bulbs want each end to be either L or N.
OK so your saying the problem with this particular fixture https://www.lightbulbs.com/product/maxlite-94996 is down the road if and when the lamps need to be replaced, so a fixture that would accommodate the double ended lamp might be better, am I correct ?
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
OK great, that makes sense, so I doubt whips with wire type found in table 402.3 are very common, ? so if my whip has THHN conductors then the ampacity of those conductors would have to be equal to or greater than the BC rating, is that correct ??
The factory whips with conductors smaller than 14 AWG use fixture wire. If your whip has THHN, the normal overcurrent protection rules apply.
 
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