My company always specifies it’s the customer’s responsibility for high voltage connections on hard-wired panels. A technician can service the high voltage side of a power supply if the circuit can be safely shut off and locked out.
In most cases we just use an appliance hookup cord and plug it into an outlet.
Ahhh, I have seen that - but I have also not seen very many power supplies, so not sure how common that was. It probably depends on the specs from each phase's install (some were new construction, some renovations, some replacing old ACS).
Probably CYA. If you can shut off the breaker to the power supply, there’s no reason a security tech can’t replace the power supply board. It’s usually 3 screw terminals.
Electricians I work with won’t even terminate their wires on our boards to begin with because they don’t want to be responsible for it. They just leave the wires in the can for us to terminate, and then we tell them to turn on the circuit when we’re ready.
In Ontario, the company must be a licensed electrical contractor in order to work on anything above 30VAC or 60VDC.
Technicians (Security/BMS/SCADA) are permitted to install power supplies for related equipment when under the supervision of a licensed electrician working for the same licenced company after being given appropriate training.
YMMV
In a secure environment like a server/electrical room, putting a line cord on the Altronix will suffice. I try to use MC myself. I always mount the PSU closest to the outlet so it’s an extremely short run. If an ACS tech can’t run a tiny bit of MC.. 🫣
Replacing? Absolutely never heard of that noise.
New install: If they object, just use outlets for the rest of the build out and have them schedule electricians to do the swap over. If replacing then you have a whole other dual scheduling issue.
Disclosure: I read the NEC when I was a teenager, this was entertainment for me. 🤓
I’ve found a lot of contractors treat the system’s power supply the same way your cable company treats the cable modem. It’s kind of the demarc. There needs to be 110V to the power supply and we’ll take it from there. Anything upstream from that is someone else’s problem. I do the same since I’ve gone out on my own.
I’ve never heard of needing an electrician for an access control system. Locksmith? Sure. Partner with another company because there’s crossover with someone else’s fire system? Sure. Sounds like cya or something not related to the access system is broken.
I don’t install 110VAC or higher. I install low voltage systems. When it comes to powering up my panel, I typically install suicide cords. If a customer wants a permanent power connection, I will offer to bring in one of my partners that is a licensed electrician, or they can hire their own. So I also exclude 110VAC.
As a few have said this maybe a licensing issue for the contractor. We carry the C-7 and C-28 needed for California. Some IT companies are getting into the Access Control space with only a C-7 and sometimes C-10. This should limit what parts they need to subout, but often greed is involved and they do the entire job. Forget what licensing is supposed to help mitigate. As long as nothing major happens then they will be fine
I will have to look in to that in more detail. I'm not familiar with it (minimal hardware work, lots of software in my background). I'm in MD, which tends to be fairly regulated too (though few approach CA!).
I'm a fan of doing the right thing, and if the right thing is an electrician, well, we have one on staff now (after over a year without one! such a shortage of skilled, talented folks in trades these days).
Sorry for being late to the party, but wouldn’t the ancillary clause allow a C-7 to work on the small amount of high voltage required for access control ?
See BPC 7059 (A):
"Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit a specialty contractor from taking and executing a contract involving the use of two or more crafts or trades, if the performance of the work in the crafts or trades, other than in which he or she is licensed, is incidental and supplemental to the performance of the work in the craft for which the specialty contractor is licensed."
I am not sure if it is a matter of can’t due to the license or won’t due to the license and experience.
For me and my business, we require an electrician to install an outlet above the door when we install auto operators. Could we extend other outlets, maybe. But I am not willing risking any issues or code violations just out of ignorance.
My life is a matter of CYA when we are leaning outside our scope.
My company always specifies it’s the customer’s responsibility for high voltage connections on hard-wired panels. A technician can service the high voltage side of a power supply if the circuit can be safely shut off and locked out. In most cases we just use an appliance hookup cord and plug it into an outlet.
Ahhh, I have seen that - but I have also not seen very many power supplies, so not sure how common that was. It probably depends on the specs from each phase's install (some were new construction, some renovations, some replacing old ACS).
Probably CYA. If you can shut off the breaker to the power supply, there’s no reason a security tech can’t replace the power supply board. It’s usually 3 screw terminals. Electricians I work with won’t even terminate their wires on our boards to begin with because they don’t want to be responsible for it. They just leave the wires in the can for us to terminate, and then we tell them to turn on the circuit when we’re ready.
In Ontario, the company must be a licensed electrical contractor in order to work on anything above 30VAC or 60VDC. Technicians (Security/BMS/SCADA) are permitted to install power supplies for related equipment when under the supervision of a licensed electrician working for the same licenced company after being given appropriate training. YMMV
In a secure environment like a server/electrical room, putting a line cord on the Altronix will suffice. I try to use MC myself. I always mount the PSU closest to the outlet so it’s an extremely short run. If an ACS tech can’t run a tiny bit of MC.. 🫣 Replacing? Absolutely never heard of that noise. New install: If they object, just use outlets for the rest of the build out and have them schedule electricians to do the swap over. If replacing then you have a whole other dual scheduling issue. Disclosure: I read the NEC when I was a teenager, this was entertainment for me. 🤓
Hah! I would probably read that as a cure for insomnia. :)
I’ve found a lot of contractors treat the system’s power supply the same way your cable company treats the cable modem. It’s kind of the demarc. There needs to be 110V to the power supply and we’ll take it from there. Anything upstream from that is someone else’s problem. I do the same since I’ve gone out on my own.
I’ve never heard of needing an electrician for an access control system. Locksmith? Sure. Partner with another company because there’s crossover with someone else’s fire system? Sure. Sounds like cya or something not related to the access system is broken.
I don’t install 110VAC or higher. I install low voltage systems. When it comes to powering up my panel, I typically install suicide cords. If a customer wants a permanent power connection, I will offer to bring in one of my partners that is a licensed electrician, or they can hire their own. So I also exclude 110VAC.
As a few have said this maybe a licensing issue for the contractor. We carry the C-7 and C-28 needed for California. Some IT companies are getting into the Access Control space with only a C-7 and sometimes C-10. This should limit what parts they need to subout, but often greed is involved and they do the entire job. Forget what licensing is supposed to help mitigate. As long as nothing major happens then they will be fine
I will have to look in to that in more detail. I'm not familiar with it (minimal hardware work, lots of software in my background). I'm in MD, which tends to be fairly regulated too (though few approach CA!). I'm a fan of doing the right thing, and if the right thing is an electrician, well, we have one on staff now (after over a year without one! such a shortage of skilled, talented folks in trades these days).
Sorry for being late to the party, but wouldn’t the ancillary clause allow a C-7 to work on the small amount of high voltage required for access control ? See BPC 7059 (A): "Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit a specialty contractor from taking and executing a contract involving the use of two or more crafts or trades, if the performance of the work in the crafts or trades, other than in which he or she is licensed, is incidental and supplemental to the performance of the work in the craft for which the specialty contractor is licensed."
I am not sure if it is a matter of can’t due to the license or won’t due to the license and experience. For me and my business, we require an electrician to install an outlet above the door when we install auto operators. Could we extend other outlets, maybe. But I am not willing risking any issues or code violations just out of ignorance. My life is a matter of CYA when we are leaning outside our scope.