This post originally appeared on the Green Building Advisor Website. www.greenbuildingadvisor.com.
I’ve been a licensed journeyman electrician since 2000 (I haven’t worked as an electrician since 2005, but still keep my licensing requirements up to date). Back in those days no one was asking us to seal the penetrations for electrical equipment we were making to the outside or into unconditioned spaces. Even today, with building codes requiring all air passageways between conditioned and unconditioned spaces sealed, it’s rare that the electricians are performing those duties. It’s usually left to the insulating contractor, a member of the carpentry crew, or in the case of holes drilled to the exterior of the building, the siding contractor. I can speak with experience that, with a little training, the residential mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) trades are more than capable of sealing their own holes and penetrations. I’m finding the MEP contractors I’m working with are taking pride in performing those duties.