I have a machine in the middle of the floor of a bakery and they want to have a cord hanging from the ceiling to plug the machine in when they use it then unplug it and move it out of the way when not in use.
I hung a cord from the ceiling, a twist loc recept, it has strain relieve connector and a strain relieve hanger but inspector does not like it. Any idea's?

What specifically does the inspector like?

Joey,

Is this a Twist-lock connector?
Or a Receptacle in a Box?

Bill

Would he buy into basket-grip connectors on the upper and lower ends of the cord?

Another approach may be liquidtite flexible-metal conduit with Kellems connectors on both ends. Worked well in a printing shop one time.

It is a twist loc cord cap hanging.
The inspector just said, I don't know if I like that. I was not there to meet him

... He's gonna have to be a tad bit more specific here,...I looked in the Codebook all night long and couldn't find an Article or section for "I don't know if I like that".. Maybe it'll be in the new 2005 book,..I could just see it now,.. Art.900.1[B]... The AHJ shall reserve the right to be as ambiguous as possible in determining the offending device as unsafe..
Russ

I had a shop set up this way with around 30 drops hard wired into a j-box and had it rejected also.
Inspector sited 2002 NEC 400.8 (1) "Uses not permitted". " As a substitute for fixed wiring of a structure."

I ended up going with the sealtight method mentioned above. (Those threaded cord caps were not cheap!)

[This message has been edited by kentvw (edited 09-29-2004).]

Pendants are specifically permitted by 400.7(A)(1). They are also discussed in 210.50(A) (Cord Pendants}; 314.23(H)(1) (Pendant Boxes, Flexible Cord); 314.25(C) (Flexible Cord Pendants); and 314.42 (Bushings).

I think the statement made by the inspector was a request for you to do his job and justify your use of the pendant cord with a code reference. He couldn't just come out and say due to his limited experience and knowledge of the code, he didn't have a clue if it was permitted or not, but rather he said, "I don't know if I like that".
Cite the code references already posted by SolarPowered, and make him either accept or reject the installation.
By the way, inspectors are required to cite the code reference violated when they reject an installation. We should all insist upon those code references when we get bad news.

Thanks guys. I don't run into inspectors like this often as I try to be there when they are but 7am to noon was to big of a window to hang around for. The guy has no office hours as well, his secratary claims he is in and gone before I get here and I never see him.
If I ran a business like that I would be out of business. I have 3 calls into him to call me with a reason I can't do it like I did.

FWIW I do installations like you describe all the time and have never had a problem with any local authority.

GJ

Same here, Joey. A pendant is a pendant. Use them all the time in similar circumstances.

I justed talked with the inspector and because I have the cord hanging thru a ceiling tile he wanted it sleeved with a plate and a nipple. It has jogged my noggin and I have had to do that in the past so easy fix. Thanks again for the help.

Reminds me of the inspector who would show up on the job, look around, then say, "That looks like $@#%. Fix it!" Then he would walk away. It turns out he didn't see a thing. The next trip, he would say, "That's much better." The guys eventually got wise to him and would "fix" nothing. It didn't matter if the contractor spent a week trying to "fix" what wasn't broke, or simply did another job for a week, the second inspection always passed.
What a lazy inspector!

"because I have the cord hanging thru a ceiling tile "

Now that's a horse of a different color. You didn't mention that before. It's a definite no-no. You cannot run cord through a ceiling tile.