Junction Box as Pull Through

[Little Bill]

Would a junction box have to be accessible if wires are just pulled through without a splice? Assume conduit is used and both conduits (in/out) line up so wire can be pulled in/out. Code says the reason for them to be accessible is so the wiring can be accessed without removing parts of building or structure. If there are no splices, why would the wiring need to be accessed?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The rule requires that the wiring be accessible, so that requires the pull box cover to be accessible. There is no reason to expect that you could put a fish tape in one conduit, through the box, and out the other conduit. Just because you could pull new wire through by attaching the new wire to to the old wire does not make the wiring in the pull box accessible.

314.29 Boxes, Conduit Bodies, and Handhole Enclosures to Be Accessible.
Boxes, conduit bodies, and handhole enclosures shall be installed so that wiring and devices contained in the boxes, conduit bodies, or handhole enclosures can be rendered accessible in accordance with 314.29(A) and (B).

I read the requirement that the wiring in the box be accessible as meaning I can take the box cover off and touch the wiring.

 

[Little Bill]

The rule requires that the wiring be accessible, so that requires the pull box cover to be accessible. There is no reason to expect that you could put a fish tape in one conduit, through the box, and out the other conduit. Just because you could pull new wire through by attaching the new wire to to the old wire does not make the wiring in the pull box accessible.

I read the requirement that the wiring in the box be accessible as meaning I can take the box cover off and touch the wiring.

https://link.nfpa.org/publications/70/2023/chapters/3/articles/314#ID000700002000

I guess the conduit and fish tape makes sense.

 

[SceneryDriver]

Would a junction box have to be accessible if wires are just pulled through without a splice? Assume conduit is used and both conduits (in/out) line up so wire can be pulled in/out. Code says the reason for them to be accessible is so the wiring can be accessed without removing parts of building or structure. If there are no splices, why would the wiring need to be accessed?

I have a friend who's an electrician in Australia. Their code allows burying a j-box with splices in it, as long as the splices are soldered (permanent connection). That has to be fun to troubleshoot.

Move to Australia if you want to bury j-boxes, I guess.

Or maybe just do what the house flipper did to my friend's house. Buried j-boxes and open flying Romex splices in the walls everywhere!



SceneryDriver