Hi,
For those of you with basement shop. Has anyone mounted receptacle on joists?
I have a new house in cold climate and I have that weather wrap on the wall. I do intend to take it down in the Fall yet I want to run electrical for my shop.
I am confused about the NEC in this case. It refers to box sizes needed for 120 and 240 v circuits and stud mounting yet it seems unclear to me if I am permitted to mount outlets overhead. The ceiling is 8 ft from floor to bottom of joist.
Keith
You can put *EXTRA* receptacles anywhere you want, but those that are not within a certain distance (4'?) of the floor don't count in terms of the required spacing for convenience outlets in an occupiable space. As near as I can tell, the reasoning for this is that consumer electronics come with a 6' cord as a standard, and you're supposed to be able to put them anywhere without needing an extension cord.
I don't know if a basement shop counts as an "occupiable space", though. Probably depends on how your inspector is feeling that day.
--Goedjn
Run a 2x4 from ceiling joist to floor. Fasten a short section of a 2x4 to the floor (cement nail or lags) and connect the upright section to the joist. I installed several of these around my basement at about 6" away from the wall insulation and mounted outlets at 48" above the floor for freezer and convenience outlets.
Your local codes may vary so check first. Our codes do allow for overhead
120v outlets but any cords connected to them cannot be used to hang things from - if you can visualize that.Bob S.
Ha! My first visualization was of a woodworker hanging himself after screwing up a measurement. Guess I need to get out more.
I'd treat it like a stud in this case.
For a shop, with exposed boxes, I like the 4x4 deep metal boxes, with the rounded edges, and an appropriate cover. You can get 2 outlets either regular or gfci, or switch. Plenty of room for wiring, and expansion. Use stranded wire for easy to wire.
The NEC will want any exposed work in a shop to be in metal conduit, so this is what you need to do anyway.
Nope - does not apply to an unfinished basement. Up in the joists is just fine.
Not quite - it can also be in PVC conduit and it can be on running boards. It just can't span.
Ceiling outlets are fine. I have them for my band saw and drill press, which are in the middle of the room. It's a lot easier than sinking floor boxes into a concrete floor.
|On 16 Jun 2004 08:34:00 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Keith Bozek) wrote: | |>Hi, |>
|>For those of you with basement shop. Has anyone mounted receptacle on |>joists? |>
|>I have a new house in cold climate and I have that weather wrap on the |>wall. I do intend to take it down in the Fall yet I want to run |>electrical for my shop. |>
|>I am confused about the NEC in this case. It refers to box sizes |>needed for 120 and 240 v circuits and stud mounting yet it seems |>unclear to me if I am permitted to mount outlets overhead. The |>ceiling is 8 ft from floor to bottom of joist. |>
|>Keith | |Ceiling outlets are fine. I have them for my band saw and drill |press, which are in the middle of the room. It's a lot easier than |sinking floor boxes into a concrete floor.
It sure is. I would use twist-lock connectors tho.
Codes vary but generally it's not a whim. If it's not "habitable space" when he comes in it won't be "habitable space" when he leaves unless you've done something to turn it from one into the other. Might be worthwhile to find out _what_ so that you don't inadvertently add a few hundred square feet of habitable space to your house and increase its valuation for tax purposes accordingly. In my case I'd have to either raise the house or lower the basement floor to hit the ceiling height requirement so it's not a real danger.
There should be no objection to mounting a receptacle on a joist (rafter) for a specific purpose. (ex. The receptacle for a garage door opener in unfinished garages.) You might consider firmly mounting on a 2X4 dropped down a foot or so, keeping it above head height but low enough to reach the outlet without the need to step on something to reach it. Some local codes require physical protection for wiring below 8 feet.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.