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Update: My boss told me to always use a new wire run for every sensor
He said it was the only 'right' way to do a clean install, and for a while I followed that rule on every job. It meant a lot more drilling and pulling wire, especially in a big old house in Springfield with plaster walls. But then I did a retrofit where the customer wanted to add six window contacts without any new holes in their finished basement. I used the existing 4-conductor run and just daisy-chained them all on one zone with resistors. It worked perfectly, saved about three hours of labor, and the client was thrilled. Now I think that hard rule is just wasteful for certain situations. It ignores practical solutions that work just as well and cost the customer less. When did 'by the book' stop meaning 'use your head'? Has anyone else found a time where breaking a standard rule was the better call?
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kai_burns735mo ago
Wasn't there a code update that actually allows for shared runs under certain conditions? Your retrofit sounds like the exact smart exception to the rule. Some bosses just get stuck on how they were first taught.
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roberth665mo ago
Honestly I was the same way until a tricky retrofit made me see how silly that rule can be lol.
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aaron8805mo ago
That "smart exception" idea is the whole problem. It's not about being smart, it's about inspectors having zero wiggle room on a bad day. You can have the most logical setup in the world, but if the guy with the clipboard had a fight with his wife that morning, you're ripping it out. The code book is black and white to them, not gray.
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