Fixture Box

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mstrlucky74

Senior Member
Location
NJ
If you have gyp board clg. you could not have one 4” box between these fixtures and whip to them from the fixture as you need access to the box and it would not be accessible. You would need a box at each fixture. If hung 2x2 acoustical ceiling you would be able to have one 4” between the two fixtures. Make sense? Thanks.
 

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LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Correct, you can not have an inaccessible J-box. If there's no attic, you either have to use a box above at least one, or if you can, forget the box and run the supply to one light, and a jumper whip to the second.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Unless MC is not permitted I would just run MC cable from fixture to fixture above the ceiling.
 

mstrlucky74

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Unless MC is not permitted I would just run MC cable from fixture to fixture above the ceiling.

Yes thought of that. But most times seems like the guys want a box either at each fixture or between them. Not sure why you couldn't just daisy chain the MC in and out. You would have to splice within fixture if that's possible/allowed.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Yes thought of that. But most times seems like the guys want a box either at each fixture or between them. Not sure why you couldn't just daisy chain the MC in and out. You would have to splice within fixture if that's possible/allowed.

If you're going to have a box at each fixture then it needs to be accessible after the fixture is installed. Not sure why you wouldn't daisy chain MC cable.
 

cdslotz

Senior Member
Not sure why you couldn't just daisy chain the MC in and out

Sometimes the spec specifically disallow daisy chaining fixtures when that would be the most practical way.
I was once at a walk thru, we were standing in a lobby of hard ceilings. The new fixture were to be just recessed down lights and the engineer was very clear about boxes and whips.
I pointed to the ugly access panels all over the existing ceiling and told him "if that's what you want, then get ready for twice as many"
 

mstrlucky74

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Sometimes the spec specifically disallow daisy chaining fixtures when that would be the most practical way.
I was once at a walk thru, we were standing in a lobby of hard ceilings. The new fixture were to be just recessed down lights and the engineer was very clear about boxes and whips.
I pointed to the ugly access panels all over the existing ceiling and told him "if that's what you want, then get ready for twice as many"

Wow and that's what was installed? Not directly run into the down light housing?
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
If you have gyp board clg. you could not have one 4” box between these fixtures and whip to them from the fixture as you need access to the box and it would not be accessible. You would need a box at each fixture. If hung 2x2 acoustical ceiling you would be able to have one 4” between the two fixtures. Make sense? Thanks.

Are those "F2-8 B" illustrated in your OP image Recessed Track? If so, I'd never try splicing two cables in a live end feed.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
And??? I said it was mounted in gyp board clg.?

Your OP was confusing because you said this "and whip to them from the fixture as you need access to the box and it would not be accessible." The box is permitted above the ceiling adjacent to the fixture, it's accessible through the fixture opening.
 

mstrlucky74

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Your OP was confusing because you said this "and whip to them from the fixture as you need access to the box and it would not be accessible." The box is permitted above the ceiling adjacent to the fixture, it's accessible through the fixture opening.

If you have gyp bard ceiling the box would only be accessible if placed right at the light fixture, correct? I was asking about putting a box between the two light fixtures and whipping to them. I believe you couldn't do that in a gyp board ceiling as you could not access the box which( if placed between them) would be a few feet away from each fixture. In a acoustical 2x2 hung ceiling you could do this.
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
If the Jbox can be accessed by dropping the removable portion of the recessed fixture, it is an accessible location. Nothing says the fixtures have to have a centrally located Jbox for whips. You have a hard ceiling so the cable to each gets secured, with some flexibility at the fixture cable clamp to permit removal of the removable part of the fixture.

Frankly, reaching both hands into the slot in the ceiling is much preferable to reaching a recessed housing Jbox through a three inch diameter hole.
 

mstrlucky74

Senior Member
Location
NJ
If the Jbox can be accessed by dropping the removable portion of the recessed fixture, it is an accessible location. Nothing says the fixtures have to have a centrally located Jbox for whips. You have a hard ceiling so the cable to each gets secured, with some flexibility at the fixture cable clamp to permit removal of the removable part of the fixture.

Frankly, reaching both hands into the slot in the ceiling is much preferable to reaching a recessed housing Jbox through a three inch diameter hole.

If you put a box between the fixtures and remove the fixture and it's a hard ceiling you would have to reach through the fixture opening and over a foot or two to the j-box. I'm not sure thats accessible....reaching like that. You couldn't work on it or test the wires etc.. It would barely be reachable.
 

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
If you put a box between the fixtures and remove the fixture and it's a hard ceiling you would have to reach through the fixture opening and over a foot or two to the j-box. I'm not sure thats accessible....reaching like that. You couldn't work on it or test the wires etc.. It would barely be reachable.

Again, nothing requires it to be inaccessible BETWEEN fixtures. It has to be mounted where it IS accessible (per NEC) above the removable portion of the recessed fixture (if it is, in fact, removable.

--OR-- The Jbox has to be cut through the gyp board with a removable cover.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
If you put a box between the fixtures and remove the fixture and it's a hard ceiling you would have to reach through the fixture opening and over a foot or two to the j-box. I'm not sure thats accessible....reaching like that. You couldn't work on it or test the wires etc.. It would barely be reachable.

You're correct putting it between the two fixtures with only a narrow fixture opening will not allow access to the box so you would need a box next each fixture.
 
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