Cord Drop to retail store shelf

[steve66]

Is it permitted to use a cord to drop power from a receptacle in the truss space, to a retail store shelf or display fixture?

I'm not sure if this falls under 400.7(A)(1) - Pendants?

Or does it fall under 410.59 - Cord connected Showcases? I'm not exactly sure these qualify as a showcase.

I believe these would be used to plug in demo items. Maybe TV's, radios, alarm clocks, lights, etc. in various parts of the store.

 

[petersonra]

Is it permitted to use a cord to drop power from a receptacle in the truss space, to a retail store shelf or display fixture?

I'm not sure if this falls under 400.7(A)(1) - Pendants?

Or does it fall under 410.59 - Cord connected Showcases? I'm not exactly sure these qualify as a showcase.

I believe these would be used to plug in demo items. Maybe TV's, radios, alarm clocks, lights, etc. in various parts of the store.

I don't see it as a showcase.

There is a lot of irrational fear of cords.

I think you could make a good argument it is a pendant, however, I also think others might make a good argument that you can only plug one device into it.

 

[kwired]

Is it permitted to use a cord to drop power from a receptacle in the truss space, to a retail store shelf or display fixture?

I'm not sure if this falls under 400.7(A)(1) - Pendants?

Or does it fall under 410.59 - Cord connected Showcases? I'm not exactly sure these qualify as a showcase.

I believe these would be used to plug in demo items. Maybe TV's, radios, alarm clocks, lights, etc. in various parts of the store.

Not familiar with cord connected showcases, didn't read up on them either, but isn't the "drop" portion a pendant regardless?

Is truss ceiling exposed or does the cord pass through a ceiling?

I don't see it as a showcase.

There is a lot of irrational fear of cords.

I think you could make a good argument it is a pendant, however, I also think others might make a good argument that you can only plug one device into it.

I have used multioutlet pendant boxes before, hope you can at least plug one device into each outlet or there would be no point in even making a multioutlet box.

 

[steve66]

Not familiar with cord connected showcases, didn't read up on them either, but isn't the "drop" portion a pendant regardless?

I wasn't sure. I thought a "pendant" might be limited to a light fixture.

Is truss ceiling exposed or does the cord pass through a ceiling?

Exposed trusses, so no ceiling. The entire cord would be exposed.

I have used multioutlet pendant boxes before, hope you can at least plug one device into each outlet or there would be no point in even making a multioutlet box.

These would terminate at a junction box on the top of the shelf, and branch out from there. I'm not sure if the jbox will be hardwired, or if it will connect to the drop cord with a cord connector and inlet. The wiring would then extend on the shelf from the jbox. So in a way, there is only one device connected to the pendant.

 

[kwired]

IDK if you can call it a pendant if it is directly wired into the unit. NEC doesn't (or at least I haven't found anything in NEC) that defines what a pendant is.

Online Merriam Webster dictionary definition sort of indicates pendant means something is suspended, so a cord pendant as I have used them is usually a drop of cord with a receptacle or switch(es) of some sort on the end (most will say it needs to be listed as a pendant device). The recepacle or switch is what is suspended by the cord to meet the M-W definition. I suppose you could suspend your showcase from the cord, but would need to be some heavy duty cord with a messenger wire in it I would think

 

[petersonra]

I have used multioutlet pendant boxes before, hope you can at least plug one device into each outlet or there would be no point in even making a multioutlet box.

I meant that you would not be able to add a multi-outlet adaptor or assembly to the end of the pendant, or an extension cord. You are correct that if you had a pendant receptacle with multiple outlets you could plug into each outlet, but it would have to be direct to the device.

 

[iwire]

There is a lot of irrational fear of cords.

So essentially what you are saying is that because you have not seen a lot of cord failures a lot of other people are wrong.

The rubber cords we install under the NEC degrade, turn brittle and crack. I have seen it countless times.

Perhaps if we switched to other types of cords I would have a different view. I have worked with cords from Germany that where left outside in the weather for 20 plus years and while they got stiff they did not fail. They seemed to be more of a PVC.

 

[iwire]

Is it permitted to use a cord to drop power from a receptacle in the truss space, to a retail store shelf or display fixture?

If I wanted to use cord yes I would make it a pendent with a proper box with hub as required and a receptacle in the box.

You could also use a cord reel but any of those that are decent are at least $500+

Lowes stores would have us run a small wire rope from the truss down to a fixed point and tie wrap MC cable to that, it works well.

 

[steve66]

If I wanted to use cord yes I would make it a pendent with a proper box with hub as required and a receptacle in the box.

You could also use a cord reel but any of those that are decent are at least $500+

Lowes stores would have us run a small wire rope from the truss down to a fixed point and tie wrap MC cable to that, it works well.

I'm still not sure what a pendant is. It sounds like you are saying it has to include a receptacle. Is that right?

Is there any issue with fastening the "pendant" box to the shelf?

 

[Smart $]

I'm still not sure what a pendant is. It sounds like you are saying it has to include a receptacle. Is that right?

Is there any issue with fastening the "pendant" box to the shelf?

If both top and bottom portions of the run are fixed in place, you do not have a pendant... IMO. As kwired said, Code does not define pendant. I tend to think of a pendant under Code purview is a self-suspended, powered piece of electrical utilization equipment essentially otherwise untethered to structural members or protuberances thereto (such as lay-in lighting fixtures for suspended grid ceilings).

 

[jap]

So essentially what you are saying is that because you have not seen a lot of cord failures a lot of other people are wrong.

The rubber cords we install under the NEC degrade, turn brittle and crack. I have seen it countless times.

Perhaps if we switched to other types of cords I would have a different view. I have worked with cords from Germany that where left outside in the weather for 20 plus years and while they got stiff they did not fail. They seemed to be more of a PVC.

Amen,
Most of the degraded cords I've come across degrade from the inside out.
You can bend the outside and hear the insulation cracking off of the individual conductors on the inside.


JAP>

 

[Smart $]

Amen,
Most of the degraded cords I've come across degrade from the inside out.
You can bend the outside and hear the insulation cracking off of the individual conductors on the inside.

That sounds like a cord that has heat degradation resulting from a high-current application (or bad terminations if only near the wire termini).