regular (not in-wall) speaker wire behind drywall

amakarevic

how bad is it to run regular (not in-wall) speaker wire behind drywall if the place is not getting inspected ?

Scuba_Dave

You mean.... like are you required to build to code ??

amakarevic

i am not. nobody will inspect. i bet this in-wall vs. regular is just a whim of some bureaucrat who was idle one day and wanted to pass a rule to be remembered by.

my question was really: what are the consequences of using regular wire behind the wall, i.e. what can happen ?

Scuba_Dave

So you don't think the wrong wire in the wall could give off toxic fumes?
You think codes are made up by people who want to be remembered ?
Wow...that's even better

AllanJ

It might biodegrade and fifteen years from now the next owner of the house wonders why it has shorted out.

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the1hangingchad

I didn't realize that there were even code requirements for speaker wire. What is the harm?

Everywhere I have lived, I have run speaker wire however possible without a thought. Behind drywall, behind trim, under laminate flooring. Its such low voltage, what is the risk?

Proby

Paying customers get the proper, code compliant installation.

In my own house I use regular wire, whether it be speaker, HDMI, coax, etc.

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oberkc

I have always assumed that the reason for this is with the potential for toxic fumes in the event of a fire. I take this as confirmed by Scuba Dave's post in March.

It would not be the first time that laws and codes were made without good reason, or even to the detriment to those intended to be protected.

Mr Chips

I thought the only differance between regular speaker wire and in-wall was that in-wall was UL approved based on it's ability to not generate X amount of heat and START a fire. I also though in wall cable had to have a tougher jacket, to resist abrasions like nail and screw tips and such.

likewise I thought the cable that did not cause toxic fumes was plenum rated cable, which is what you are supposed to use in air returns and HVAC type locations.

It's been a couple years since i looked into any of this so i might be remembering wrong, or things may have changed, but that is what i seem to recall.

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onetec

The reason you use the proper wire for in-wall is to keep flame from crawling up it into your upper floors or attic. It also puts off much less smoke. Plenum is indeed for use in plenum ceilings (when cavity above the drop ceiling is used as the air return) or in air ducts/returns.

If your wire run is not traveling from floor to floor or into your ceiling, the risk is smaller but I wouldn't recommended it.