220V multi tap?? receptacle

[Mark Bolton]

Yeah, that's true. In my case I always install L14 receptacles so I can get 120V for task lights at machines but the last inspector I dealt with regarding this wouldn't budge even when I showed him that the lights would be hardwired with no 120V outlets. Of course, the same inspector also made me put green wirenuts on all of the ground splices (seriously), bury a second ground rod without measuring the ground resistance with one, and demonstrate that the receptacle boxes had sufficient volume so he probably had other issues. Thanks,

Sounds like an inspector that is trying to flush the homeowner out of the process and protect the trade. Being a contractor I have always argued somewhat contrary to most in the trade that the homeowner should be able to do anything as long as they are willing to go through the permit/inspection process. About the only thing I can see is not allowing homeowners to do plumbing but even that is a grey area if inspections occur.

Sadly, you have little recourse against an ornery inspector, just say yes sir, no sir, and get him out the door. Starting a pi**ing contest generally leaves you in a far worse position.

Mark

[Curt Harms]

Sounds like an inspector that is trying to flush the homeowner out of the process and protect the trade. Being a contractor I have always argued somewhat contrary to most in the trade that the homeowner should be able to do anything as long as they are willing to go through the permit/inspection process. About the only thing I can see is not allowing homeowners to do plumbing but even that is a grey area if inspections occur.

Sadly, you have little recourse against an ornery inspector, just say yes sir, no sir, and get him out the door. Starting a pi**ing contest generally leaves you in a far worse position.

Mark

As long as the work is properly inspected, you're probably right about homeowners being allowed to do their own work. There are people though that have far more confidence than ability or sense. If they kill themselves as a result of incompetence or overconfidence, well, Darwinian principles at work. If they take others with them though....................

[Mark Bolton]

As long as the work is properly inspected, you're probably right about homeowners being allowed to do their own work. There are people though that have far more confidence than ability or sense. If they kill themselves as a result of incompetence or overconfidence, well, Darwinian principles at work. If they take others with them though....................

This is why I have always *somewhat* agreed with many areas ruling that plumbing is not allowed by the homeowner at all. While it is possible to affect others with poor framing, bad wiring, and the like, generally speaking your negligence will more often than not only effect your property or your self. There are of course countless scenarios where it will effect others but... Where as with plumbing the philosophy is that you can easily effect your neighbors with things like cross connections, anti-siphon/back flow situations, as well as create a very very powerful bomb out of a improperly installed water heater.

Even with that I think its perfectly acceptable for a state, perhaps like CT, to allow you to do your own work (plumbing) provided you can get a licensed individual to oversee and stand the inspection for you. Many states however simply do not allow homeowners to do any wiring, any plumbing, and then try to make other things difficult. This is usually (in my opinion) due to pressure from contractors trying to hoard the work for themselves.

Not a good reputation for the rest of us in the trade in my opinion.

Mark

[Thomas Bank]

The unfortunate thing is that I see all too much questionable work done by "professionals" to agree that homeowners should not be allowed to do their own work. A homeowner willing to learn and ask questions will likely spend more time doing something right than a "professional" eager to get the job finished so he can clock out and go home.

Not to say that there aren't homeowners that are a danger to themselves and anyone within a half mile of them nor that there aren't tradesmen whose work is worth its weight in gold.

As an architect, I have more background in such things than the average homeowner. When I wired my workshop (1600 s.f., 200amp panel, and dedicated wiring for welders and plasma cutters) the inspector was more than a little brusque when he first came out. "Wire this yourself? I'll let you know I've already failed two professional jobs this morning" was his first statement to me. But as he went over things, I could see his attitude change. I had taken the time to read the applicable codes and understand them and also to do things neatly. I had his respect by the end. He shared one of his "failures" from earlier that morning - the "professionals" that a woman had hired to put in a new ceiling fan had apparently run out of wire, "borrowed" an extension cord from the homeowner, and used that to wire the ceiling fan. They would have gotten away with it except that the woman asked the inspector if he knew when the electricians would replace her extension cord... When he looked at her blankly she said "The one they wired the ceiling fan with." So at that point he took the fan down and discovered they had indeed used an extension cord to run power from the fan back
to the panel.

I've seen similar things from about every trade from electrical to plumbing to structural work.

To get back on topic, I ran two 220V circuits through my woodworking shop with multiple outlets with no problem. As my woodshop is on the second floor, I did not need to have the GFCI required in basements and first floor garages for even the 110V circuits, but the 220V circuits are exempt from the requirement anyway.

[Dave Verstraete]

Well, it looks like I can put 3 receptacles on one circuit then. Off I go to Lowes

Thank You to All for the advice