Help 2flr box covering ideas

[dm9289]

I have a customer with a 3 story house that has gone thru various stages of remodeling over several years. Some of the wiring was replaced and the contractor use an old recessed sub box as a splice box and put a galvanized cover on it. However the customer wants the wall fixed this box has about 8 splices in it. I told him that we could not "bury the box " due to Nec requirements. He asked if it was a safety problem or an access problem. My belief is that it is an access problem is this true? My suggestion was to put a picture over it, he felt that the hallway was to narrow. So to redo the wiring would be very costly with much wall repair necessary, does anyone out there have a suggestion? Or know of any code acceptions to this?

Thanks
Dave

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

There are no exceptions, the splices are required to be accessible.

It sounds like you gave him all of the choices but the one he wanted to hear.

 

[KevinVost]

There are no exceptions to it. The junction box needs to remain accessible. Covering with a picture is a great way to hide the box. There are alot of members here who may have other suggestions, but IMO the painting is the easiest way to go.

Pierre, you type to fast. )

 

[dm9289]

Thanks alot I just wanted to make sure there wasnt some vented product or cover idea that could apply.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Pierre, you type to fast. )

I use both my hands and feet when I am in a hurry. :grin:

 

[KevinVost]

i use both my hands and feet when i am in a hurry. :grin:

LMAO, I wish I could do that.

 

[electricmanscott]

Any way to move the box to the opposite side of the wall? Maybe into a bedroom or closet? Somewhere less visible.

 

[badabing]

what about just putting a better looking access panel in front of it and painting the access panel? maybe something like these http://www.contractorstoolsupply.com/access-panels-c-2.html?gclid=CNCZlNfJ6ZkCFWNM5Qodf1_VRQ or http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Cat/F...rial=Plastic&gclid=COWSt6LK6ZkCFWNM5Qodf1_VRQ ... might look better then a galvanized cover in a hallway...

 

[woodduder]

Has anyone ever tried these NM connectors for splicing romex?
*
http://www.ampnetconnect.com/product_groups.asp?grp_id=2307&path=0,2299

They are listed to be installed in rework and can be concealed. Sounds like they might work.

 

[dm9289]

On the opposite side of the wall is the bath tub.

 

[dm9289]

Buddabing thanks for the case suggestions that may work. Woodduder have you ever had something inspected with those connectors the company claims you can do that citing

334.40 Boxes and Fittings
(B) Devices of Insulating Material. Switch, outlet, and tap devices
of insulating material shall be permitted to be used without boxes in
exposed cable wiring and for rewiring in existing buildings where the
cable is concealed and fished. Openings in such devices shall form a
close fit around the outer covering of the cable and the device shall
fully enclose the part of the cable from which any part of the coverings
has been removed. Where connections to conductors are by binding
screw terminals, there shall be available as many terminals as conductors

This companies literature is very interesting has anyone else used these.
http://www.ampnetconnect.com/suppor....asp?DTP_ID=526&grp=2307&so=21&view=printable

 

[Flex]

Nice Product

 

[dm9289]

Flex have you ever had an inspector allow this to be concealed.

 

[blueheels2]

I wired a few modular homes in Vermont. We called them Huntington homes because of the company that was making most of them. Any way they had splices that were pretty much identical to these in the floors where the seperate sections of the house met. You basically plugged them in and screwed the plywood back over it and then it was covered with flooring material. We used to joke about them. We had no inspectors up there so there was no argument about whether it was accceptable or not.

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

I went to a service call on a modulare home that had lost power to different parts of the house. I crawled under the house and noticed these type of romex connections between the two modurlare units out of the 7 splices 4 were burnt up. They may have gotten water in them but ime not sure. To put these things conceled in walls would worry me after that experiance.

 

[Twoskinsoneman]

I went to a service call on a modulare home that had lost power to different parts of the house. I crawled under the house and noticed these type of romex connections between the two modurlare units out of the 7 splices 4 were burnt up. They may have gotten water in them but ime not sure. To put these things conceled in walls would worry me after that experiance.

Sounds exactly like what 300.15 (H) is there for.
(H) Insulated Devices. As permitted in 334.40(B), a box
or conduit body shall not be required for insulated devices
supplied by nonmetallic-sheathed cable.
damage to the conductors or to their insulation.
FPN: See the following sections of this Code: intermediate

Think it's a great answer to the problem.

AV Elec. No offense to you personally but it's a listed product and used properly there's nothing wrong with it. You can always find someone somewhere that will swear that is product and that product is horrible even though it has passed UL testing.

 

[AV ELECTRIC]

Sounds exactly like what 300.15 (H) is there for.
(H) Insulated Devices. As permitted in 334.40(B), a box
or conduit body shall not be required for insulated devices
supplied by nonmetallic-sheathed cable.
damage to the conductors or to their insulation.
FPN: See the following sections of this Code: intermediate

Think it's a great answer to the problem.

AV Elec. No offense to you personally but it's a listed product and used properly there's nothing wrong with it. You can always find someone somewhere that will swear that is product and that product is horrible even though it has passed UL testing.

No offense taken. If it is aproved you can use it . This was a personal observation of this product in the field and it didnt look pretty.I beleave this forum is a great place to give our opinions on products and how they work in the field.There has been many products at one time approved than banned.

 

[Twoskinsoneman]

No offense taken. If it is aproved you can use it . This was a personal observation of this product in the field and it didnt look pretty.I beleave this forum is a great place to give our opinions on products and how they work in the field.There has been many products at one time approved than banned.

Good point. I just hate when a product gets a bad rap because it may have been installed improperly. Truth be told I've never had an experience with these splices (so I don't have first hand knowledge) but I do see provisions for them in the code.

For research sake I think I'll order a few and check them out.

 

[charlie]

It is not like they haven't been around for a while, they have been used in mobile homes for a long time. If ever there was something that will burn in a hurry, a mobile home is it. If there was a big problem with them, they would have been banned a long time ago. In general, use a product in accordance with its listing and labeling and it will serve you well.

 

[Flex]

Flex have you ever had an inspector allow this to be concealed.

Ive never used them. Id like to hear what inspectors on the forum think of that use cause that would be great.