I'm installing lighting in a closet and I have very limited space to work with. I found some small xenon puck lights that were nice and bright and also small enough to fit. These lights came pre-wired with standard lamp cords and I couldn't remove the cords to try to run romex into them.
So I looked up to see if it was okay to run the standard cord behind the drywall and found it was a no-no, so I'm back to square one. What I'm wondering though is why this is a no-no. Why can I use this type of cord on a standard lamp on one side of the drywall, but I can't use it behind drywall?
I have seen lamp cord run inside walls where the insulation was brittle, cracking, and had fallen off at many places. So there was lots of bare wire here and there. Not good to say the least. Big fire hazard!
There is a good chance the lights you chose would be a code violation as well. There are rules about incandescent lights and the proximity to combustible materials.
Not sure what you mean. The only thing close to the lights would be the drywall and some ductwork. Unless you were referring to the clothing in the closet in which case they would be more than 2 feet away from the lights.
There is a good chance the lights you chose would be a code violation as well. There are rules about incandescent lights and the proximity to combustible materials.
There is a good chance the lights you chose would be a code violation as well. There are rules about incandescent lights and the proximity to combustible materials.
410.16 Luminaires in Clothes Closets.
(A) Luminaire Types Permitted. Only luminaires of the
following types shall be permitted in a closet:
(1) Surface-mounted or recessed incandescent or LED luminaires
with completely enclosed light sources
(2) Surface-mounted or recessed fluorescent luminaires
(3) Surface-mounted fluorescent or LED luminaires identified
as suitable for installation within the closet storage
space
(B) Luminaire Types Not Permitted. Incandescent luminaires
with open or partially enclosed lamps and pendant
luminaires or lampholders shall not be permitted.
(C) Location. The minimum clearance between luminaires
installed in clothes closets and the nearest point of a closet
storage space shall be as follows:
(1) 300 mm (12 in.) for surface-mounted incandescent or
LED luminaires with a completely enclosed light source
installed on the wall above the door or on the ceiling.
(2) 150 mm (6 in.) for surface-mounted fluorescent luminaires
installed on the wall above the door or on the
ceiling.
(3) 150 mm (6 in.) for recessed incandescent or LED luminaires
with a completely enclosed light source installed
in the wall or the ceiling.
(4) 150 mm (6 in.) for recessed fluorescent luminaires installed
in the wall or the ceiling.
(5) Surface-mounted fluorescent or LED luminaires shall
be permitted to be installed within the closet storage
space where identified for this use.
Do you know how hot those lights get? I do. I would not install them in a closet even if they were supplied by the customer and I was being paid to. Loosing that work will cost less than when that blanket starts on fire.
There is ductwork directly over the rod and shelf area, and I'm enclosing all that in drywall. So because of that ductwork the only space I have to install lighting is towards the front of the closet.
I just measured, and where the lights will be is more than 12" from the front edge of the shelf and anything stacked on it. I figure if these lights can ignite a blanket from more than a foot away, they shouldn't sell them!
Last time I saw lamp cord used in a permenant situation, they were carrying out the bodies of a grandmother and her two grand children. They died in the house fire that was a result of the unsafe wiring.
I would like to, but this is an older house and this room is in the basement and the closet is only 76" high, thanks to the duct and the main support joist running through the top of the closet. I need a light that's small and flush mounted or I will bash my head into it every time.
I too would not use those puck lights. I have some in the kitchen....and as soon as we are done the 2-story addition, I'm redoing the kitchen (again) and those lights are going....I'll either do T5 or LED pucks.
Turns out the fixtures I bought didn't fit either, so I broke down and got some flourescents. But you guys were right, and I was pleasantly surprised at how thin a profile they offer nowadays!
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