Single family residential

[growler]

On a house (single family residential ) a home owner is encloseing the back decK on basement and first story level. These rooms will be an extension to the basement and kitchen.

Failed rough electrical inspection because fire rated boxes or fire putty was not used in some area of these room extensions.

Any idea?

 

[jumper]

On a house (single family residential ) a home owner is encloseing the back decK on basement and first story level. These rooms will be an extension to the basement and kitchen.

Failed rough electrical inspection because fire rated boxes or fire putty was not used in some area of these room extensions.

Any idea?

Inspector was drunk?

Even el cheapo plastic boxes have at least a one hour rating and are fine in SFD stand alone homes.

 

[kwired]

Did he think you were adding a garage for some reason?

Just came from another job and hadn't cleared his mind of that one yet?

 

[growler]

Did he think you were adding a garage for some reason?

Just came from another job and hadn't cleared his mind of that one yet?

I guess anything is possible even being drunk. I know one thing, I'm going to be there for the re-inspection.

 

[mgookin]

He needs fireblocking and draftstopping if it's combustible construction but other than that, drunk inspector is all I can think of too.

 

[FionaZuppa]

He needs fireblocking and draftstopping if it's combustible construction but other than that, drunk inspector is all I can think of too.

the AHJ requires fireblocking of electrical bores, chases, and what-not ? so, were they fire blocked? sounds like no, thus a failed rough. why does inspector need to be drunk? i suspect the inspector was not talking about the electrical components themselves not being fire rated. the nec is not always the end-all when it comes to connecting to the juice, the AHJ is.

 

[chris1971]

On a house (single family residential ) a home owner is encloseing the back decK on basement and first story level. These rooms will be an extension to the basement and kitchen.

Failed rough electrical inspection because fire rated boxes or fire putty was not used in some area of these room extensions.

Any idea?

Sounds like a building code rule. Ask AHJ for an electrical code reference.

 

[growler]

the AHJ requires fireblocking of electrical bores, chases, and what-not ? so, were they fire blocked? sounds like no, thus a failed rough. why does inspector need to be drunk? i suspect the inspector was not talking about the electrical components themselves not being fire rated. the nec is not always the end-all when it comes to connecting to the juice, the AHJ is.

No, all the holes bored for electrical were fire stopped. All the normal stuff was done.

Guess I"ll figure it out when I get to see the actual write up.

 

[JFletcher]

On a house (single family residential ) a home owner is encloseing the back decK on basement and first story level. These rooms will be an extension to the basement and kitchen.

Failed rough electrical inspection because fire rated boxes or fire putty was not used in some area of these room extensions.

Any idea?

Did you use open back low voltage boxes in these walls? How close is the house to the property line/another house? Did you exceed 100sq in of opening in 100ft2 of wall space? The last one, if it is deemed a rated wall, if you had 7 4x4 boxes in 100ft2 of wall space, either on one side or both, even with single gang rings, that's 112in² of opening and all 7 boxes would require putty pads, regardless of fire rating of the boxes.

 

[growler]

Folks I finally got back over to that job to find it was all a communications error. There were boxes truned to the inside wall and still live that I had not seen before because the was no reason because the were covered by insulation. These are receptacles that are still working.

But those receptacles junction boxes had plastic knockouts missing ( I have no idea why because I never touched them) . Between the time I finished and the time the owner/contractor called for a rough, the person building the enclosed deck removed the insulation that had been in the exterior wall the inspector sees the missing knockout and rights it up. He suggest that I either replace damaged boxes or use fire puddy to repair the boxes and seal the knockouts.

All that happened was that an inspector noticed a code violation and wrote it up and then offered a rather good suggestion as a repair. I still have no idea where the owner/contractor got the idea of fire rated boxes.

I feel like an idiot for haveing a homeowner read anything to me over the phone.

 

[jumper]

I can see it.

Inspector said you could use fire rated putty pads to repair boxes and owner translates that to you need fire rated boxes.

Stuff like this happens a lot when info goes through a go between. Miscommunication at some of its best.

 

[kwired]

This is one reason I like how electrical permits work here, the EC doing the work files for electrical permits. If there is correction notices they go directly to the entity that filed the permit - which is supposed to be the party that is legally able to perform such work.

 

[JFletcher]

He suggest that I either replace damaged boxes or use fire puddy to repair the boxes and seal the knockouts.

All that happened was that an inspector noticed a code violation and wrote it up and then offered a rather good suggestion as a repair.

Yeah a single 7x7" pad can cover probably 50 missing KOs on plastic boxes; always good to have one on the truck

 

[mgookin]

Folks I finally got back over to that job to find it was all a communications error. There were boxes truned to the inside wall and still live that I had not seen before because the was no reason because the were covered by insulation. These are receptacles that are still working.

But those receptacles junction boxes had plastic knockouts missing ( I have no idea why because I never touched them) . Between the time I finished and the time the owner/contractor called for a rough, the person building the enclosed deck removed the insulation that had been in the exterior wall the inspector sees the missing knockout and rights it up. He suggest that I either replace damaged boxes or use fire puddy to repair the boxes and seal the knockouts.

All that happened was that an inspector noticed a code violation and wrote it up and then offered a rather good suggestion as a repair. I still have no idea where the owner/contractor got the idea of fire rated boxes.

I feel like an idiot for haveing a homeowner read anything to me over the phone.

Maybe they could take a picture of it with their phone and send you the picture.

 

[growler]

Folks that bit of BS about fire rated boxes is all over. Met with the inspector for the re-inspection and he seems a nice old man ( even older than myself, I'm not really old just high mileage ).

I found out where the homeowner herd terms like "fire rated boxes", his man friday that's doing the building work was a commercial carpenter and now is doing residential additions, kind of under the radar.

They were doing this addition without permits but got caught because a neighbor turned them in ( ratted them out ). Sometimes when a homeowner gets caught without a permit they can make it a little rough on them and I was afraid that was what was happening but it's doesn't appear to be the case.

They have their zoneing inspection and now the electrical rough so if they pass the framing inspection that's pretty much it. Shouldn't be anything to the final.

 

[FionaZuppa]

i should have added "knockouts" in post #6. i thought it was enough to mention the others...

glad it all worked out.