Attic junction boxes

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nizak

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Is there any violation in installing j boxes on the lower chord of a truss and completely covering with insulation?

I have a job where the general contractor cut the home runs in order to replace the truss system on a home that he's renovating.

They will all be accessible by access through a scuttle in the master bed room closet.

I would think no different than a ceiling box that is fully covered with insulation.

Thanks
 
Nice to put something above the insulation to indicate there is a buried box there - but not required.
 
"Accessible (as applied to wiring methods). Capable of being removed or exposed without damaging the building structure or finish or not permanently closed in by the structure or finish of the building."

I have always felt that best practice is to locate jboxes above the insulation if possible. But that locating them below the insulation is not a violation because you are not "damaging the building structure or finish" if you need to access them.

We have had inspectors make suggestions that we run warning tape, ribbons, etc from the jboxes to above the insulation so that they can be located later. This was pretty clearly a suggestion and they were not trying to require it.

Rob

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nizak said:
They will all be accessible by access through a scuttle in the master bed room closet.
Click to expand...

This is the bigger problem. You open the scuttle hole and (what seems like) 500 lbs of loose fill insulation immediately falls out and covers all the hanging clothes, shoes, and you.
 
nizak said:
Is there any violation in installing j boxes on the lower chord of a truss and completely covering with insulation?

I have a job where the general contractor cut the home runs in order to replace the truss system on a home that he's renovating.

They will all be accessible by access through a scuttle in the master bed room closet.

I would think no different than a ceiling box that is fully covered with insulation.

Thanks
Click to expand...
It's not a violation, but you are going to need some slack in the wires to make up the connections and that means two boxes minimum, so why not move them above the insulation and make it easy on yourself and the next guy.
 
True. If there is not enough wire to make the splice and I have to add, I will place boxes on vertical member above the insulation.
 
electrofelon said:
Washington state has an amendment saying they must be marked if buried in insulation.
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So does "marking them" mean taking a sharpie to the cover and writing "junction box" on it and then burying it in insulation is acceptable? It is "marked" after all.:D
 
Been there, done that, got the sweaty t-shirts....

I've screwed short lengths of 2x6 to the truss chords to support the j-boxes above insulation. If the king post or a web were close enough, I used them. Makes life easier for me and for the next guy, especially with loose-fill insulation.
 
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