Our tenant's safety folks saw this J- box next to the
open sight drain under the sink cabinet, said it fell under wet
location conditions, want it changed over to an FS box/cover,
Opinions?
Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete
slabs or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations
subject to saturation with water or other liquids, such
as vehicle washing areas; and in unprotected locations exposed
to weather.
Location, Damp. Locations protected from weather and
not subject to saturation with water or other liquids but
subject to moderate degrees of moisture.
Informational Note: Examples of such locations include
partially protected locations under canopies, marquees,
roofed open porches, and like locations, and interior locations
subject to moderate degrees of moisture, such as some
basements, some barns, and some cold-storage warehouses.
Dennis, have you looked closely at the picture? That type of drain is not what you have under your sink or in your ceiling.
That drain is completely open which causes splashing and also could allow the draining water to evaporate and condense on the cold metal electrical box.
A lot of times they put a screen into that type of drain to collect debris and that can also cause splashing.
If by chance the two pipes are dumping water at a high rate, so that there is splashing, then you have a plumbing problem, not an electrical problem. The pipes would need to be solidly connected to the drain, and there would have to be a drain trap installed on each of them.
The pipe at the left already has an air gap higher up. Possibly it is just an automatic trap primer line.I agree with Dennis' initial opinion, the photo notwithstanding. The sink above the box does not drain to the open pipe, but rather into a pipe that continues out of the back wall. The two pipes that would drain into the open pipe are most likely to serve an overflow function. Here again, they would not be dumping water frequently, and when they do it would be at atmospheric pressure. That would not cause large amounts of splashing that would put the space within the definition of "wet location."
If by chance the two pipes are dumping water at a high rate, so that there is splashing, then you have a plumbing problem, not an electrical problem. The pipes would need to be solidly connected to the drain, and there would have to be a drain trap installed on each of them.
Dennis, have you looked closely at the picture? That type of drain is not what you have under your sink or in your ceiling.
That drain is completely open which causes splashing and also could allow the draining water to evaporate and condense on the cold metal electrical box.
A lot of times they put a screen into that type of drain to collect debris and that can also cause splashing.
I never said it was wet. I was asking Dennis' opinion on whether it would be "subject to moderate degrees of moisture".If it was a wet location there would be building code violations as well.
It is not a wet location.
Subjective......my bedroom was subject to such moderate degree of moisture when my son tipped over our 100 gallon fish tank........ And just for argument sake even a dry location can be temporarily subject to wetness and dampness....like my bedroom.I never said it was wet. I was asking Dennis' opinion on whether it would be "subject to moderate degrees of moisture".
I was thinking the same thing.Doesn't look like any splashing has occurred as there appears to be no damage/water stains. Could be a condensate drain and looks like some kind of flow control on left. looks more like a plumbing code violation than electrical safety issue
I never said it was wet. I was asking Dennis' opinion on whether it would be "subject to moderate degrees of moisture".
The disposer is likely not rated for a wet location either, other then the interior portions that connect to the sink side inlet and drain pipe outlet.