Is my garage wiring up to code?


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Old 08-22-09, 06:59 AM
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Is my garage wiring up to code?

I need some help to figure out if the work I have done is up to code, and will pass a inspection. I have searched around, and spoke with several people, and can't seem to get a straight answer.

I decided I wanted to add much more lighting and some ceiling fans to my garage. I will try to clearly explain what I did and post pictures. The goal was to add extra lighting to each side of the garage, and a fan to each side of the garage. I also wanted to be able to control each row of lights separately, as well as each fan. This gives me a total of 4 switches. Although it may not have been necessary I decided to put all this on it own breaker.



1. Installed breaker with two 15 AMP switches on it. This was what seemed to be in place for most of the rest of my house.

2. Ran a 14/2 cable from the breaker panel to where I the box that the 4 switches will be held.

3. Ran 14/2 cable to each bank of lights.

4. Ran 14/2 cable to each ceiling fan.

5. Created pig tail on each switch for the ground and black wire.

6. Use red wire connector to tie all the ground wires to the ground coming from the panel.

7. Used red wire connector to tie all white wires to white wire coming from the panel.

8. Used red wire connector to tie pig tailed wire of each switch to black wire coming from panel.

9. Connected remaining black wire off each switch to the black wire of its corresponding cable run.



Everything is working as planned, but my concerns are as follows.

1. I messed up when running the wire from the panel to the switch box, and it was to short. I mounted a junction box in the attic to make it longer. Is this allowed?



2. I had to drill two holes to run the five wires down to the switch box. One has three wires, the other two. Is this fine?



3. Are there any rules to how many wires I can have going into the switch box? If so, am I good, or am I breaking the rules with the five wires going to one spot? Plus the one wire that was already existing for the original light.



4. Did I do this correctly by bringing the cable from the panel all the way to the switch box, or should this have been handles differently? Like a junction box in the attic to make each wire hot?

Sorry for such a long post, but wanted to be clear about what I did, and if I did it correctly. More photo's can be seen here.

Chad's Multiply Site - Garage Electrical


Thanks,

Chad
 

Last edited by hcbrf3; 08-22-09 at 07:14 AM.
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Old 08-22-09, 07:33 AM
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I messed up when running the wire from the panel to the switch box, and it was to short. I mounted a junction box in the attic to make it longer. Is this allowed?
Looks ok to me, just needs a blank cover.

I had to drill two holes to run the five wires down to the switch box. One has three wires, the other two. Is this fine?
Looks fine also. Is the cable secured within every 4.5'? There's some new rules about running cable in attics, so maybe someone else can elaborate.
Are there any rules to how many wires I can have going into the switch box? If so, am I good, or am I breaking the rules with the five wires going to one spot? Plus the one wire that was already existing for the original light.
Looks fine.
Did I do this correctly by bringing the cable from the panel all the way to the switch box, or should this have been handles differently? Like a junction box in the attic to make each wire hot?
The way you did is fine. Whether you feed into the lights and switch it there or feed the switches and branch off there, is more of a matter of whatever is easiest. You'll need to secure the wires going into the switch box within 8" and that switch that's by itself, I would move it up or down, it looks like you'll play hell getting the cover on.
 
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Old 08-22-09, 07:39 AM
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Chad,

The wiring above the 4 gang switch box should be secured to the stud within 12" of the box. I would suggest something like the 3M Stak-it.

The conductors in the attic splice look a little short. You should have 6" of free conductor. Remember to leave the box accessible and to install a blank cover.

The switch box splices look correct functionally, but do not appear to be in the switch box. Perhaps it is the angle of the photo. When cutting the cable sheath you need 1/4" inside the box or clamp. It looks like there is quite a bit more. This is not a problem, but does make it harder to work with and to fold neatly into the box.

I can't tell if the other wiring was secured at proper intervals. You should have secured it within 12" of the fixtures and multi-gang boxes and within 8" of single gang boxes. After that no more than 4 1/2' between staples.
 
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Old 08-22-09, 07:43 AM
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Just a couple of observations.
1. The junction box in the attic must be accessible and covered.
3. You'll be fine with the number of cables. I only question the extra switch and box to the right. What will you do with that? Also, is that a thermostat above the electrical boxes?
4. Bringing the power to the switch box is perfectly ok, and probably the best, since you have 4 units that need powering.
In your Multiply montage, you had lighting fixtures hanging from chains. You can gain more headroom if you flush mount them. Light travels at 176,000 miles a second or so, so the other 3 or 4 inches won't matter much if you flush mount them.
 
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Old 08-22-09, 07:45 AM
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Originally Posted by pcboss
You should have secured it within 12" of the fixtures and multi-gang boxes and within 8" of single gang boxes.
Thanks for that clarification, I thought it was 8" if the box had no clamp and 12" if it did.
 
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Old 08-22-09, 07:54 AM
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Sometimes I wonder what we did before the internet.

I should have added that I haven't secured much yet, because I wanted to make sure I had it right first. I had just read in another post about needing 6" in the junction box, so I will get that corrected. I will check into and get the 3M product you recommended. I will also move that switch.

I am so glad to get some feedback that this stuff is correct. I had read something about a max of 5 wires going into a box, and wasn't sure if this would be ok. Was trying to figure out if you can only have 5 wires, why do they sell a 4 gang box?

Thanks for the help guys!
 
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Old 08-22-09, 08:04 AM
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Originally Posted by hcbrf3
needing 6" in the junction box,
If you're talking about the joints you made in the attic, I wouldn't even sweat that. If someone breaks aout a measuring tape and you have 5 3/4" they really need something else to do. Looks like to have enough to me.
 
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Old 08-22-09, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by wirenut1110
Thanks for that clarification, I thought it was 8" if the box had no clamp and 12" if it did.
You are correct, no clamp = within 8", with clamps within 12".
 
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Old 08-22-09, 11:01 AM
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Originally Posted by hcbrf3
I am so glad to get some feedback that this stuff is correct. I had read something about a max of 5 wires going into a box, and wasn't sure if this would be ok. Was trying to figure out if you can only have 5 wires, why do they sell a 4 gang box?

Thanks for the help guys!
The only way you can have max numbers of conductors in the switch or junction box is the box size it will depending on it by the size like your four gang box that will hold alot more conductors than you will think and they will have cubic inches stamped in the box it will tell you the max numbers of conductors in the box.

Just about all switch box I ran into they will stamp the sizes in there however a nice gotcha is if you used 4X4 metal box they useally don't stamp the size half of the time due too many variations it will be used.

Merci,Marc
 
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Old 08-22-09, 11:13 AM
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I think someone might have mentioned this alread. The single gang switch to the right will need to be moved to allow the coverplate to be installed.
 
 

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