CCO inspection and "no extension cords attached to garage openers" (light, code)
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Extension cords are only UL listed and approved for temporary use. The code references UL or other approved listing agencies for items permanently connected to the electrical system. That’s why cords are not allowed in this situation.
I do run into this fairly often in homes with garages that have tall ceilings. The municipal electrical inspectors will catch it on the final and make them fix it. Most of the time the builder has the electrician add a longer cord. Sometimes, they have them install the outlet in a box mounted to the support angle that holds the opener up.
If so it must be a strictly Houston thing as I have never had to obtain a certificate of occupancy to move into houses I've bought in Dallas, Richardson, or Garland.
Seriously, how is someone going to keep you from moving into a house that you bought with your own money? Are they going to stand there and barricade you off from it? I'm sure the Houston police have other things to do.
Houston does not permit a homeowner to do his own work with permit and inspection?
That wouldn't surprise me in Chicago (where they don't even allow Romex), but it would surprise me in Texas.
I can get a permit to do my own electrical work in Garland, McKinney, and Plano (with subsequent inspection).
Well, okay, I looked it up...unless there is more to be said on the subject than the website, it looks like Houston does require all electrical work to be done by a licensed electrician, and the permit itself must be pulled by a master electrician.
Another reason, beside hurricanes, for me not to move to Houston.
Honestly, they would never know unless you told them. They're not going to know where the outlets are nor how many were original to the house. Though IMO its easier to replace a cord than to move an outlet. The OP is basically just throwing a hissy fit over something he says he already knows how to do, by his own admission. Since he's already failed the inspection, replacing the cord is probably his best bet anyway, given the inspector may wonder about the outlet's position having noted the fault already.
Think about it - it's neither strange nor stupid nor questionable. The receptacle must be in close proximity to the machine so no extension cord is required. Why? For the same reason a short cord is required on such an appliance. Because a hanging cord in an area with vehicles and pedestrians moving in and out is a hazard of both electrocution and fire.
There is no hanging cords in my situation, I believe I have described it clearly. The sockets are attached to the ceiling, the cord is about 10 inches shorter to reach the socket, so the small extension cord will be used to make the original cord longer for these inches, that's it. There is no any hazards in this approach
If so it must be a strictly Houston thing as I have never had to obtain a certificate of occupancy to move into houses I've bought in Dallas, Richardson, or Garland.
Seriously, how is someone going to keep you from moving into a house that you bought with your own money? Are they going to stand there and barricade you off from it? I'm sure the Houston police have other things to do.
It is not about the Houston and even not about the Texas, sorry that I somehow made everyone think that way. It is about NJ.
As for keeping me from moving in - nobody can do it and nobody will. But, there is a fine for moving in without the certificate. I read somewhere that the fine can be really high under some conditions and can be up to dozens of thousands. In my case most likely they will not notice that the house is occupied for few weeks, then after they notice they will fine me for few hundreds just because it is my first fault.
Note that normally the Seller is supposed to get the certificate to complete the house selling, but in some cases it is responsibility of the buyer, when for example, the seller don't themselves live in the house and want to sell it, it becomes responsibility of the buyer after the house is sold.
Basically I bought the house, but can't live in it unless the inspection is passed.
Nope, that's still the fault of the electrician who installed the receptacles.
It's not rocket science to figure out where the garage door opener motor will be. Any electrician should be able to nail that within two feet by eye.
Keeping that cord as short as reasonably possible is a matter of safety.
How the electrician can know the length of the cable attached to the device before the device is even bought. Or you think the length of the opener cords is always the same regardless of manufacturer and model?
Based on the information I collected from the answers I'm going to proceed in this way:
1. Remove the extension cords and leave everything as is.
2. In case inspector raises concern that the opener cable isn't long enough, I'll tell them that I'm not going to use the openers and plan to replace or even remove them soon. If it is not enough, I'll remove the openers in from of them.
3. After getting the CO I'll place the extension cords back and use the openers.
I hope the plan will work, I'm not going to replace the original cable, as I believe there is no justified reason for rewiring the devices.
Someone not the OP used the phrase "it is in Houston", MEANING "the permit thing is like this in Houston", but which could be interpreted as "the location of the house is in Houston". A simple misunderstanding.
The thing is, a garage door opener is a high vibration application. My concern about powering one through an extension cord would be that with vibration the connection could theoretically loosen, increasing the resistance at the joint and leading to high temperatures. Now I'm not sure why this would be different than the connection of plugging the opener into a ceiling mounted duplex receptacle, and the opener only has short duration intermittent power draw, so a risk assessment would conclude the risk is quite low.
If it were my house (aside from passing an inspection) I would staple the ext. cord to the ceiling so its weight can't possibly loosen it at the receptacle, and I'd wrap the connection of the opener's power cord to the extension with electrical tape to resist any loosening; and I would call that adequately safe although not in compliance with code.
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