Junction/Pull Box

[Jmadamek]

Sort of in reference to a previous topic thread249-203918 at my company when doing electrical installations for industrial customers we have been buying UL 50 Junction boxes from a local supplier to use as a pull box for running wire through out the building. Do these boxes need to be UL listed, or can we just have our sheet metal shop make up custom enclosures to use? As it is, we spend upwards of $70k a year on these boxes, and fabricating them ourselves would save quite a bit of money, so much so that we(I) have been investigating this topic and receiving quotes to become certified.

As part of my research I gave UL, ETL, MET, and CSA a call to ask if they would know the answer to this question. Judging by their response time(about 10 seconds), I'm not too sure if it was quality information I received. All four claimed that it is up to the local inspector to decide if these boxes would need to be certified, none of which seemed like a confident answer. This also struck me as odd since at the very least I would have figured they would side with making money and say we would need it, even if they didnt know the answer.

So perhaps someone here might be able to shed some light on it, and maybe save us from the certification process.

 

[davidbeach]

So, all four gave you the correct answer, but that isn't good enough? Geesh, what do you want?

I don't know how much better the answer can get. Certainly if you use only listed boxes you'll not have any inspection problems, but if your local AHJ doesn't care about box listing (he should but not all do) then an unlisted box won't cause inspection problems.

 

[dpc]

There is a wide variation in what local AHJs require and emphasize, depending on the region of the country. But basically, if there is a UL or other third-part listing for something, they will generally require a listing if they know about it and find it.

If you put in a non-listed box and an inspector red tags it, you will be replacing it about 99% of the time, because you have no basis for an argument. To me, it is the same thing as asking if it is OK to use water pipe instead of electrical conduit for running wires. If you get caught, it's not OK.

UL and the rest of the herd are very sensitive about staying off the turf of local inspectors. They have a good thing going and they want to keep it that way.

 

[Jmadamek]

So, all four gave you the correct answer, but that isn't good enough? Geesh, what do you want?

I was more confirming that this was the right answer, as the four people I talked to responded pretty hesitantly and without much confidence in their voice at all.

 

[roydm]

DPC, I thought conduit was water pipe, at least that's what it looks like to me when i see installation details showing drip legs.
Tech cable makes a much neater job.
North of the border.
Ducking for cover, LOL

 

[resqcapt19]

The code itself does not require the use of a listed product for junction and pull boxes. The code does however require that all conductors and equipment be approved (per the NEC that means, acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction) and the AHJs often look to a listing before they will approve something. Look at 110.2 and the FPN that follows 110.3(A)(1) in the NEC.
Don

 

[hdp]

http://www.neca-neis.org/cqd/index.cfm?fuseaction=showArchiveQuestion&id=2694