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#16255 11/08/02 12:02 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1
B
Beri Offline OP
Junior Member
I own a co-op unit in a suburb of New York City. The building is aout 100 years old. I hired an electrician to do some work. After completion, the town inspector looked around and cited a violation that there are not enough outlets around the kitchen counters. This was completely unrelated to the work being done. I said to him that this is the way the building was built and that all the other 100 or so apartments are the same way. He is now threatening to force the whole building to add outlets (about 4 per unit), which will require to replace fuse boxes with circuit breakers, and possibly require a beefed up supply from the local electrical utility - overall several hundred thousands of dollars. This sounds like complete madness to me. Even if the units are not to the current code, isn't there a "grandfather" issue here? Are there legal means to fight this? Has anybody experienced such a situation?

Thanks.

#16256 11/08/02 02:11 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 112
G
Member
well, the bottom line is, the "ahj" has the final word, unless you can prove that he made an error in code application. of course, he should be ready to show you, in the code, why he is tagging you. his responsibility is only to inspect the work done, but, and this is a big "but", he has the authority to make sure that whatever the work you had done is connected to code-compliant existing wiring. inspectors can require existing stuff be brought up to code too, if there is a flagrant code violation observed. sounds like your inspector is having a bad day, and wanted to ruin everyone else's too.
btw, there may be other codes in effect too, besides the nec; such as your city code, or state code, that could be much stricter than the nec.

#16257 11/08/02 08:02 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 597
E
Member
Over here in Minneapolis / St. Paul, there is a so called Minimum Maintenance Electrical Code that is a subset of the building code that covers existing buildings. It is created by the local Authority. Your local inspections department can direct you to this, if there is one in force for your area. The purpose of such a code is to clearly spell out what improvements are required above and beyond the original wiring "as built" way back when.

In my area, a kitchen, up to 179 square feet, has to have three receptacles, one of which must be on a 20 amp circuit. Any new wiring added to satisfy this requirement must be done to the standards of the current NEC in effect. That's the 2002, in my area.

Al


Al Hildenbrand
#16258 11/08/02 08:55 PM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,044
Tom Offline
Member
In the area I live in, there is a requirement for permits and inspections in unincorporated areas to be handled by the county. The inspector is legally reuired to enforce the entire building code. If he comes out to inspect your electrical service & sees a plumbing code violation, the property owner will be required to correct the plumbing code problem.

As far as legal means to fight this, get a specific code article citation from the inspector. Hire someone that can determine if the installation met the code at the time of installation. If the installation met the code at the time it was installed, it should be grandfathered, if it didn't meet code for that time, you're probably going to be out of luck.

Why would a fuse box be required to be replaced with a circuit breaker box? This is entirely bogus since there has never been a documented case of a properly sized fuse failing to work. The same cannot be sid about a circuit breaker. Make sure that your local government has actually adopted, by enactment of a law, the removal of fuseboxes.

Just because you need to add outlets doesn't mean you need to add service capacity, after all, receptacles consume no power and there is no limit in a residential setting as to how many can be installed on a circuit.

Tom


Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.
#16259 11/08/02 08:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,457
E
Member
THE AHJ DOES NOT HAVE THE FINAL WORD. This is bull bleep. There is no justification for this, Unless there is a life safety issue (ie live wires hanging from the ceiling). If every building had to be brought up to the current NEC we'd be rewiring every three years. Not gonna happen. Time for some good legal advice to get this guy in line.

#16260 11/08/02 10:17 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 160
C
Member
Tom,
Even though the NEC does not put a limit on the number of receptacles on a circuit,many towns, cities, municipalities,do have documented codes that limit the number of outlets per circuit.The city that I live in has a limit of 8 outlets(recpt,fans, lights) per circuit.
Chris

#16261 11/09/02 12:17 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 74
S
Member
As Chris just stated.. If the city has it in written documentation, then that is it. The nec is the bare minimum. Each mun. has the right to go above the nec requirements, not below. These do have to be in written documentation though, not just an ahj afterthought.
John

#16262 11/09/02 08:05 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
Life Safety codes come to mind with a 100 yr old rental.
Obviously if it has been subjected to minimal maintenence , and no authority has viewed it over time there will be a point when the Levee Breaks .
The usage in electrical appliances havesomewhat been a tad more demanding in contrast to 100 yrs ago.....
As a contractor i read landords thier 'rights' in situations where any AHJ will be by to view my work, if only in that they are allowed to address LifeSafety concerns ( NFPA 101, maybe 73).....

oh....and this is NOT a pull-it-outta-your-large-intestine document.....

Time to pay the piper dude.....

#16263 11/09/02 08:25 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,749
Member
You can save yourself valuable time and get the answers to your questions by contacting the local building department.


[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 11-09-2002).]


Joe Tedesco, NEC Consultant
#16264 11/09/02 08:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,457
E
Member
I would love to see this building upgraded. I am sure it should be. BUT I have s problem with a public official who can force a property owner, be it a 1 unit home or a 100 unit apartment, to spend this kind of money without a clear and present danger. Once again "no good deed goes unpunished" The guy did the right thing by getting an electrician and permits and it comes back and bites him in the ass!

[This message has been edited by Electricmanscott (edited 11-09-2002).]

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