Installing wires without terminating them?

[jaejullie]

I am currently working on a medical office building and it has been requested that I run conduit and conductors for a future piece of equipment. They don't know the exact requirements or connection details for the equipment so I am unable to specify a specific termination means. They would like me to leave the conductors unterminated in a junction box above the ceiling with the circuit breaker turned off and marked for future use. I've had trouble finding anything in the code specifically preventing me from doing this.

Does anyone know if the NEC prevents you from leaving unterminated wires in conduit?

 

[iwire]

As long as you leave them safely in a j-box your all set.

 

[ptrip]

...They don't know the exact requirements or connection details for the equipment ...

Do they even know the power requirement? How do they know what size breaker/wire to use? In this situation I will generally specify the breaker they want as "future". Spec a conduit with pullwire from the panelboard to a junction box near where the equipment will be going. They can then have the proper wire pulled at that point in time.

As a bonus, it keeps that bit of copper cost out of my budget!

If they know all of the requirements, and just not the actual connection, then Iwire is 100% correct (of course ). Have the future wires terminated in a junction box. Just make sure the owner knows what they will get at final. They will not get a plug for their equipment, they will get wires.

 

[jaejullie]

Do they even know the power requirement? How do they know what size breaker/wire to use? In this situation I will generally specify the breaker they want as "future". Spec a conduit with pullwire from the panelboard to a junction box near where the equipment will be going. They can then have the proper wire pulled at that point in time.

As a bonus, it keeps that bit of copper cost out of my budget!

If they know all of the requirements, and just not the actual connection, then Iwire is 100% correct (of course ). Have the future wires terminated in a junction box. Just make sure the owner knows what they will get at final. They will not get a plug for their equipment, they will get wires.

Thanks for the responses. I've tried to talk them into an empty conduit, but they are bent on having the wires run now (for whatever reason).

 

[Cow]

Thanks for the responses. I've tried to talk them into an empty conduit, but they are bent on having the wires run now (for whatever reason).

I'd run it and charge accordingly. Ask them what size pipe and wire to run too and let them know you won't take responsibility for it if it ends up undersized.

 

[triplstep]

I am currently working on a medical office building and it has been requested that I run conduit and conductors for a future piece of equipment. They don't know the exact requirements or connection details for the equipment so I am unable to specify a specific termination means. They would like me to leave the conductors unterminated in a junction box above the ceiling with the circuit breaker turned off and marked for future use. I've had trouble finding anything in the code specifically preventing me from doing this.

Does anyone know if the NEC prevents you from leaving unterminated wires in conduit?

Why terminate to a breaker? Why pull conductors? Just run pipe and call it done for now, jmho

 

[triplstep]

Post #4 renders post #6 useless

Great minds think alike.

 

[SG-1]

Might cap off or tape up the ends, just in case someone turns on the breaker before it's time.

 

[flashlight]

This is taking the concept of pulling "spare" conductors to extremes, since the eventual equipment selected is likely to throw them a curveball.

IMO, better to simply have conduit with a pull wire as others suggested.
However, if they are paying ...

 

[Cold Fusion]

This is taking the concept of pulling "spare" conductors to extremes, since the eventual equipment selected is likely to throw them a curveball. ...

Shouldn't be a problem. The few times I have run into this, I've been pretty sure the customer knew exactly what they were going to put in. One time I think they even had the equipment bought.

In each case, I was pretty sure the point was to not have me install the equipment. They wanted either their people to install, or the vendor to install.

My guess was the equipment did not meet code.

No code violatiion I know of. I would try my best to convince them to at least not terminate at the CB.

cf

 

[e57]

Thanks for the responses. I've tried to talk them into an empty conduit, but they are bent on having the wires run now (for whatever reason).

Nike it! No reason why you shouldn't - Run a 200A feeder there dead ended - taped off, and on the breaker... TAKE THEIR MONEY!

 

[flashlight]

They would like me to leave the conductors unterminated in a junction box above the ceiling with the circuit breaker turned off and marked for future use. I've had trouble finding anything in the code specifically preventing me from doing this.

Does anyone know if the NEC prevents you from leaving unterminated wires in conduit?

I was thinking more about this, if they are capped and labeled in a j-box, even if connected to a breaker (I probably wouldn't) , they are still as safe as any other ccc in a jbox. They are not even carrying any current, but, they need to be clearly labeled in the jbox.