Electric baseboard installation: no junction box behind it?

[Theodore]

Hi,
I preparing to install a new 220V electric baseboard in my basement. I understant that they typically have a removable panel on the left and/or right side where the #10awg wire is pulled into. What's confusing me is that this suggests I'm supposed to leave 1-2 wires sitting in my wall as I install drywall over them, and then cut a small hole and fish the cables through the drywall, into the baseboard panel. My intuition says to install a junction box in the wall right behind where the left or right side of the baseboard will be, but my knowledge of the NEC says that would be a buried j-box and therefore a violation. What's typically done?
Thanks
Theodore

 

[hj]

Your interpretation of "buried j-box" is incorrect. it would only be buried if you put sheetrock in front of it between the box and heater. If you did that it would be the same as just having the wires come through the wall into the heater.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Stuff]

If you pull the cable with its sheath into the baseboard heater then there is no junction/splice in the wall cavity so no need for a box. The ends of the heater count as a junction box (normally UL Listed for just that). You do need to secure/protect the cable coming in with an appropriate clamp.

 

[Theodore]

Your interpretation of "buried j-box" is incorrect. it would only be buried if you put sheetrock in front of it between the box and heater. If you did that it would be the same as just having the wires come through the wall into the heater.

Understood. All of these installation videos show the NM cable just sticking out of the finished wall. My wall is currently unfinished/without sheetrock. I don't like the idea of running the cables to the location and then just let them sit in the wall, waiting for me to sheetrock in front of them, and then (with some difficulty) fish the wires through a small hole I make in the sheetrock, into the baseboard panel. My thought is to put a junction box lined up RIGHT behind where the panel would be for the baseboard heater, and spool a few extra inches of cable left inside said j-box, and then sheetrock and cutout for the j-box open, and place the baseboard in front of the j-box. Is this common practice? Is this an NEC violation? What would you do?

 

[Jadnashua]

Measure where you want/need the hole, and make it in the sheet of drywall before you install it...pulling the wire through before you push it up towards the wall and then screw it in place.

 

[Theodore]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Kreemoweet]

Is this common practice?

Not at all. But I don't think it's a Code violation either, assuming all requirements for box installation are met. Seems like the hard way to do things.

Back in the old days, all openings in the wallboard were measured for, and cut before the board went up. This of course required
at least a semi-skilled and reasonably diligent drywall crew. Nowadays, drywall is typically slammed up by careless bands
of illegals, and openings (most of 'em anyway) approximately carved out with rotozip-type tools, wires and boxes getting in the
way be damned.

Savvy electricians will cover their roughins with metal protectors, and wires needing to be poked thru the sheetrock will
be affixed solidly in place (as in taped to metal or something) so the board cannot be put up without making a hole for
the wire first.

 

[WoodenTent]

Sadly this is fine per code, the heater is the J-box. But I agree with the general complaint. I don't like any wires ever just going thru walls. Life would be easier/less stressful if wall mounted items required boxes behind them.

You see similar things with low voltage stuff like thermostats, so rarely built to attach to a J-box. Also where this bugs me is under-cabinet lighting. They just drill a hole and pull thru verses having industry come up with a proper solution (smaller J box just for compact pass thru needs).