Junction box for 1 unit located in another.

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rookie4now

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we're doing a job where they raised a single-family home to add a new unit underneath it. The original unit is not having any electrical work done in it. All the circuits were fed from below so we used junction boxes. The boxes are now accessible from the ceiling of the lower unit. The inspector does not like having to access junction boxes for the top unit from the ceiling in the bottom unit. The problem is the wires don't reach anywhere else it's the only place we could put a junction box. He didn't give us the codes section. Is this a violation?

sorry for any typos I'm doing this from my cell phone.
 
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If these are two separate units with different occupancies, I think I see a problem.

210.25 Branch Circuits in Buildings with More Than
One Occupancy.
(A) Dwelling Unit Branch Circuits. Branch circuits in
each dwelling unit shall supply only loads within that dwelling
unit or loads associated only with that dwelling unit.
 
jumper said:
If these are two separate units with different occupancies, I think I see a problem.

210.25 Branch Circuits in Buildings with More Than
One Occupancy.
(A) Dwelling Unit Branch Circuits. Branch circuits in
each dwelling unit shall supply only loads within that dwelling
unit or loads associated only with that dwelling unit.
Click to expand...


The circuits are only feeding the top floor. There are only junction boxes that are accessible from the bottom floor.
 
infinity said:
I don't see a problem if the wiring is not feeding more than one dwelling unit.
Click to expand...

I wasn't there for the inspection but the inspector said that with the junction box and a blank cover somebody could easily grab power there at a later date. I always have an issue when an inspector rules based on what could happen in the future. But I'm not aware of any Code section that prevents a junction box from one unit being accessible in another.
 
}}210.25 Branch Circuits in Buildings with More Than
One Occupancy.
(A) Dwelling Unit Branch Circuits. Branch circuits in
each dwelling unit shall supply only loads within that dwelling
unit or loads associated only with that dwelling unit. {{

Like other post have said, if they only supply one unit, then it is code.
Also, what if, what if they don't try to tap into another units power. Then no problem.

Some small houses that I wired, the inspector asked, what if. I asked him what if they don't. He was asking what if they wanted to add a hot tub in back. Shouldn't the service be bigger? There was maybe 10 feet behind these houses, so I asked him, "Where would they put the hot tub?" :?
 
rookie4now said:
we're doing a job where they raised a single-family home to add a new unit underneath it. The original unit is not having any electrical work done in it. All the circuits were fed from below so we used junction boxes. The boxes are now accessible from the ceiling of the lower unit. The inspector does not like having to access junction boxes for the top unit from the ceiling in the bottom unit. The problem is the wires don't reach anywhere else it's the only place we could put a junction box. He didn't give us the codes section. Is this a violation?

sorry for any typos I'm doing this from my cell phone.
Click to expand...

It is a violation to serve loads from one unit to another that are not common to both. There is no reqirement regarding location of junction boxes.
 
maallen said:
It is a violation to serve loads from one unit to another that are not common to both. There is no reqirement regarding location of junction boxes.
Click to expand...

I understand your quote to mean "Don't feed unit A from unit B's panel". J-boxes located in the other unit don't bother me, I assume both unit A & B are rentals. If they had a mortgage then there would be a problem.
 
The only concern is when troubleshooting those circuits.
It is not a code violation.
 
jumper said:
If these are two separate units with different occupancies, I think I see a problem.

210.25 Branch Circuits in Buildings with More Than
One Occupancy.
(A) Dwelling Unit Branch Circuits. Branch circuits in
each dwelling unit shall supply only loads within that dwelling
unit or loads associated only with that dwelling unit.
Click to expand...

rookie4now said:
The circuits are only feeding the top floor. There are only junction boxes that are accessible from the bottom floor.
Click to expand...

Are you saying the branch circuit is not in the lower dwelling unit?

How does the tenant gain access to disconnect the lower dwelling unit from its source of supply?

So when the tenant or a repair person working in that tenants space opens the main disconnect for that dwelling he will unexpectedly be subjected to wiring that is still energized. Where is the main disconnect for the lower dwelling unit?
 
david said:
Are you saying the branch circuit is not in the lower dwelling unit?

How does the tenant gain access to disconnect the lower dwelling unit from its source of supply?

So when the tenant or a repair person working in that tenants space opens the main disconnect for that dwelling he will unexpectedly be subjected to wiring that is still energized. Where is the main disconnect for the lower dwelling unit?
Click to expand...

The wiring that belongs to the upper unit was running across the ceiling of the lower unit. So, during the remodel the same wiring was cut and now it is short (in length) so they installed a junction box (for the wiring for the upper unit), however the mentioned junction box is facing the lower unit.

The disconnects, the circuits are not electrically mixed between the lower and the upper unit.
 
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