I'm always interested in doing a better-than-the-code-minimum installation. What do you do that's a notch above what's required?

One that comes to mind for me when I replace all the worn outlets in a house, I have the homeowner tell me which ones they use for the vacuum and put commercial-grade outlets there.

Dave

One that comes to mind for myself is i gfci protect the washer maching outlet. Do to the fact we all the h/o is going to plug in something like a iron there during the daily rush and just possibly they may come into contact with some water, plus little kids love to climb up there.

Another is smoke dectectors in crawl spaces as well as attic but thats just do to the fact im also a firefighter!

I would always tell my customers that I guarantee my installations for life: During either my lifetime or theirs (whicever ends first), I will replace any worn out wiring or devices free of charge (not including faceplates, fixtures or appliances). Invariably, there would be more work they needed, while I was there, that made it profitable for me to give away a couple of switches or receptacles. They always loved it when I would say, "All done, no charge." I always loved it when they would say, "While you are here, could you...."

Good idea about the smokies.

NJ,
Most of the smokes that I have seen are not listed for use in ambients below 32°F or above 120°F. Have you found some that are listed as suitable for use in the attics?
Don

I have just started doing such with in the last year, however i have not received any complaints as of yet about any problems. To answer your questions, no i just used the same as i was using inside the home. However i just spent about an hour researching your question and have found that it is NOT recommended to install in such locations. The apps i installed had a attic fan and gabble vents so it never surpassed 100 degrees up there but im sure it got chilly up there. I see BRK makes a heat dectector that trips around 130 or if a increase of more then 15 degrees with in a minute. Maybe these could be used. I myself will discontinue putting them in said locations untill i speak with a company rep. On the same kind of topic i feel it should become code to require strobe/horn in res. applications. I recently saw a talk show about how people sleep through regular detectors it was scary. Esp as a firefighter.{ Alittle long winded sorry}

I guess the most common things I do beyond the NEC are these.

1)Supports: raceways, cables, enclosures etc. beyond the code minimums and then some.

2)Wire Size: usually one or more sizes up from minimum.

3)Raceway Size: again one or more sizes up from minimum.

4)Identification: Mark panel and circuit designations on J-Box covers, utilization equipment etc.

I will be thinking of this question some more, it is a good one.

Bob

NJ,
I think that even a 130°F heat detector is too low for an attic, I'd look at at least 165°. That is what I have in my attic now. I had photo detector type smokes there, but condensation caused them to trip and I replaced them with heats.
Don

I agree 100 % 130 is to low but my only thing is a smoke is going to catch the fire faster then a heat dect. But anything is better then nothing. I just hope that they can come out with something in the future to cover these types of areas, but be senstive enough for res. work. Maybe they should start using duct detectorsesp since the high efc. furnace run every few mins. it would prob pick up on the smoke pretty fast.

Lightly loaded plug circuits.

Another thing I've done in the last few years in residential is to have all the outlets on 20-amp circuits. I still use 15-amp circuits for lighting unless the load justifies 20-amp.

Dave

All good ideas but.... the average homowner (most) will not know or care how many receptacles are on a circuit, what kind of recepacle it is, etc. Plug it in, it works, that's all they know. My point is going too far overboard might mean less money in your pocket with no return for your effort.

How about insulating bushings (red heads) in MC cable *grin*

-Jon

oh thats what those little red things are for i thought they were for us to chew on, just kidding lol

I agree with electricmanscott. I always went overboard for years in doing a better job than the code required or even my price allowed. Until I realized they were taking all the vacations and I seemed to have spent too much time on the job. Now I save the extra special work for the repeat customers and meet the code with the rest. I now have time to do the installations my wife wants. The customer very rarely notices that you went the extra mile

OK, Lets take this to the next step. When I was in business, and I was working in the attic, if I saw a hole near the chimney, I would tell the homeowner to get it checked out. That goes for when I saw ant or termite damage, again I would tell the HO where I saw the damage. I think that it gave my company credability and that I was looking out for the safety of my customers.

In my particular situation (No permits or inspections most places we work) even minimum code compliance is sometimes a hard sell. We try to do as good an installation as possible and maintain code compliance.

Most homeowners and builders here are only concerned about price,and if it works til you get out of sight,you're a genius.


Russell

I would have to say that there are lots of areas within the data centers that we design, that have requirements well above NEC minimums. Although there are also areas, due to reliability concerns and cost, that we keep to the absolute minimum.
Examples of over the NEC include:
Always pulling a dedicated neutral and EGC for every feeder to a panelboard, and circuit from the panelboard.
Almost always steel compression couplings for EMT, and threaded couplings for RGS with bonding bushings at all terminations.
Providing total coverage with regard to smoke detectors throughout the building.
All Class 2 and 3 circuits including communications, security, fire alarm, HVAC controls, etc in EMT.
Lots and lots of grounding.
TVSS's
UPS sizing
Gen sizing
And much more....

Examples of code minimum include
Smoke detector spacing in a high airflow environment, since the spacing is so tight as required by code (NFPA 72) already, I surely don't make it tighter (normally 125 sq ft per device).
Fan shutdown for smoke detection only when absolutely required by the letter of the code.
Working clearances for equipment; as we need as much space as possible left for the money making computer equipment for the customer
Ground fault detection/protection (except for redundant HVAC equip)
and much more too.