A house by me has just had a metal screened porch built/attached to the back of the house. It has a sticker on the window that says:

What does that mean? and what would a screen room have to do with the NEC?

Bill

Curious. Sounds like the "CE" mark of the common European safety standards. I saw one on the cover of a book a while ago.

The mysteries of the bureaucratic mind.....

58SL???

Sparky,

58SL was also on the sticker,
I don't know if it is relevant or not.

I'm going to try and get a set of Books from UL so that I can look stuff like this up.

Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 11-16-2001).]

Composite panels are factory-built assemblies for use in, within, or as part of the structure of buildings for commercial,
industrial, and residential use.

These factory-built panels may incorporate pre-installed materials and equipment which after installation are concealed and
which may not be accessible for inspection at the installation site.

These factory built panels are intended for installation subject to approval by the authority having jurisdiction.

These panels have been investigated in accordance with the applicable sections of one or more Model Building Code,
Plumbing Code, the National Electrical Code, a State Building Code and/or an applicable Building Code of the local
jurisdiction.

As an alternate the panels may have been investigated in accordance with only one or more specific areas of a code such as
electrical, plumbing, mechanical, structural, etc.

Structural strength requirements vary with wind and snow conditions of each locality and stability is to a large measure
dependent upon the attachment of the panels to field-erected foundations or structures. Local inspection authorities should be
consulted with respect to their requirements for the methods to be employed to attach the panels.

Prefabricated Composite Panel

Prefabricated Office Divider Panels

When the Building Code does not include specific requirements for such features as air cooling and heating systems, fuel
supply systems, chimney and venting systems, flame spread, etc. the applicable requirements of the National Fire Codes are
used.

The flammability of building materials employed in panels is judged to be no greater than that of ordinary lumber used in
site-constructed buildings or as shown on the Classified Marking.

LOOK FOR CLASSIFICATION MARKING ON PRODUCT

The Classified Marking of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (shown below) on the product is the only method provided by
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. to identify Composite Panels produced under its Classified and Follow-Up Service.

COMPOSITE PANEL
CLASSIFIED BY
UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES INC.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH
(BUILDING CODE, NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, ETC.)

Joe,

Thanks for the reference. Does that mean that they could come prewired somehow? This one isn't though so I don't really understand why the sticker is on it. Or, could it have built-in wiring channels?

I don't see anything that looks even remotely Electrical-related.

Bill

Bill: You should go to http://www.ul.com and look for the keyword search engine to the guide cards to find out more. I did that and the information above is what I found. I imagine that the panels would be considered to be suitable for electrical wiring systems to be installed in them.

Bill:
Maybe it has to do with building grounding and bonding, in the '99 code in section 250-104 FPN it says bond the cold air returns, this seems to be the direction we are headed.

-T,

That could be, I hadn't thought of that angle. It probably is in good metal-to-metal contact throughout. It just caught me by surprise because this thing is totally Windows floor to ceiling. There is not even any place to recess a box.

Bill


[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 11-17-2001).]

Maybe "they" are trying to alert the installer that if used for living quarters, that ' Floor outlets ' may be required.

You mentioned ' window ' , so I guess it is not totally metal and thus the porch can be protected from driving rain.

Not good architectial design to have those extention cords under carpets or around the perimeter of the porch for todays electrical items. But usually 'too' late to install floor boxes in concrete after the permit is obtained.

[This message has been edited by Glenn (edited 11-18-2001).]

Glenn,

Maybe I'll take a picture this week. Yes, there is a roof
It was built on a deck. There is some type of pressboard flooring with styrofoam below that and a sheet-metal bottom. Outlets will be fed from underneath with UF through floor to wiremold boxes mounted on the posts between windows.

Bill

Of course we could be completely missing the fact that UL would like to mark everything from tennis balls to toenail clippers.

One more minor point to add, UL employs 'listed' 'classified' and 'recognized' as three basics, and elaborates to diversities from each. Do you know the difference? Does the end user? Ask UL for a colorful reply worth framing.

Here is the Screen Room in question. Apparently some of the channels may be used as a raceway according to the installer.

Bill

Just an observation.

If the room is rain-tite when all windows and doors are closed and the brochures and advertizings in the flyers and newspapers mention " sunroom ", then wouldn't the NEC prevail.

[This message has been edited by Glenn (edited 11-21-2001).]

Glenn,

I would say that it is raintite and may fit the description of a Sunroom, especially as it will also contain skylights. It is still undeniably an 'attached' structure in that it can be removed (most installations) at any time without compromising any part of the main house at all.

I started another Discussion on the wiring requirements at:
https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000347.html

Bill

Bill Addiss We've got somewhat of an answer in fact it's already been partially answered. These sunroom/porch assemblys are indeed approved as raceways in most cases (be sure of the NEC code stamping or etching of the glass panels) sometimes the glass panels were marked because they were perminantly afixed to the adjacent channel and less obtrusive to see. At any rate I have seen some horrible miss use of this raceway for recepticle and switch placement. First of all it is indeed a nice way to be able to route wiring around the windows and door openings when no basement is present. the manufacturers of these components do have the appropriate boxes to cut into these raceways, but most companys installing these systems seem to have thrown away those pages when ordering a room for there customers. This results in some people with no outlets or lighting options (enclosed and accessable from the dwelling considered by our local authority as a habitable room...yah even in -40 degree weather), recepticles cut into the raceway without a box (nice), and my favorite the finished sunroom with handy boxes and emt painted to match the decor.

Dublin,

As I understood from the Company that installed the room only some of the channels are approved as raceway. For instance the upright channel to the right of the door has a removable channel cover. That was the only one I think. I'm not sure if the bottom channel could be used as it also doubles as a draining system. They had some type of a metal cover (like a molding) that they said could be used to cover and protect surface mounted wiring. I didn't get a close look at it as everything was already wired from below.

Bill