Does Flex need to be strapped when fished through a drop ceiling?

Dropped ceiling with removable panels just means laziness...

Laziness? Having to open every tile on a 100+' run is alot more then opening 3 or 4.

I do not believe for a minute that the inspector will agree that a suspended ceiling run is 'fished'.

IMO you will have to support the FMC off the ceiling.

I agree with e57.

To put things in perspective.
100' run- 4' tiles= 25 tiles. Open every other one to strap means 12-13 tiles opened.

If tiles are 2' long then you open every 2-3 tiles, 15-25 opened. Whats the big deal. Leaving flex laying on tiles is lame. It's bad enough when the LV guys do it.

I believe the NEC now requires even low voltage cables to be supported in dropped ceilings. I don't think laying the cables accross the grid is acceptable anymore.

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 12-04-2005).]

Every 4.5' would be every tile. It was not fished just straight across the tile but over whatever was available to support it without getting in there.

[This message has been edited by Wireless (edited 12-04-2005).]

We just went thru this with a store, the LV guy fished the camera cables, no permit, just one problem the fire, and construction offical were in the store at the time, finally they caught a live one, the store owner was not very happy, paying to have it done right.

Probably a better question is why are you using 100 feet of greenfield in one run?

-Hal

And if it was piped in say E.M.T. it would only have to be supported every 10'. I have to agree with everyone else here, do it right the first time and support the flex to what the code calls for. Good luck.

I'd say 300.11 would not allow the ceiling grid to be used as support for the raceway.
There is no exception because the ceiling is an existing one.

WOW - Use the L word and watch out...

Didn't mean to offend, but recently had someone tell me that fishing MC the same way over a dropped grid cieling was OK. When I said, "Man, thats a lot of tiles to open..." They looked at me like I was nuts, I then looked at them like they were nuts.

It (a grid ceiling) is designed that way for this express purpose...

IMO pipe is an easier method too. One caddy per 10', usually in the same tile you're putting the coupling in. (And support wire too, if ness. Think about how many of those you need for flex, or MC?)

Go as the crow flies, and it don't need to pretty, just solid. Straight pulls easier... Duck and run....

Oh, where I am (SF,CA) FMC is limited to 6' maximum.... In any size...

Let's not all forget about 348.26.
FMC should be limited to not more than the equivalent of 360 degrees worth of bends between pulling points.
I'm sure that over the course of a 100 foot run, there are more than 360 degrees worth of bends just in the places where it droops after going over something.

e57 your right emt is the easiest and the way I would normally do it. just this specific job I was not planning on running to the panel and I didn't have my caddy clips everyone was closed and it was to far away to have to go back.

Use tie wire to lash it to the support wire.... Screw it to the ceiling....