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Thread: Sparkies: What's the convention for leaving some wiring slack?

  1. #1
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    Sparkies: What's the convention for leaving some wiring slack?

    I'm putting a few new ceiling boxes in my unfinished shop/garage. In the near future when I finish the room, I'll be dropping the ceiling by a few inches. What's the preferred way to leave a little extra wire at the J-box so it can be dropped and/or moved in the future (maybe 12-18"). Would you just leave some slack or would you fold up the wire/coil it outside the J-box? I'd like to do a neat job in phase 1 just in case I never get to dropping the ceiling/finishing the room. Thanks.

  2. #2
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    All wire should be inside the j-box.
    No PHD, but I have a DD 214

  3. #3
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    This is a question for your electrical inspector...

    I would think that mine wouldn't have a problem with a loop of Romex above the box, as long as it was well secured to the building (with zip ties or something similar).

    You'll still need the wire to be fastened within 6" of the box, or for the box to have an appropriate clamp.

  4. #4
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    Seeing as the space is currently unfinished, I'd run the romex a foot or two past the box, then turn and come back to the box. The loop will have to be stapled near the turn, and again within 8" of the box, but it will be easy to pull the extra staples to free the loop if/when you drop the ceiling and need to move the box. Just remember to keep the romex at least 1.5 inches from the edge of the ceiling joists.

  5. #5
    Be careful of code violations based on "hidden junction points". I do not know if US tracks Canadian regs on this, but Mr 'Make-it-Right' Holmes certainly railed against them on his program...? Make sure the JBs you're installing now can be covered, and the wire extended to the dropped box/fixture without needing to splice it - - i.e. no wire nuts in the 'hidden' box. Splices/wire nuts are fine in the 'accessible' boxes.

  6. #6
    You need an electrician or the local inspector to answer the question.

    My guess is you'll have to do a whip from the box to the fixture in mc cord

  7. #7
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    Victor

    You'll need to talk to your inspector on that one.
    I did my electrical apprenticeship in CA a zillion years ago, and CA had/has some very burdensome electrical requirements, that dovetailed with the building codes for earthquakes.
    If it were me I'd reverse your question and try to determine how I could run the wiring from the final box location to the "temporary" location.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  8. #8
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    I would plan on moving the whole box if you do drop the ceiling. As I mentioned above, leave extra romex (properly, but reversibly secured), and then move the whole box to it's new location. This way you won't have any inaccessible junction boxes (which are never allowed by code). However, if you do a dropped ceiling with removable panels, then a box above it would not be considered inaccessible and would be allowed. In that case you could use the old boxes as junction boxes and run new romex to new boxes...but that seems like a lot more work than removing a couple of staples and relocating the box.

  9. #9
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    Consider using screws and clamps to hold the extra romex instead of staples. Much easier to remove later with no risk of cable damage.
    Bill

  10. #10
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    Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I'm going to go with Paul's suggestion (thank you sir). And yes, very aware of code violations related to hidden J-boxes - spent the last year or two discovering many of them in my home GRRR.

    Still not sure whether I'll do a ceiling with removable panels or drywall in the future, so this gives me flexibility for that.

  11. #11
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    I have no input on the electric but a shop ceiling should be removable panels, IMO.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    I have no input on the electric but a shop ceiling should be removable panels, IMO.
    Interesting - what specifically makes you say that?

  13. #13
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    Workshops tend to constantly change. I think drywall is more difficult to change.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  14. #14
    The make splices you can bury inside the wall if needed.

  15. #15
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    I may be missing something here, but why wouldn't you just install regular boxes flush with the bottom of the joist and then add a mud ring to add the additional box depth needed for the finished ceiling?

    Scott

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