Inspectors are not evil

[Limp Arbor]

He said grounding screws need to be machine screws which makes sense. A machine screw is less likely to strip out than a sheet metal screw.

[RBM]

What surprised me was he said I cut put an extension on the handy box (which I did) or replace them with plastic boxes.

I thought that exposed boxes in basements and garages had to be metal. He said no. He also said I didn't need to use conduit to run the wire down the cement walls, I could have just stapled NM to a 1x2 Tapcon'd to the wall.

He even said my junction boxes in the attic didn't need to be metal. The question I didn't think of at the time is do they make a plastic cover for plastic junction boxes?

Plastic extension rings, plastic cover plates, absolutely

[hrhofmann]

I have seen them at our local Menards

[Twayne]

In news: [e-mail], Limp Arbor typed: : On Feb 1, 5:53 pm, "HeyBub" wrote: :: Limp Arbor wrote: ::: I had my electrical inspection yesterday for my whole ::: house re-wire. :: ... :: :: The inspector failed you for using the wrong color/tapping :: screws and you don't consider him evil? :: : : He said grounding screws need to be machine screws which : makes sense. A machine screw is less likely to strip out : than a sheet metal screw.

Absolutely!

[Steve Barker]

seeing as how you mentioned already having the outlets and switches installed, i'm guessing this is a "final" electrical inspection. I'm curious as to how he checked your "stapling" with the drywall in place.

[RBM]

I questioned that as well, but it turns out that he fished the outlets from the basement up, and the attic down, and never removed the sheetrock / plaster. The only stapling was in the attic and basement. To me, it sounded like the outlets and switches were installed during the roughing. Not that I haven't seen that done.

[Limp Arbor]

This was an existing house. I was replacing the Al/Cu-Clad wires with copper wire.

The first issue I had to get by when I submitted my paperwork was he never heard of Copper-Clad Aluminum wiring. He called me and thought I was talking about the Copper wire with the Zinc coating. After I cleared that up he said he was going to have to check with some other officials as to what I had to with the old wire.

Two days later he called me back and told me what to do. Surprisingly he said all I needed to do with the old wire was cut it off at the boxes or where accesible in the attic or basement and shove it back. No twisting & capping the hot & neutral together or pulling the old wire out. He also said since I was living in the house and I have kids I could finish the entire job and just get a final inspection.

A side benefit of doing this job is after I was all finished replacing the wires I caulked all the holes from the basement and the attic where the wires came through with Fireblock. Wow! what a difference in the comfort level in the house, drafts and cold spot were significantly reduced. I could not believe that much air could be traveling through those tiny spaces around the wires.

[Steve Barker]

OHhhhhhh. I C. I mis-read the OP. I missed the "re" part of "re-wire". I was thinking new construction since there was an inspector involved. I can't imagine having them involved for a "RE" wire.

[Limp Arbor]

Can you imagine a house fire for some reason... The fire marshall blaming faulty wiring... The insurance company denying claim because work was never inspected...

[N8N]

if it's a single gang, yes. similar to typical builder grade receptacle/switch plates, probably available in white, ivory, and brown.

nate

[Steve Barker]

no. doesn't happen.

[RBM]

Can you imagine a house fire for some reason... The fire marshall blaming faulty wiring... The insurance company denying claim because work was never inspected...

I read this often on this group. It would seem to me, if an insurance company could or would deny claims for every "i" not being dotted, they would soon be out of business. I can't imagine that home owner insurance is much different here in NY, than anywhere else, and here, insurance companies cover among other things, for stupid things that the homeowner does. For example: years ago I cut down a 3 foot diameter maple tree, that was on my neighbor's property. I actually believed the tree was on state property and not the neighbors. I am not a licensed tree surgeon, and rightly should have gotten a survey to determine who's property the tree was on. None of this mattered to me, as the tree posed a danger in obstructing my view when leaving my driveway on to a fast state road. As a result of my tree cutting I was sued by the neighbor for $250,000 . My homeowners insurance paid for my lawyer and ultimately settled the claim. Believe me, if there was some easy way that they could have blown me off, I think they would have saved themselves some money.