Troffer Support Wires

[stevebea]

I'm currently working on a office/warehouse project. In the office area some of the old drop ceilings are going away and they are installing new grid and tile. My problem is the old troffers were never supported with support wires dropped from the bar joists and I dont have a way to get to the bar joists ( another 18 ft. above the drop ceiling ) . I was checking out the Caddy 515A fixture clips online and I'm wondering if I use the clips on all four corners and the grid is rated to support the weight of the troffer am I in compliance?

 

[masterinbama]

Get the ceiling guy to show you how to add wires to the bar joists.

 

[Cow]

I'm currently working on a office/warehouse project. In the office area some of the old drop ceilings are going away and they are installing new grid and tile. My problem is the old troffers were never supported with support wires dropped from the bar joists and I dont have a way to get to the bar joists ( another 18 ft. above the drop ceiling ) . I was checking out the Caddy 515A fixture clips online and I'm wondering if I use the clips on all four corners and the grid is rated to support the weight of the troffer am I in compliance?

I use the 515A's on all four corners in addition to the ceiling wires to stay compliant.

Get the ceiling guy to show you how to add wires to the bar joists.

This is what I'd do. I'm not sure how long those tie wire poles reach but 18' is pretty far.

 

[JES2727]

Support wires are not required by, and do not satisfy, the NEC. Caddy fixture clips satisfy the requirements of NEC 410.36(B) for fixture support, but they may not satisfy building code requirements. Check with your local AHJ.

 

[Stevareno]

I'm not sure how long those tie wire poles reach but 18' is pretty far.

Those tie wire poles are usually just 3/4 EMT "southern engineered" to work for the situation. Length extention only requires another 10 foot of 3/4 EMT and a set screw coupling.

 

[maghazadeh]

I'm currently working on a office/warehouse project. In the office area some of the old drop ceilings are going away and they are installing new grid and tile. My problem is the old troffers were never supported with support wires dropped from the bar joists and I dont have a way to get to the bar joists ( another 18 ft. above the drop ceiling ) . I was checking out the Caddy 515A fixture clips online and I'm wondering if I use the clips on all four corners and the grid is rated to support the weight of the troffer am I in compliance?

You mentioned that old grid ceilings are going away, so then with a man left you can reach 18 ft above ceiling, and in areas where grid stays untouched, you still can get a man left that will go through a 2' x 4' opening. Depending on roof material, T-bar ceiling guys have poles that extend long reach to screw wood screws or self tapping screws for different type of roof materials.
Or simply you can take some grid sections disassembled to have larger opning.
I have used extention ladders to reach too.
As a contractor we always exclude ceiling wires, so that ceiling contractor would install them.

 

[cadpoint]

...In the office area some of the old drop ceilings are going away and they are installing new grid and tile....

...I'm wondering if I use the clips on all four corners and the grid is rated to support the weight of the troffer am I in compliance?

Modern day the ceiling grid "system" is not rated to hold anything but itself.

Any of our equipment in the ceiling should be supported independantly of the ceiling grid system. Additional structural members (like kendorlf spannning between the roof framing and 1/4" or 3/8" rods and associated hardware)((Also Caddy Manfactured)) could well hold something above and indendantly of and not on a ceiling grid.