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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2
C
New Member
In the construction period of a building, at what stage can the electrical rough-in start. For instance if it is a residential building, does the roof have to be completely sealed, do all the windows have to be in.

Is there a rule to define this better than Rule 2-024?

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 947
T
twh Offline
Member
Don't install the panel where it will get rained on.

Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 264
Member
Why would you want to start wiring before the building is enclosed?

I don't know of any rule against it but I haven't seen anyone place boxes and run wire before the basic structure is finished unless it was concrete or something similar where you had to place boxes and conduit in advance.


A malfunction at the junction
--------------------------------------
Dwayne
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,273
T
Member
In Commercial, it's as common as dust to start at any time and carry on through the weather.

But, Romex is banned.

In the Romex world, no-one touches a THING until the (wood) structure is buttoned up.

Should rain water hit your Romex -- the AHJ will have you rip it out.

It's impossible to get it to dry out in field conditions.

(Romex is a one-way water wick.)


Tesla
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2
C
New Member


"Why would you want to start wiring before the building is enclosed?"


It is a 3 story wood framed building, we want to start the rough-in as soon as the first floor is up, the wiring is all Lumex.

How can you say that Romex is a water wick, do you mean to say it wicks through the pvc coating, I doubt that.
If it wicks water through the cut of ends that is easy to control.

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 947
T
twh Offline
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You can carry ac90, nmd90, and pretty much any other thing you can think of, in the back of an open truck in any weather and no one will complain when you later install it.

In Saskatchewan, we have a rule about replacing equipment after a flood. It's clear that the wire has to be submerged before it has to be replaced.

Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,273
T
Member
Canelectric...

You've really got me scratching my head.

Non-metallic cable runs so fast that I can't imagine a scenario which wouldn't have you 'over-running' the rough carpenters.

As for labor efficiency: lots of luck.

&&&&

The last hurdle: will the GC be tossing in changes? Ever?

Because, it's a rare GC that will eat any re-work/ extras from an early Romex crew.

twh...

One must presume that THEY presume that the EC is going to nibble off any saturated tips... so that wet Romex -- whatever -- doesn't actually get installed.

&&&&&&&&

Wicking water is easy to control.

Well, you may well be right. I'm not a Romex racer.

MY AHJ is unsparing. And our weather is remarkably dry.

It's 20 degrees outside right now -- Centigrade.

&&&&&&&&&

Unless humanity drastically changes at the 49th parallel, your lowest cost work will happen when the building is buttoned up... you can lift the interior temperature to above freezing... hopefully at least 8 degrees Centigrade... hopefully with no-one in your way... hopefully with the stray lumber removed from being a trip hazard... hopefully being able to go vertically -- at will -- everywhere in the building... with no risk of uncompensated double work.

It's been my experience that you CAN'T predict the speed of the other trades. I've seen some very slow crews in my time.

In the few cases when I was FORCED to work with and around them, such laggards spread their pains back to all of the other trades.

Some GCs are picky enough that they don't allow subs on during the rough in.

I experienced this, once. It ruined our economics. We REALLY wanted to be there when the cinder block went up.

The GC flatly prohibited it. It cost us plenty.

&&&&&&

I can certainly see why the limited sweet weather in Canada would have all subs looking for open spaces to work in cold weather. In which case, our southern norms may not pencil out for you folks at all.

&&&&&&

BTW, enjoy your last season of the Canadian real estate bubble.

Down here, new (electrical) construction has largely collapsed. We have THAT much excess commercial space going unrented. It took over five years to find tenants for a local project. It's STILL not fully rented -- and the rent has been shaved in half. The owner developer is just taking it in the shorts.

If it were not for retro-fit, PV and government work, nothing would be going on, hereabouts.

Our overhang of commercial space is so vast that California could go forty-years in most markets without building anything from the ground up. (Yes, a trickle will continue.... but that's it. The developer-owners are losing their shirts.)





Tesla

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