ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Walk in Closet

Typically the area is defined by what it is called on the approved prints.

If is says dressing room than it is, if it says closet it is.

No group hugs but I am not 'heated' I am just trying to put facts out not assumptions.

Along with Bob's post, the FPN is simply giving examples of what may be an AHJ, whether or not at any given time in history it has been the case or not.

It could have included wording such as "your wife's brother if he smokes menthol cigarettes", "your high school principal", "your towns most succesfull liquor store owner", your towns least succesfull liquor store owner", "your towns most recent chili cook off champion", (I could have been our AHJ one year with that being the case ) or what have you, the reality is that in most areas it is a government agency.

As far as changing what a room is on a print, here it would have to be resubmitted for the permitting and plan review, otherwise it is inspected as it was permitted.

Roger

Roger,

I understand the sarcasm and humor (congrats by the way Chili Champ ) in your post, but I have to disagree with the suggestion or implication that the list is ambiguous and meaningless, when the reality is that the AHJ is very likely to be one of the people in that list, and if you need to find out, those would be the best places to start. The first list concerns public safety, so that would apply to most of us. If your intent was to say that inclusion in the list alone does not define the AHJ, then point made.

Bob, quite honestly I'm a little surprised that it's a moderator pushing this mood (and yes, heat) with subtle put downs and suggestion that you're the only one operating based on fact.
What fact or statistic do you have to support that?

I agree, the first response to the OP was out of bounds and dealt with appropriately.
But since then it's been, "do yourself a favor, you might learn something, the solutions are obvious, It is very simple." And then a suggestion that everyone else here is willing to put their license on the line for this??
Then your argument cleverly moves form that being a misstatement to (paraphrase) "whoever is giving you permission probably isn't the AHJ anyway".

Don't get me wrong, I find you extremely knowledgeable, a great arguer and edgy at times which make for a great read.... I just can’t help but think there are some interesting points here being made that may be getting lost because you are coming across (at least on my screen) as being in attack mode. That’s fine, I’m just a little surprised seeing it from a moderator.

jps.

by me

by jps

I do not have any statistic or fact to support that.

However in the three states I hold a license in, MA, RI, and CT it is a State level official or agency that is the AHJ.

It makes little sense to have every inspector be the "AHJ" just for this very reason brought up in this thread.

If each city or towns inspector was the AHJ then an EC would have to be a mind reader to figure out each local AHJs interpretation of the NEC.

It makes much more sense to have the AHJ to be one central office, agency, person etc to make the interruptions and the decisions of the code allows of the AHJ.

This would be the same as saying that a police officer could change the laws at will.

When it is actually the courts or legislature that makes the laws.


Well I agree to a point, when I said....

"Your AHJ is wrong to let it slide and you are wrong for doing it. (Unless your area has an amendment.)"

....I should have said...

"Your Inspector is wrong to let it slide and you are wrong for doing it. (Unless your area has an amendment.)"

...and then I should have brought up the fact that the inspector is not likely the AHJ.

Now lastly, I do not have much patients when people are quick to criticize the NEC but have never tried to change it.

IMO, either try to use the NEC as is or make the effort to change it.

Bob



[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 01-27-2007).]

Jps, thanks for the congrats.


Actually the list is meaningless, FPN's carry no weight, they are simply suggestions or possible examples which may or may not be any more substantial than what we might come up with.

IMO, the FPN should not even be included with the definition.

The definition is pretty clear to me.

Roger

I wish I could get you on the IL lobby for a unified state electrical code. Around here every village and city is its own AHJ whether we have a population of 10,000 or millions and whether there are several inspectors or one.

Since every AHJ around here is different with slight variations on amendments, we effectively have the same situation described above that requires us to be mind readers when we cross the railroad tracks.

I have met inspectors that claim to be the AHJ, kind of your only sheriff in town type. I had no reason to doubt it and still don't. Remember agencies and offices consist of people, and some of them are very small (1 man).

But I also had my town's inspector refuse to allow the exact situation described here originally when I asked for exception and he told me flat out he was only an inspector (a very good one at that) and not the AHJ.
That’s fine, everyone has their hot button issues, but criticism can be the first steps to change, and I have found a lot of the criticisms around here thought provoking whether from an activist or not.

Bob, I've thought about this the past couple of days and have come to the conclusion that as a moderator you are asked to guide the ship the best way you know how. I think you have done that to the best of your ability. No hard feelings here. Afterall, I do electrical construction for a living and I shouldn't have acted so sensitive.

--Ron