Then there are no instructions the NEC requires we follow.
There was a proposals to change 110.3(B) so that it includes all instructions that the manufacturer includes.
And neither do I, I respectfully suggest you try to see things from the outside of your office and what we in the field are up against.
Read the instructions that come with any appliance, many of the words in those instructions have nothing to do with electrical safety.
For example, I install solar panels, the instructions direct that the glass should be cleaned on a regular basis
Am I violating 110.3(B) by not doing so? Is the customer?
Take a look at the instructions that come with a dishwasher, very likely they will say to use specific brand of soap.
It's in the instructions it must be code right?
I think that I need to follow the NEC, (or MEC in my case) that is all I am bound to unless other standards are referenced which brings us back to 110.3(B)
So put that to the picture of the snac panel up high?
There is very little to service in that box, an exhaust fan has more reason for easy access but they are regularly mounted in hard to access locations.
A slippery slope to head down, I will stick with the NEC.
What code section will be placed on that correction notice?
Don't misunderstand me, I think that is a poor location. I work on this stuff all the time, I don't just talk about it. Many times I show up for a service call and I have to reschedule with a lift to access whatever it is. But the NEC is not a design manual, good design comes from good designers not inspectors asking for more then the NEC requires.
FYI..I have been out in the field, talking to folks just like yourself (not just behind a desk)
. My perception is that many don't think they need "those pesky installation instructions" for most of the equipment they install. Usually, they have already read the instructions once, and they remember. But there are a few that don't bother and try to go it alone and do it 'their way'. Thats when things can go bad.
Your analogies illustrating your point about these instructions having nothing to do with electrical safety couldn't be further off the point. If you, as an installer, decide to deviate from the manufacturer's recommended installation guidelines, then you are taking a big chance that the device may not perform as advertised, or could become unsafe at some point in the future. NEC compliant or not, the device can only be guaranteed to work as advertised if the recommended installation is followed.
110.3(B) Is clear. Refer to the listing. I would contend that my excerpts in my previous post could be considered part of the listing as the links to them are directly from the manufacturer's UL Listing certification page. The UL guides take precidence as they clearly state that all manufacturer's installation instructions must be followed.
You may not have a direct NEC violation, but there is an indirect violation of 110.3(B) through UL's guide. IMHO:smile:
The real people to blame for this installation are the architect/designers. They should have read the manual and interpreted the requirements on the specification drawing. If the contractor followed the drawing, they are not technically at fault, and they may have said something.
Not to berate the subject, but it is obvious that we have two very different opinions backed up with documentation. I respect and can see your point of view!
