Shop electrical wiring....

[muddstopper]

Oh and ours was also required on every outlet. Dad went back and forth with the inspector about that and a few other issues that dad said was inaccurate as far as some national code he was required to follow. There reply was their way or they wouldn't sign off on it.

Electricians do electrical work, those that cant, become inspectors. I had run ins with inspectors on electrical work before. One call to the state board and the inspectors where more than glad to sign off on the electrical work on my house. If your work meets the national code and the inspectors wont sign off on it, just give the state boys a call and they will handle it for you. Hopefully every area isnt as bad as where I live when it comes to the inspectors making up the rules as they go. I think the inspectors here think they must find something wrong just to make you think they are smarter than they really are.

 

[Rio_Grande]

On the florecents tripping the GFIC, Dad spoke to a rep that their company uses and he advised that it was because we were feeding the lights off of one GFIC outlet that I decided to put in last minute. We were trying to save wire, and amp wise we were fine but the high frequency of the florecent lights dosent play well with the GFIC. Friend of mine had the same problem. I sold him all my old GFIC outlets so he could get through his inspection.

As for inspectors. The local inspector I was dealing with got him self fired. He used to work at a local hardware store as a yard boy. Guess that made him qualified. everyone had a tough time with him. The one before that cost us a half days work waiting on him to inspect the footer depth and when he got there he never got out of the truck.

I dont know a lot about electrical, I have to defer to dad for that.

 

[Kenfyoozed]

Im finally getting my re-insection today. Took a while to get the one-shot cad-welds in stock from the supply house. First they shipped the wrong ones from the warehouse, then the holidays hit and they were off a good bit. I did everything the way the inpector asked me to, so i hope this helps. Even when an had a talk with him about how HE wanted things done. So just waiting until i get home to see what else is needed....

 

[Kenfyoozed]

Success! pased rough-in. Now just got to button everything up! Thanks for all of your help!!!!

 

[Kenfyoozed]

Passed final electrical inspection with a breeze...thanks guys

 

[Ed of all trades]

I was the hvac foreman on a lot of jobs and have found that if you treat the inspector with respect, if you think he deserves it or not you tend to get a lot less flack, and that makes your job easier.

 

[CJONE]

I was the hvac foreman on a lot of jobs and have found that if you treat the inspector with respect, if you think he deserves it or not you tend to get a lot less flack, and that makes your job easier.

Yep, treat them with respect and do what they want and you won't have any major problems. I actually had 1 inspector make me ground my light fixtures to the plastic mount boxes. [And yes I am serious] If anyone can figure that out let me know!! CJ

 

[newbury]

I know it's an old thread, but it's about the same title I would have chosen.
So
Background
My shops :


They include an apartment acroos the back of the big center shop.

They have wiring dating from the '80's augmented by wiring by untrained monkeys. I've found live circuits ending in a loop 8' off the floor just cut off. Extension cords spliced together w/ electrical tape with grounding plugs removed to wire to ceiling lights.

There is no "inspection" in this rural area. SWMBO had four 15 amp outlets put in the kitchen last spring (2013) by a licensed electrician recommended by relatives who are doctors and dentists. I wasn't there, I was busy monitoring the remodel below. NO GFCI - apparently he didn't even mention the need for 20 amp and GFCI. SWMBO's attitude is there's no inspection, it might have saved a few dollars.

I view that as I can build a car without brakes.

"The remodel below" was an expensive kitchen upgrade on a house I have which my son and family have since moved into. The contractor ripped out all the old wiring in the kitchen and ran new 20 AMP GFCI, I was there for the inspections.

Problem:
Need to gradually upgrade the shops and 2 kitchens here, plus 2 kitchens at other houses, about 20 separate circuits. Not to mention about a dozen bathrooms, laundry rooms etc.

That's a lot of GFCI outlets and/or circuits. I've heard advantages and disadvantages of using GFCI outlets versus breakers. And I need to decide what I'm going to use but I still have to buy them. I've read that a regular circuit breaker may only be good for two trips before it needs replacing.
Molded Case Breakers, how many trips are too many? Jim D? - Page 2

Questions for the TBN borg:
Is that true (trip twice and junk) of GFCI breakers?

What about GFCI outlets? Trip twice and replace?

What's the current recommendation for breaker vs outlet?

Where are some GOOD inexpensive sites for GFCI breakers and outlets? At $36/breaker they get expensive.

Any recommended brands of GFCI breakers and outlets?

 

[paulharvey]

Typically GFCIs last many trips. Also you can "daisy chain" outlets down stream of them, and those are protected too, but use a regular $2.50 outlet. Basically you would likely only need one GFCI per kitchen or bath. Now... you can link all bathrooms back to a GFCI in the say master bath, but the additional wire and confusing likely isn't worth it.

By breakers, I'm unaware of a GFCI replacing breaker, Arc Fault breakers are not the same. Consalt an electrician, but I believe refrigerator requires a dedicated breaker, but no need for GFCI because its not in a wet area. Dishwasher im unsure of.

For your shops I would have one GFCI per building, as when youve got no juice in shed #2, you probably dont want to hunt around in shed #1 for the outlet hidden under a qork bench, behind 37 half empty cans of paint...

 

[newbury]

Typically GFCIs last many trips. Also you can "daisy chain" outlets down stream of them, and those are protected too, but use a regular $2.50 outlet. Basically you would likely only need one GFCI per kitchen or bath. Now... you can link all bathrooms back to a GFCI in the say master bath, but the additional wire and confusing likely isn't worth it.

In the remodel there ended up being three circuits in the kitchen with exposed wall outlets and he put in three GFCI outlets and labeled the few "downstream" outlets as "protected by GFCI" upstream.

By breakers, I'm unaware of a GFCI replacing breaker, Arc Fault breakers are not the same. Consalt an electrician, but I believe refrigerator requires a dedicated breaker, but no need for GFCI because its not in a wet area. Dishwasher im unsure of.

By a GFCI breaker I meant like this: Square D by Schneider Electric Homeline 20 Amp Single-Pole GFCI Circuit Breaker-HOM120GFICP at The Home Depot

For your shops I would have one GFCI per building, as when youve got no juice in shed #2, you probably dont want to hunt around in shed #1 for the outlet hidden under a qork bench, behind 37 half empty cans of paint...

That would seem to beg a GFCI breaker in the main (very accessible) breaker panel.

And after further reading the directions for some GFCI circuit breakers advise testing MONTHLY so they must last WAY more than two trips.