A ridiculous inspection fail

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elect78

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I was talking wit another electrician today and he told me he got failed on a res. house because he had a nail on wire stack the kind that is plastic and has 4 grooves to put wire in he had 2 wires in one groove section and the inspecter failed him because he says you have to derate the wire i have been doing this 12 yrs and have always done this anyone care to elaborate on if i have been doing wrong this whole time or if the inspecter is wrong thanx
 
elect78 said:
I was talking wit another electrician today and he told me he got failed on a res. house because he had a nail on wire stack the kind that is plastic and has 4 grooves to put wire in he had 2 wires in one groove section and the inspecter failed him because he says you have to derate the wire i have been doing this 12 yrs and have always done this anyone care to elaborate on if i have been doing wrong this whole time or if the inspecter is wrong thanx
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He's wrong!!!!!!!
 
Thats the same as putting 2 - 12/2 nm-b under a cable staple, ive never had an inspection issue, i`d ask for a code reference from the inspector
 
Since the stackers have 4 slots for wires I suspects that the inspector is considering this bundling. More than 9 CCC and you must derate 50%. If you only have four 2 wire cables then you have 8 CCC thus a 70% derate. 70% derating does not affect the 90C rating of #12 or #14 wires.
 
The "stack it" among other things, is designed to maintain spacing between cables. If you were to clip an NM into the stack-it and then bundle a few more NM cables to this first cable in such a way that the cables did not have maintained spacing for a distance greater than 24 inches and there were more than 3 current-carrying conductors involved, I could see it.

But from what you're saying, it seems like a ridiculous call on the inspector's part.
 
There is a listing on the bag that stackers come in as far as to how many cables can be installed in one. It sure sounds like a petty call to me. I'd request a code section after I checked the bag for installation instructions to make sure I complied.
 
opening the door to one of the "bears" in '08 Code, this may be a case of misunderstanding on someone's part, but it is important to note the new provsions of 334.80. From your description, it appears he has more than 9 current carrying conductors. Altough, not a problem in a stack-it, if the cables are routed through one hole in the header and "caulked", then we now have a violation.
then inspector may have been thinking or referring to that.
 
The instructions on some of those cable stackers tell you to derate if 2 cables are installed in one "clip".

Wish I could remember which brand I saw it on..... :confused:
 
so in theory it says i should consider derating not that i have to so who makes that call on whether or not you should
 
elect78 said:
If what augie is saying is correct then that cant be it because we have not addopted the 08 code yet
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No Augie was references something else in the 08 code that he thought the inspector may have confused with this install. You would have to derate IF it were bundling even in the 05 code.
 
The inspector was right and wrong...

De-rating shall always be considered when you have more than three current carrying conductors in multi conductor cables when installed without maintaining spacing.......

He as more than likely wrong to fail you for it...

Even after de-rating the wire and the "shoe still fits". or use 310.15(A)(2)excption....Send him walking w/ tail between legs...

One other question....Is the 1/16th inch of plastic that is between the groups of the two stacked cables meet the intention of "maintaining spacing?"
 
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