Garage door opener receptacle

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yrnuts

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I am new to the site. It looks like a great collection of knowlegable people, so here is my first question. We have a brand new electrical inspector to our condo site, and he is trying to give me a violation for the location of the garage door receptacle. It is placed about a foot in front of the door opener. He says he would like to see it behind the opener. I have looked and looked and do not see a code giving a specefic distance. I even supported the cord so he could not say it would get stuck in the gears. He said he did not think you could support the cable to the ceiling. I found no code saying that I could not. Has anyone heard of this or had the same problem? :confused:
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Welcome to the forum!

(Editted out a bunch of sarcasm. I'm in a funk.)

There's no such code, but it's advisable to install the outlet at the height of the door plus a foot or two, since garage door openers sit behind the door a bit.

How'd you secure the cord to the ceiling?

[ January 09, 2005, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: georgestolz ]
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Wirenuts
At the risk of being on the blunt end of a few post listen to what I am saying.
I read a couple of words in your question that I don?t like to hear. These words a good code enforcement official in any trade should never say. These are ?I like? or ?I think?.
In a kind and respectful way ask him to show where he is finding this rule. Let him know that you are as eager as him to learn. When he can?t find it ask if it will be alright to leave it this time. You will remember to locate it different next time to avoid this. Maybe both of will learn something. Remember he is green.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Along the same lines, keep a code book handy for that occasion.

I've discovered (by hanging around here) that a lot of the things I've been fed by inspectors are not always code, but things he'd "like" or "expect" to see.

Interestingly, I thought your screen name was short for "You're nuts," not "Wirenuts." :D
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

I guess I can't read cause I thought it said wirenuts. After looking it is yrnuts. No wonder I have such a hard time finding my &%$$
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Nothing says where it can be located.As long as the cord reaches and not in danger then leave it.However fastening the wire might create a problem.Best thing to do is try to become friends and work this out.Your location was poor choice.A little off center and a couple feet more than door height should work.Dead center might get you just over the opener so that would be bad choice.An easy cure if he wont budge is a cut in box at right location and blank old one as junction box.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

I've found that inspectors who site nonexistant code requirements are intimidated by the sight of a code book and the sound of code references.

If he writes you up just mention that he forgot to include code references.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

He could say the cord is subject to damage and if anchord to drywall becomes fixed wiring.He is making a bit much out of non problem.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

I am not at the site, so I am not sure what he sees, but here is something he might be hanging his hat on.
For the cord: (you do not mention how the cord is supported)
1. 400.8(4) Where attached to the building surfaces.
For the receptacle location: (Common sense)
2. If the cord is in front of the door opener and the cord may get tangled in the mechanism, I can see his wanting to relocate the receptacle.

Pierre
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Whats a few feet of 12/2 romex,blank cover and a pop in box cost a few bucks?

I would change this to keep from being on his bad side. And on down the road if I seen he was being picky on everything I would stand my ground and have him cite the code I violated.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Sounds ridiculous to me. But what do I know. :roll: Perhaps he couldn't find anything else to bust your chops about and like some inspectors just can't bring himself to walk away without picking on something just for the sake of hearing himself speak. Having said all that a picture would help.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Not sure about other places but our inspectors carry a full load of up to 30 inspections a day.They cause themself more work the next day if they cite you.Most are reasonable guys that will exsplain the reasoning as well as code.Having not seen what you offered it is hard to make a real call.So he is new,why not start off as friends if possible.Yes if he starts making up his own code call him on it.I had 3 finals signed off today and all he wanted was for us to put rejection clips in disconnects and replace fuses with type r instead of j.Had he wanted to he could have found a few violations.My suggestion is move the outlet and see if he is really a good inspector or not.How can we fasten a cord without calling it permanant wiring ?
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Just food for thougth, but I was told at a recent Mike Holt seminar that article 400 only applies to cords in that article and doesn't apply to cords that are part of a listed assembly. :)
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

From the UL White Book

Cord Sets And Power Supply Cords (ELBZ)

This listing covers: (1) Cord Sets and (2) power supply cords for use as supply connections for portable appliances and ...

Cord sets and power supply cords are not intended to be used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure and , hence, are not intended to be fastened in place.

Pierre
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Hey guys,

Great responses!

We called the inspector and he expained that I could not strap the cord to the drywall "I used a mc strap and drywall anchor" because I would be securing the cord to the building structure. The Nec code states you cannot support the cord to the structure. In michigan, they have their own code book The Michigan Residental code which supercides the Nec for residental. He cited a Michigan Res code for the violation, but it does not pertain to the supporting the cable. It is not in there. I know it is not that big of a deal and I am going to move the outlet. Sometimes it gets confusing which book to follow. I just want to do it right the first time. In the future I will be sure to put the outlet behind the opener. Thanks
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

I'm concerned that there might be a problem with securing the cord. And the whole issue will be reduced to a less safe instalation being the legal solution because it's ok if the cord dangles, you just don't want somebody securing a cord.

Can't secure a cord. (In a Jerry Sienfeld voice of disapproval).

And most garage door openers are not portable.
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

Thanks for the info Piere. I need to be reminded every now and then that the NEC is not the only standard for the Electrical Industry, but as Sam pointed out I don't think a garage door opener would be considered portable. In this instance the cord for the opener would not be a substitute for fixed wiring. I know this is trivial but this is how I learn to interpret the code. :)

John
 
Re: Garage door opener receptacle

I have to ask. What danger is there with securing a cord in this situation?
 
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