ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Interesting lights

This poses an interesting question. I have visited a number of restarants that use there rustic light fixtures that looks like it consists of homemade materials. One in particular is an upside down metal pail with what looks like a wire guard from a HID fixture. The lamp socket is attached to a fabricated box afixed to the bottom of the pail and suspended from a down rod. I saw no listing labels. How can this be? Are there exceptions that can be argued with the AHJ when these restarants are built?

Blessings, Mark

It is not unusual for us to get jobs that require custom fixtures.

One that I can think of required wall sconces and pendent fixtures that where made of tea cups, in the style of Alice in Wonderland.

I do not know where the shop gets things like this made, but they are able to get custom listed fixtures.

One-off fixture labeling is somewhat like labeling available to electric-sign builders, and subject to periodic unannounced inspections and record keeping for assembled products.

Ryan, is the string going to be home-made or is it a factory-made string?

I've seen these strings as home-made kludges also.

The cheesiest one -- usually done by amusement parks, carnivals and restaurants (usually those places with out-door dining areas) and holiday lighting is the following:

You take two lengths of THHN, THWN or TFFN or whatever (dunno if stranded or solid) and place them parallel. I'm sure some people probably use zip cord because it's so much cheaper.

Then you get these "attach-on" (or signboard) lampholders that use insulation piercing contacts to punch through the inslation after you twist a locking mechanism on top. These are placed so the lampholder is across the two wires (like a ladder).

The entire string then gets spliced into the mains. Festoon lighting I believe it's called.

The NYC Transit Authority uses mostly home-made lighting strings that consist of heavy duty jacketed cable to which are spliced these pigtail lampholders (usually in pairs) and 5" lengths of cord with molded-on convenience receptacles -- picture the female end that's been chopped off an extension cord.

The splices are covered with lots and lots of electrician's tape.

Plastic yellow cages are then attached to the rubber lampholders (these things frequently pop off anyway or get stolen).

In recent years, I've noticed there's a move in some places to use these pre-fab strings.

The Transit Authority also uses some of them.

You can tell because the lampholders are molded on to the service cable -- they also come with plastic bulb cages.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 08-26-2003).]

Sven: I have not seen them yet, but from what I understand they will be a listed product. I spoke with the electrician today and he says he is still working on finding one I will accept. He says he has seen cut-sheets on several they have proposed but knew that I would turn them down.

I was in a Italian food place yesterday that uses festoon type lighting (2 parallel conductors and clamp-on sockets). These were clearly low voltage because I could see a step down transformer near the end of each string. I was able to get to a place where I could read one of the bulbs. 12V. from the R V supplier.

SvenNYC said:


Joe Tedesco later told me via e-mail that you're suppsoed to use STRANDED, not solid, when making a festoon lighting string using insulation-piercing lampholders.

I made the decision today to not allow them. The electrician couldn't give me a listing, so I looked the manufacturer up on the web. Their page page pops up and advertises "temporary lighting".

I discussed this at our IAEI board meeting today, and the consesus was to not allow them.

Thanks for the update Ryan, how did the EC take the news?

Bob

The EC took the news fine, but the owner didn't

I've been playing phone tag with the owner yesterday and today so we'll see what happens.