Failed Inspection

[oldspark]

I am an electrician, so I will tell you this...

The 90 degrees is the temp rating of the insulation related to the amperage.

In laymen terms the temp rating is just related to how much amperage the wire can carry, doesn't mean it can't get hotter than 90 degrees, that's just plain silly

Fixtures have a temp rating, thats why you cant put a 100 watt light bulb in a 60 watt fixture as it will ruin the wire.

 

[mfglickman]

Fortunately, for me, around here no one inspects wood stove installations. But wait: I was building this place myself and planning on a compost toilet and solar electric. The way it works here, and perhaps it is common, the "main" bldg inspector has several underling inspectors for elec., wastewater, framing, etc., and each of them has to sign off his or her area before the "main" guy will sign off the entire project. Lucky me, the elec. inspector knew nothing about photovoltaic [solar] electric and told me he would "never" ever ever sign off something like that. There is no grid power available within a mile.... Then the wastewater inspector had no clue what a compost toilet was, "it don't flush, it ain't approved, ever." He actually brought in a couple of his employees, to his office, to laugh at me. I told the main building inspector of my dilemma. To his credit, he had taken an interest in my home project from the outset: here is this [then] young fellow gonna build his own place by himself with these interesting aspects. So, he said he could not bypass the sign-offs for elec. and so forth, but that I should contact the two state agencies which would cover these aspects and he gave me the phone numbers and names of the respective state people. After a couple calls, I wrote up detailed letters with spec's and even commercial brochures of the equipment I would be using. I eventually rec'd two certified letters from the state advising they were approving my stuff and that the county could step back and let me go on. They mailed the same letters to the county. The people involved in the county hated my guts and let it be known, but I have been living in my solar-elec. cottage for over two decades and the compost toilet works great.

Sorry for the hijack OP but I'd love to hear more about your house, Steve. Have you written it up in any other posts on Hearth?

OP, my DH is a lighting designer and wants you to use stone or some natural veneer material on the back and sides of your alcove, then put the lights back in. Says grazing the stone will look gorgeous against your Fireview.

 

[begreen]

Hopefully the local officials are being a bit more open minded these days. I'd like to hear more about the house too. Can you start a new thread in the green room on alternative housing?

 

[Dirtsurgeon]

Fortunately, for me, around here no one inspects wood stove installations. But wait: I was building this place myself and planning on a compost toilet and solar electric. The way it works here, and perhaps it is common, the "main" bldg inspector has several underling inspectors for elec., wastewater, framing, etc., and each of them has to sign off his or her area before the "main" guy will sign off the entire project. Lucky me, the elec. inspector knew nothing about photovoltaic [solar] electric and told me he would "never" ever ever sign off something like that. There is no grid power available within a mile.... Then the wastewater inspector had no clue what a compost toilet was, "it don't flush, it ain't approved, ever." He actually brought in a couple of his employees, to his office, to laugh at me. I told the main building inspector of my dilemma. To his credit, he had taken an interest in my home project from the outset: here is this [then] young fellow gonna build his own place by himself with these interesting aspects. So, he said he could not bypass the sign-offs for elec. and so forth, but that I should contact the two state agencies which would cover these aspects and he gave me the phone numbers and names of the respective state people. After a couple calls, I wrote up detailed letters with spec's and even commercial brochures of the equipment I would be using. I eventually rec'd two certified letters from the state advising they were approving my stuff and that the county could step back and let me go on. They mailed the same letters to the county. The people involved in the county hated my guts and let it be known, but I have been living in my solar-elec. cottage for over two decades and the compost toilet works great.

Sorry for the hijack OP but I'd love to hear more about your house, Steve. Have you written it up in any other posts on Hearth?

OP, my DH is a lighting designer and wants you to use stone or some natural veneer material on the back and sides of your alcove, then put the lights back in. Says grazing the stone will look gorgeous against your Fireview.

Great idea. I know I need to do something behind the stove.
What does "grazing the stone" mean. :red:

 

[mfglickman]

Fortunately, for me, around here no one inspects wood stove installations. But wait: I was building this place myself and planning on a compost toilet and solar electric. The way it works here, and perhaps it is common, the "main" bldg inspector has several underling inspectors for elec., wastewater, framing, etc., and each of them has to sign off his or her area before the "main" guy will sign off the entire project. Lucky me, the elec. inspector knew nothing about photovoltaic [solar] electric and told me he would "never" ever ever sign off something like that. There is no grid power available within a mile.... Then the wastewater inspector had no clue what a compost toilet was, "it don't flush, it ain't approved, ever." He actually brought in a couple of his employees, to his office, to laugh at me. I told the main building inspector of my dilemma. To his credit, he had taken an interest in my home project from the outset: here is this [then] young fellow gonna build his own place by himself with these interesting aspects. So, he said he could not bypass the sign-offs for elec. and so forth, but that I should contact the two state agencies which would cover these aspects and he gave me the phone numbers and names of the respective state people. After a couple calls, I wrote up detailed letters with spec's and even commercial brochures of the equipment I would be using. I eventually rec'd two certified letters from the state advising they were approving my stuff and that the county could step back and let me go on. They mailed the same letters to the county. The people involved in the county hated my guts and let it be known, but I have been living in my solar-elec. cottage for over two decades and the compost toilet works great.

