cord drops

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electrofelon

Senior Member
Location
Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
Occupation
Electrician
I have 6 machines, 20 amp single and three phase, that need to be powered from the drop ceiling above. All the machines have rubber cords and caps installed, but only two of the cords reach to the ceiling. Trying to figure out what to do.

1. First option is to drop down a pendant with a female cap. Problem with that is those are a pain to make up code compliantly due to not being able to have the cord above the ceiling, and the threaded hub requirement for the pendant. Best thing I can come up with is a FS box mounted to a caddy bar somehow, with the box right on the ceiling tile and the kellum poking thru the tile.

2. Another option is two replace the cords with the appropriate length and mount a receptacle in the ceiling tile with a finish plate.

3. A third option is to put the receps in the ceiling like in #2, and make up an extension cord. This is probably the most material cost. 3 of these are L21-20 which are about $80 for a cap set.

I guess it comes down to material and labor cost. I haven't priced out the SO cord yet. Changing the SO out is an unknown labor wise as some of them have the supply cord snaking around and thru some structural members of the machine.
 
Next time you are in a McDonald's, ask them if you could poke around their kitchen for a minute. Several pieces of their equipment use cord drops from the ceiling... it might give you some different ideas, exactly what you're looking for, or how you don't want to do it anyway
 
Next time you are in a McDonald's, ask them if you could poke around their kitchen for a minute. Several pieces of their equipment use cord drops from the ceiling... it might give you some different ideas, exactly what you're looking for, or how you don't want to do it anyway

Its tempting to cheat and just mount a 4 square to a grid bar with a 1 gang mudring, and drill a hole in a stainless finish plate for the kellum.
 
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