Not to worry, three times around the AG bar and a plastic NM connector are more than enough.



To make it even better it is 277 volt.

Bob, is this at one of the "Traffic light" stores??

Peter

[This message has been edited by CTwireman (edited 05-20-2004).]

Yes it is, a employee only area.

I assume there is a reason that the ceiling is ripped out? Did you fix the sign?

Most likely the ceiling was in the way of the the copper lines you can see.

No, I did not fix it, we have strict instructions from this customer not to touch anything we have not been given a PO number for.

Unless there is a imminent danger to people we can not do anything and if there is a danger all we can do is "make it safe".

This exit sign will get fixed when the customers safety officer inspects and puts it on a list.

Bob, are stores commonly wired in NM cable in your area? We nearly never see it here.

Yes it was a common method for these 60,000 to 100,000 sq ft stores. Now under the 2002 code we use MC, in exposed areas it is EMT.

Personally I never liked pulling NM through steel truss and I-beams, even though you could easily pull 5 or 6 home runs at a time with NM, we can not pull that many at a time with MC.

Bob, so I assume this is not Mass. then, as Mass. ammended the "no NM above drop ceiling rule" to allow the practice to continue, correct? (I don't have the code section in front of me)

Devil's advocate: As bad as that is, NM cable, especially the older stuff, is pretty durable.


I think NM is the greastest stuff on earth. That's probably because I do a lot of residential work so I have an obvious bias. MC cable is nice too but in times like these it is extremely expensive.

Peter

I've only come across one commercial building that actually had NM-B for the original wiring.. It was all wood construction also..
Usually I find NM-B in commercial by means of someone adding or moving wiring on their own & not knowing it's not allowed here...

-Randy

PS... At least they didn't just lay it on top of the grid ceiling!

I have to say here that I do service calls at many of these NM stores and almost never are the service calls traceable to the use of NM.

Yes MA has amended the requirement but in a way that is hard to meet in these stores.


MC support requirements allows us to run between the truss which are generally five and a half feet apart, we can not do that with the "closely follow the surface" requirement of NM.