Low voltage strip light accessibility

[ToelessT]

So I have a rated, factory supplied 24v led strip light that is mounted to a window frame muillon. The lights are covered by an art pan, and then framed wall and sheet rock will cover the window assembly. There are two sets of these lights on either side of the window illuminating the artwork. (1 set for back up, as they are not "serviceable). The factory whip of the fixture is then routed to a driver that will of course have an access panel. The owner of this building is completely aware that should something happen to both the regular and back up light they would need to deglaze the window to replace it. While an expensive idea, this is obviously capable of being done without damaging the buildings structure or finish.

My inspector is leaving it up to his boss to convince on the matter, but he personally deemed the entire fixture needs to be accessible. Which is just not feasible due to the nature of this project. Is there any argument that could help my case? I'm just really not seeing a clear cut line that definitively says these fixtures need to be accessible in the first place, or how deglazing a window would not make them "accessible"

(This is 2014 NEC code cycle) any help is much appreciated

 

[James L]

An LED strip is not serviceable, So what need is there for access?

What's next? Will he want to see access to all the joints in the plumbing?

For what it's worth, I was just in a house the other day which has 4 double-sided "windows" which have a mural etched in them, and they are edge lit with neon. And they are built in, and trimmed in, and not accessible without tearing them out. And one of them doesn't work. I don't think there's anything serviceable about that, either.

There are all sorts of things which fail, and the only remedy is to tear it out and replace it

 

[ToelessT]

An LED strip is not serviceable, So what need is there for access?

What's next? Will he want to see access to all the joints in the plumbing?

For what it's worth, I was just in a house the other day which has 4 double-sided "windows" which have a mural etched in them, and they are edge lit with neon. And they are built in, and trimmed in, and not accessible without tearing them out. And one of them doesn't work. I don't think there's anything serviceable about that, either.

There are all sorts of things which fail, and the only remedy is to tear it out and replace it

Completely agree. If the owner wants to pay buckoo bucks everytime they have to be replaced then so be it. The hard part is proving the argument when he’s already deemed it needing access. Seems more of a nuisance than anything. Just gotta gather all my bullet points for the inevitable back and forth

 

[James L]

Completely agree. If the owner wants to pay buckoo bucks everytime they have to be replaced then so be it. The hard part is proving the argument when he’s already deemed it needing access. Seems more of a nuisance than anything. Just gotta gather all my bullet points for the inevitable back and forth

I would center my argument around "no serviceable parts" (especially if he has agreed to that) and put the onus on him to show ---from the codebook--- why you need access to something that's not serviceable.

I would shut down any opinion that couldn't be shown in black and white.

I would dominate that conversation if I needed to

 

[ToelessT]

I would center my argument around "no serviceable parts" (especially if he has agreed to that) and put the onus on him to show ---from the codebook--- why you need access to something that's not serviceable.

I would shut down any opinion that couldn't be shown in black and white.

I would dominate that conversation if I needed to

Huge jobsite with the same inspector, so try to kind of keep a decent rapport with him. He continues to cite 410.18 (although as previously stated it’s not cove lighting) it’s gone to chief electrical inspector who’s saying the same thing. Basically got a letter from the manufacturer stating it’s UL listed and nothing to service so we’ll see see where this one goes