Receptacles in Commercial drop ceilings

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Dexie123

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Had a debate with my foreman. I'm very unsure who is right.

Big commercial job in a NYC. This job has alot of conference rooms with projectors, ect.... The projectors are mounted in a suspended drop ceiling with SJ or SO cord and a male plug on the end of them. My foreman is putting receptacles in the drop ceiling to feed them and just plugging them in. Is this NEC compliant.

Thank you.
 
Is he putting the recepts on the surface of the dropped ceiling or above the dropped ceiling....also is he intending to run the SO from below or above the dropped ceiling....?

Before we answer.......answer those questions...
 
Dexie123 said:
Had a debate with my foreman. I'm very unsure who is right.

Big commercial job in a NYC. This job has alot of conference rooms with projectors, ect.... The projectors are mounted in a suspended drop ceiling with SJ or SO cord and a male plug on the end of them. My foreman is putting receptacles in the drop ceiling to feed them and just plugging them in. Is this NEC compliant.

Thank you.
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No you cannot according to the NEC. Do a search on this topic there are plenty of threads discussing this subject.
 
radiopet said:
Is he putting the recepts on the surface of the dropped ceiling or above the dropped ceiling....also is he intending to run the SO from below or above the dropped ceiling....?

Before we answer.......answer those questions...
Click to expand...


To my understanding everything is going to be up in the ceiling. Projector motor, SO cord with male plug, and a outlet with receptacle in a 4 11''/16 box with mulburry cover....


I will do a search as well Infin. Any other insight is great. Thanks.
 
Dexie123 said:
To my understanding everything is going to be up in the ceiling. Projector motor, SO cord with male plug, and a outlet with receptacle in a 4 11''/16 box with mulburry cover....


I will do a search as well Infin. Any other insight is great. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Ok..no SO Cord is allowed above the dropped ceiling Sec 400.8(5)
 
I have seen plenty of these types of mounts which come with a cord and plug that is designed to get plugged in above the ceiling. These things are installed like this every day. Still is a violation of 400.8(5).
 
hmmm...maybe it is just me but I would be interested in seeing how they plan on getting the projector to send a picture to a screen from above the ceiling...hmm...maybe I am missing something....I would figure they would be mounted just below the ceiling.......

Anyway...as I said...no Flex. Cord allowed above dropped ceiling...;(
 
radiopet said:
hmmm...maybe it is just me but I would be interested in seeing how they plan on getting the projector to send a picture to a screen from above the ceiling...hmm...maybe I am missing something....I would figure they would be mounted just below the ceiling(
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Many of these units store above the ceiling and lower when needed on cue.
 
infinity said:
I have seen plenty of these types of mounts which come with a cord and plug that is designed to get plugged in above the ceiling. These things are installed like this every day. Still is a violation of 400.8(5).
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So if the outlet is fine, just the cord, SO or SJ (Whatever) is the violation of 400.8(5)? It doesn't matter if it doesn't pass through the ceiling? No SO at all.

If this is true then in order to become code complaint you'd need to rewire each projector by taking out the SO and changing to say 3/8'' greenfield or something, I suppose....
 
infinity said:
I have seen plenty of these types of mounts which come with a cord and plug that is designed to get plugged in above the ceiling. These things are installed like this every day. Still is a violation of 400.8(5).
Click to expand...

Yeah...I think it is probably simply a TURN the cheek issue....:)
 
infinity said:
I have seen plenty of these types of mounts which come with a cord and plug that is designed to get plugged in above the ceiling. These things are installed like this every day. Still is a violation of 400.8(5).
Click to expand...

I think it's for the projector screen to raise up and down. Not sure though as it's a very big job and am not privy to that sort of information....
 
Here is one such lift. The entire thing is stowed above the ceiling, cord and all.

ScissorLift.jpg
 
Dexie123 said:
So if the outlet is fine, just the cord, SO or SJ (Whatever) is the violation of 400.8(5)? It doesn't matter if it doesn't pass through the ceiling? No SO at all.

If this is true then in order to become code complaint you'd need to rewire each projector by taking out the SO and changing to say 3/8'' greenfield or something, I suppose....
Click to expand...
I'm in agreement with the interpretation in this post.
 
radiopet said:
Neat.......yeah I would say most do not worry about this requirement...
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The cord on that unit in the picture is probably part of the listing, originating in a j-box at the top, and I would bet that the unit is actually hard-wired.

As far as the OP, it would be a violation to install the cord and plug it in above the ceiling as mentioned in some other posts.
And around here it wouldn't pass.
 
So when it is retracted and lets say it is hard wired, the projector is probably simply attached with a flex cord....once it is drawn up into the ceiling...it is still attached to the outlet is it not......that would still be a violation of the 400.8(5)..would it not.....never seen a projector with a LIFT hard wired to it...thehehe..sorry..I could not resist.
 
ty said:
The cord on that unit in the picture is probably part of the listing, originating in a j-box at the top, and I would bet that the unit is actually hard-wired.

As far as the OP, it would be a violation to install the cord and plug it in above the ceiling as mentioned in some other posts.
And around here it wouldn't pass.
Click to expand...


We have installed these lifts manufactured by the company in the photo and they came with cords and plugs attached, right out of the box.
 
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