CheckItOut Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 Inspected a house completed this year and noticed that the attached garage had an overhead light and a switch at the man door going into the house but no switch at the man door at the side entry. I could not find anything in the code stating that a switch was required at the man door. Anyone know of a requirement for a swith here?
Jeff Remas Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 Were there stairs leading down/up into the garage from the house entry door?
Richard Moore Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 I very, very much doubt there is any code requiring them. It's not like you would normally be going into the garage from the house, turning on the light and then leaving permanently by the side door and most people don't enter their house at night via the garage side door. The more likely scenario is you would come back into the garage and turn off the light as you go back into the house. I could see it being convenient, and an improvement, but not "code". Unless, as Jeff points out, there are stairs (not just a step). But then, would the 3-way switch need to be at the man door or the bottom of the stairs? I think code would call for the latter.
CheckItOut Posted January 20, 2009 Author Report Posted January 20, 2009 Originally posted by Jeff Remas Were there stairs leading down/up into the garage from the house entry door? No steps. Guess its just one of those common sense things that I would install. Personally, I use my man door on the garage more than any other door including my front door on my house.
Bain Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 Isn't man door a little anachronistic? I thought it was more PC to call them pedestrian doors.
CheckItOut Posted January 20, 2009 Author Report Posted January 20, 2009 Originally posted by Bain Isn't man door a little anachronistic? I thought it was more PC to call them pedestrian doors. Thankfully I live in the South where we don't have to be too concerned with sissy PC-ness. We still call it the mail man, police man, etc. Not police person.
Clouseau Zee Inspectuer Posted January 27, 2009 Report Posted January 27, 2009 Originally posted by Jeff Remas Were there stairs leading down/up into the garage from the house entry door? Check out 210.70(A)(2)(b) in the 2005 NEC. Grade-level entrances (with grade-level access) require wall-switched illumination on the exterior sides.
Mr. Electric Posted February 5, 2009 Report Posted February 5, 2009 As long as there is one switch inside the garage it meets code. The only place in the code where 3-way switches (2 locations) are required is at a stairway. There are many times and places where it is a godd idea to put in 3-way switching, but it is a design issue -- not code required.
HOTWATERHEATER Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 i don't think i have inspected a home without the dual switch and/or one for a light on the exterior wall. and for some reason the grade level comment is ringing in my head. don't feel like further researching/refreshing this but chuckling at "man door" and the political correctness, < good inspection point. lol i thought it was a service door ha ha
hendrix Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 If it is a means of egress, it needs a switch to serve an exterior light.
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