Prep for ceiling fluorescent light before drywall

[thammel]

I have all wiring done for 8 eight foot fluorescent light fixtures.. just have the wires hanging down. The plan is to have them hardwired. Ceiling is fully insulated and now I'm wondering how drywall installers will deal with this. Do I need to put boxes at each location?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Ilikeike]

Just leave a bow or knot of wire and they'll put the rock up and just cut a hole,then terminate in the fixture.

 

[FordTruckWench]

The plan is to have them hardwired. [...] Do I need to put boxes at each location?

You can install boxes and mount the lights over the boxes. I think this results in a cleaner installation than just running wire through a hole in drywall. In the future, this would also allow installing different types of fixtures.

 

[Norcal]

Be careful about the drywall hangers, they can move the location of the wire stubbed out, but they have one more brain cell then a cow, that keeps them from crapping all over the place, the object is to keep the stub secured well enough to make it impossible for them to screw it up.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Be careful about the drywall hangers, they can move the location of the wire stubbed out, but they have one more brain cell then a cow, that keeps them from crapping all over the place, the object is to keep the stub secured well enough to make it impossible for them to screw it up.

 

[tfi racing]

They will still find a way,they almost always do...

 

[OccupantRJ]

What I did was staple the wire to the joist an inch from the bottom. After the ceiling was up I popped the knockout from the fixture, inserted a snap in plastic bushing, and slid the fixture along the wire until it got to the ceiling. In my case I had 4 foot fixtures, so was able to clamp onto the cable with a padded spring clamp to hold it to the ceiling to screw it in place. Worked great.

 

[teamextreme]

You can install boxes and mount the lights over the boxes. I think this results in a cleaner installation than just running wire through a hole in drywall. In the future, this would also allow installing different types of fixtures.

I would argue the opposite, and unless you cut out a hole in the back of the fixture the size of the box to allow access to the box, it's not to code (NEC2005 410.14.B). A lot of newer fixtures are fairly narrow and will barely cover a 4" round box, especially a cut-in box, which results in a small part of the box being exposed and not as clean an install.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Have you thought about putting receptacles in and having a pigtail/plug off the fixture? (not sure if this will work with your setup/fixtures). Just a thought. Might allow for some reconfiguration also if necessary.

 

[kd3pc]

the latest 4' LED fixture I used had no wiring trough or anyway to make the splice, except in a ceiling box. Takes two to hang it, as you have to place it, mark the 4 holes (two at each end), prep the anchor or make sure you hit a stud, then make the splice - pushing all the wire and nuts up in to the ceiling box, then actually screw each end in...to hold it in place.

What a pain. Requires a pretty close install to the "hole" if you want them to look good.

UtliliTECH Pro 1345

 

[Norcal]

Have you thought about putting receptacles in and having a pigtail/plug off the fixture? (not sure if this will work with your setup/fixtures). Just a thought. Might allow for some reconfiguration also if necessary.

They will be required to have GFCI protection, if cord and plug connected.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Yes agree. Not the end of the world if you daisy chain.

 

[justsam]

I am not a fan of 8 foot fixtures, as I have some old 8 foot t12 in my shed area. Just too difficult to handle re-lamping, changing fixtures, etc. Perhaps you are using fixtures with 2x 4 foot?

 

[thammel]

Garage is 32x28. I have 8 eight foot fluorescent fixtures purchased. These are best put up without a box, but I just wonder how the darn drywall installers will do it.

Tom

 

[rburke65]

Drywallers will take 2 measurements, punch a hole, insert the romex through the hole, screw wall board to the truss. Won't need boxes.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I would argue the opposite, and unless you cut out a hole in the back of the fixture the size of the box to allow access to the box, it's not to code (NEC2005 410.14.B). A lot of newer fixtures are fairly narrow and will barely cover a 4" round box, especially a cut-in box, which results in a small part of the box being exposed and not as clean an install.

Is there an alternative to propose in response to the citing above?

 

[Marcm157]

Drywallers will take 2 measurements, punch a hole, insert the romex through the hole, screw wall board to the truss. Won't need boxes.

This is exactly how they did mine. They were perfect on every wire. No need for boxes as the fixtures themselves act as a box. I bought 8 foot tandem HO fixtures.

 

[Norcal]

Is there an alternative to propose in response to the citing above?

Unfortunately there is not.

 

[teamextreme]

Is there an alternative to propose in response to the citing above?

The alternative would be not to use a box.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

The alternative would be not to use a box.

That was my understanding.

 

[benjamintmiller]

I put a metal box near the light, then use a whip of armored cable to connect to the light. This is allowed as long as the armored cable is less than six feet. They make metal covers with a 1/2" knockout hole in the center.