Sorry for the hijack OP but I'd love to hear more about your house, Steve. Have you written it up in any other posts on Hearth?

OP, my DH is a lighting designer and wants you to use stone or some natural veneer material on the back and sides of your alcove, then put the lights back in. Says grazing the stone will look gorgeous against your Fireview.

Great idea. I know I need to do something behind the stove.
What does "grazing the stone" mean. :red:

It means that the light will run across the stone towards the floor...but you won't have any "spot light" or "hot spot" effect of light directly on any one place on the stone. You want kind of an even wash. Assuming your lights can be focused or the angle adjusted (most of them can, nowadays) this should be relatively easy...

 

[Vanskills]

I am an electrician, so I will tell you this...

The 90 degrees is the temp rating of the insulation related to the amperage.

In laymen terms the temp rating is just related to how much amperage the wire can carry, doesn't mean it can't get hotter than 90 degrees, that's just plain silly

Fixtures have a temp rating, thats why you cant put a 100 watt light bulb in a 60 watt fixture as it will ruin the wire.

Right.

Wire ratings that feed a circuit and fixture ratings are two different things.

No way in he'll the fixture is only rated for 90 degrees

That's what happens when a stove inspector thinks he's an electrician

 

[MofoG23]

Just be aware that some inspectors in some places have a local fire code in place that basically contains a line that says the inspector can require something to be done even if it is not in the code if he or she feels it is important for life safety . . . that said . . . most inspectors I know are reluctant to fall back on that and instead typically follow the manufacturer or regular NFPA, BOCA or NEC codes.

All too familiar with this statement! AHJ's can sure be a pain in the a$(#) sometimes... especially when you finished a system that was built to NFPA/NEC codes and they request a change "just because they like it that way"....

 

[oldspark]

I am an electrician, so I will tell you this...

The 90 degrees is the temp rating of the insulation related to the amperage.

In laymen terms the temp rating is just related to how much amperage the wire can carry, doesn't mean it can't get hotter than 90 degrees, that's just plain silly

Fixtures have a temp rating, thats why you cant put a 100 watt light bulb in a 60 watt fixture as it will ruin the wire.

Right.

Wire ratings that feed a circuit and fixture ratings are two different things.

No way in he'll the fixture is only rated for 90 degrees

That's what happens when a stove inspector thinks he's an electrician

90c=194f

 

[begreen]

This is a moot point. The plastic trim has a much lower combustion point than halogen wiring.

 

[SteveKG]

Sounds like an awesome endeavor Steve.
Would love to see pictures of the place.

My wife has started a web site with a photo journal of sorts, and that is about all the site is [family, not commercial] and on which I have a blog of sorts about our changeover from lead acid batteries to nickel iron. Don't know whether forum policies allow me to give the URL. If so, I shall. It is just a starter version of what the web site will be, my wife's hobby thing.

We've been in the house since May of '85; I set it up to be wood-heated with no back-up. Though I built an attached greenhouse which does provide some heat on sunny days and allows me to let the stoves go out sometimes in the winter days. We have 12 acres, plus partial ownership of another adjoining six, with lots of trees, so we have our own firewood supply. Just to keep things woodburning-oriented here in the forum.

We have four wood stoves. One is an old Shenandoah which still does more of the heating than the others. Bought new in '75. One is a RAIS stove with an oven which heated our kitchen and in which I did all the baking for some years. It has now been moved to the greenhouse where it provides heat on the couple dozen nights a winter that we need to protect that room. One is a small water-heating wood stove which does exactly that: heats our water for showers and dishwashing. The fourth is our Heartland [Aga] full-blown kitchen range [two ovens, etc.] which I bought after reading about them here on this forum. Bought from a sponsor, ChimneySweepOnline.com

For years we collected rainwater into a cistern, until I found out it is not legal in this state and we put in a well. Heck.

All electricity is from solar panels. All heating, other than the greenhouse, is wood. [Greenhouse is passive solar plus the aforementioned wood stove.] We use a small amount of propane in a countertop stove of four burners...I cut the top portion off a propane range, installed that into our counter. Also I have an outdoor gas grill plumbed into the propane system.We use roughly forty gallons propane a year. Of course, winters, we always have a tea kettle and couple pans of dish-washing water on one stove or another. The Shenandoah, RAIS, and Heartland all have flat tops perfect for sauce pans.

We also have a Rumford fireplace I built from spec's in a book about how to do that. We use it for fun. Throws out big heat, can blast us out of the room if we are not careful, though of course, as everyone who participates in this forum is aware, it uses more wood than the stoves.

 

[oldspark]

This is a moot point. The plastic trim has a much lower combustion point than halogen wiring.

LOL depends on the plastic, some melts at way higher temp than 194F.

 

[begreen]

halogen wiring is rated at >1000 °F.

Seems like this one has run it's course.