smoke alarms by ceiling fans

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Riograndeelectric

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Lakewood Colorado
Ok I have been getting beat up by inspectors for having smoke alarms mounted with in 36 inhces of a ceiling fan.

inspector says there is an nec artilce that prohibts smokes mounted with in 36 inches of fnas . I cna not find any anythin in the nec or nfpa72. I have heard this might be in the IMCcode- international mech code.
I have challenegd the inspector on this . but he cna not find a code article
 
Riograndeelectric said:
Ok I have been getting beat up by inspectors for having smoke alarms mounted with in 36 inhces of a ceiling fan.

inspector says there is an nec artilce that prohibts smokes mounted with in 36 inches of fnas . I cna not find any anythin in the nec or nfpa72. I have heard this might be in the IMCcode- international mech code.
I have challenegd the inspector on this . but he cna not find a code article
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"but he cna not find a code article" ?

I have no idea what kind of inspectors you have, but ours will quote the section, and artical. Remenber the fire codes are volumes of books. I am not back at the shop so i can't look for you now, but i am sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction.
 
satcom said:
"but he cna not find a code article" ?

I have no idea what kind of inspectors you have, but ours will quote the section, and artical. Remenber the fire codes are volumes of books. I am not back at the shop so i can't look for you now, but i am sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction.
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Be nice, we all make mistakes.:smile:

I've never heard of it and I don't have a copy of the IMC so I'll have to check around.
 
cowboyjwc said:
Be nice, we all make mistakes.:smile:

I've never heard of it and I don't have a copy of the IMC so I'll have to check around.
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I am being nice it is just that I get tired of inspectors not giving a code article on issues or when inpsector uses there personal opion and not the code. I only ask that I be given a code article and not oh well I will have to look up the code article and then get back to you. the smoke Alarms with in 36" of ceiling fans seems to be on every inpectors list here in denver.
 
Riograndeelectric said:
the smoke Alarms with in 36" of ceiling fans seems to be on every inpectors list here in denver.
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Maybe it's a new local code. Have you ever thought of just calling the head of the builing dept. and just ask them.

It never hurts to ask.
 
growler said:
Maybe it's a new local code. Have you ever thought of just calling the head of the builing dept. and just ask them.

It never hurts to ask.
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I have aked the inspector and he told me he would have to look up the code artice but he was positive it is in the NEC. he did not say 05 or 08 code though.
 
cowboyjwc said:
Be nice, we all make mistakes.:smile:

I've never heard of it and I don't have a copy of the IMC so I'll have to check around.
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An inspector, not quoting the law, takes up back to a time where inspectors were not trainned and were usually had little knowladge of the trade they were inspecting, i was sure we were past that by now.
 
satcom said:
An inspector, not quoting the law, takes up back to a time where inspectors were not trainned and were usually had little knowladge of the trade they were inspecting, i was sure we were past that by now.
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I was talking about you being nice for picking on him about his spelling because you misspelled a word in your answer to him and several in the one above also. :smile: (I rely on spell check myself, I can't spell worth a pope:grin: )

I not only believe that inspectors should be held accountable, but I insist on it. I tell contractors all the time that if they don't think a call is legitimate that they should contact the inspection supervisor. If I am not sure about a call I don't write it up and then find out if I'm right, I find out if I'm right first and then write it up. It's much easier for me to say "let me get back to you" than it is for you to fix something that's not required.

I just talked to our Mechanical Inspector and he said that most likely if there is anything that it would be in the installation instructions for the smoke detector or maybe the ceiling fan, but there was nothing that he knew of.
 
Riograndeelectric said:
inspector says there is an nec artilce that prohibts smokes mounted with in 36 inches of fnas . I cna not find any anythin in the nec or nfpa72.
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After a brief search it looks like several cities do require 36" from tip of fan blades and they are siteing NFPA 72 11.8.3.5 :cool:

For the electrical inspector to fail you I think he would have to rely on 110.3 (B).
 
here is the ruling according to nfpa 72-2007 edition---in article 11.8.3.5(7)
smoke alarms and smoke detectors shall not be installed within a 914mm, 36incs horizontal path from the tip of the blade of a celing-supended( paddle) fan.
hope this helps
 
cowboyjwc said:
I was talking about you being nice for picking on him about his spelling because you misspelled a word in your answer to him and several in the one above also. :smile: (I rely on spell check myself, I can't spell worth a pope:grin: )

I not only believe that inspectors should be held accountable, but I insist on it. I tell contractors all the time that if they don't think a call is legitimate that they should contact the inspection supervisor. If I am not sure about a call I don't write it up and then find out if I'm right, I find out if I'm right first and then write it up. It's much easier for me to say "let me get back to you" than it is for you to fix something that's not required.

I just talked to our Mechanical Inspector and he said that most likely if there is anything that it would be in the installation instructions for the smoke detector or maybe the ceiling fan, but there was nothing that he knew of.
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I never noticed a spelling error, i as just recovering from a stroke myself, so i would not even think of something like that, i see the fire code was found, related to the issue, we have to be up on building, fire, and electrical codes, it gets pretty expenseve in classes, and books.
 
Sorry to hear that I hope your recovery is going well.:smile: I don't know why, but I'm guessing that you're not that old.

I was just picking, I like to keep it light when I can, but my brain works different than most people so not everyone get's it.:grin:

I'm not real sure that he can pull that section out of NFPA 72 unless his juridiction has adopted it. Here the fire department is contracted from the county, but up the road the building department is under the fire department.
 
I just got tagged on this too. It's in the installation guide:

Smoke alarms should not be installed within 3 ft (.9m) of the following: the
door to a kitchen, the door to a bathroom containing a tub or shower, forced
air supply ducts used for heating or cooling, ceiling or whole house ventilating fans, or other high air flow areas.

I completely missed ceiling until the inspector pointed it out. Here they want them 64" from the fan box.
 
growler said:
Maybe it's a new local code. Have you ever thought of just calling the head of the builing dept. and just ask them.
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I sincerely agree with that. But, I have had the head of a building department tell me he doesn't know for sure, but would have to stand behind his examiners. On the next call, he busted out laughing, and said the same thing, followed by you should turn that in for adjudication. That's freaking hilarious! The second call was about a one item correction letter, that one item was the light fixture schedule calling out two heads per track light, but 3 par 38 lamps.:roll:
growler said:
It never hurts to ask.
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You've never been maced, have you?:grin: :roll:
 
satcom said:
I never noticed a spelling error, i as just recovering from a stroke myself, so i would not even think of something like that, i see the fire code was found, related to the issue, we have to be up on building, fire, and electrical codes, it gets pretty expenseve in classes, and books.
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Thanks for continuing to post here through out your recovery .
Your years of business experience has been very appreciated.
 
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