I had a electrical contractor ask me today if he could use designed clips to secure his EMT to the drywall suspended ceiling grid. I pointed out 300.11 and he thought that was intended more for acoustical ceiling grid systems. Thoughts? The clips he showed me looked like they were designed for a suspended ceiling system.
300.11 Clarification
- Thread starter VIC1958
- Start date
- Status
Doesn't matter whether it was intended more for suspended acoustical tile ceiling or not. The Code says within in a ceiling cavity wiring cannot be supported by the ceiling assembly. That means it has to be supported by structural member(s) or the roof or floor above.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Are these ceiling wires used to support the ceiling or something else? There are ceiling systems without wires that allow for the support of both the ceiling and EMT.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
If you install your own wires I believe there would be no issue. I would not use the wires that are supporting the grid.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
And I think that you could even attach the bottom ends of your wires to the grid for stability, as long as the purpose was not to provide the required grid support, yes?
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
In some jurisdictions that I've worked, the lower end of wire supports are required to be secured to the ceiling assembly.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
So says the code!
300.11 Securing and Supporting.
(A) Secured in Place. Raceways, cable assemblies, boxes,
cabinets, and fittings shall be securely fastened in place.
Support wires that do not provide secure support shall not
be permitted as the sole support. Support wires and associ-
ated fittings that provide secure support and that are installed
in addition to the ceiling grid support wires shall be
permitted as the sole support. Where independent support
wires are used, they shall be secured at both ends. Cables
and raceways shall not be supported by ceiling grids.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I've never understood the disparagement between the code and what you see in a catalog like this:
www.erico.com/public/library/Fixing/FieldCat/LT0456.pdf
At least half of those clips are shown supported by nothing other than the ceiling grid. Some have additional holes to attach a tie wire to, while many do not. How does this jive?
www.erico.com/public/library/Fixing/FieldCat/LT0456.pdf
At least half of those clips are shown supported by nothing other than the ceiling grid. Some have additional holes to attach a tie wire to, while many do not. How does this jive?
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Possibly the same principle that allows "plug and pray" grid tie inverters to be sold in the US but not legally installed anywhere?
But at least those do not claim UL listing.
Tapatalk!
But at least those do not claim UL listing.
Tapatalk!
Code permits the ceiling assembly to support wiring under the exceptions.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Exactly and the manufacturers are going to display their product in the most favorable conditions.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Are you referring to (2008) 300.11 (1)?
Well I was looking at 300.11(A)(1)&(2) exceptions in the 2014 Code. But I checked and the exceptions are unchanged from 2008 Code.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Ok, thanks.
- Status