Junction Box under floorboards

[chaosss]

Hi,

Arguing with a mate at work (neither of us are electricians). I think it is against the new regs to have ANY junction boxes (regardless of circuit) under floorboards as they are inaccessibile. Ref to reg: 526-04-01

Can someone just confirm I am correct or not.

Thanks

 

[Adam_151]

526-04-01 governs the accesability of connections and forbids screwed connections in inaccessable places, which is a bit vague, I'd suggest that under a tiled floor would be inaccesable, and under a wooden floor with an access hatch made into the boards would be accessable, where carpet is involved things are a bit more open to interpretation, the NICEIC suggests that under carpet is inaccessable

I don't believe 526-04-01 is particulaly new either, I would be *very* supprised if it did not pre-date the 16th (1992)

 

[degsey]

Hi adam.
The Cavity Master gives easy access to JBs even under chipboard floors.
www.cavity-access.co.uk
Degsey.

 

[RF Lighting]

The Cavity Master gives easy access to JBs even under chipboard floors.

So does the trap that adam mentioned, a carpeted over hole and grommet arrangement is no different to a carpeted over trap.

 

[Pensdown]

.....and in reality, a single floor board could be classed as a trap as it is removable as long as it's not been tiled over as Adam pointed out.

 

[JohnD]

...although, of course, unless you affix a prominent permanent sign to the wall saying "Floor Trap to Electrical Junction Box Below" then the box might as well be inaccessible because no-one will know where to look for it.

And the week after you finish, someone will nail down a laminated floor on top.

 

[Pensdown]

It's about time one of the big manufactures came up with a JB for fitting in inaccessible places. Lets face it, most JB's that are used in floor/ceiling voids eventually end up inaccessible so I would have thought there would be a big market.