accessible ceiling question

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davidbananas999

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Minnesota
Quick question:

Is a drywalled ceiling under an attic (which has an attic access) considered accessible? I know we can put junction boxes up there, but what about the NM securing and supporting exception which allows us to support NM 4.5 feet from a light fixture "in an accessible ceiling?"

Thanks
 
davidbananas999 said:
Quick question:

Is a drywalled ceiling under an attic (which has an attic access) considered accessible? I know we can put junction boxes up there, but what about the NM securing and supporting exception which allows us to support NM 4.5 feet from a light fixture "in an accessible ceiling?"

Thanks
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I think you are twisting the meaning of accessible ceiling from what they intended. I think when they mentioned accessible ceiling they were referring to a typical suspended ceiling, and are talking about relaxed support requirements from the luminaire to the first point of support then what is otherwise typical. This would also only apply to dwellings as you can't run NM cable in said ceiling spaces in non dwellings. (need to look it may be limited to single family or two family or something like that).
 
davidbananas999 said:
Thats bogus. They refer to suspended ceilings as suspended ceilings. Not accessable ceilings.
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I believe they use both terms - possibly should define one of them and stick with that definition throughout the code. Did a word search for both in an electronic version and came up with several hits for both. Most that I looked at seemed to be talking about suspended type ceilings with removeable panels to gain access above the ceiling as opposed to a ceiling finish permanently attached to structural member.


Then you do have hard ceilings that are also "suspended" in some cases. These ceilings are framed with non structural members only intended to carry the ceiling load and may still have reinforcement ties to the structural ceiling periodically. Is that what you have in OP?
 
davidbananas999 said:
I do agree hard ceilings with no attic are not accessible. However to remove a ceiling tile and to remove an attic access board is the same thing.
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But you described majority of single family dwellings out there - top floor anyway. Do you leave 4.5 feet of unsecured cable at every luminaire in such ceilings?

I think NEC could use a little better wording, but I'm pretty sure the intention when allowing that 4.5 feet of unsecured cable is for a drop from structural to a non structural ceiling for the most part.
 
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