Identify age of old Romex - also funny ground

Leah Frances

Started Demolition of two closets today. I did manage to stop DH from taking a reciprocating saw to the wall. Good thing too, or he would have zapped himself when he cut a length of romex that ran to the closet light. A little easy investigation revealed this romex. Like the spot where the wire is exposed? Thank goodness our HOer insurance covers us!

This is the first bit of 'Green' romex I've found in the house, and I would like to be able to get a rough idea of the age. It's marked "General Cable 14/2 With Ground Type NM Romex 600 V". I've never seen romex this color. Any ideas would be great.


Here's a bonus - proof that I can NEVER rely on any of my old electrical was done correctly.

Picture shows a rec mid run. Power feeds from the left - no ground apparent (nor is one possible as it's supply is K&T). Wires on the right go to the 'green' romex and power only the closet light - but look how considerately they did the ground to supply the light! Hey at least they didn't just cut it flush with the insulation (like most of the rest of the 'new' runs of romex in the house).

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texelect

Gotta be about 50 years old.

gregzoll

The box is grounded, which means, the only time the outlet has a ground, is when it is attached to the box. As for the cloth covered Romex, I would guess post 50's, pre 70's. If all of the house has the same type going to the fuse/breaker panel, and you know the age of the house, that would put the wiring at that age. If the house is older than the wiring you have in the closet and there are no other circuits feeding back to the main panel, then it would date the last time a retro was done in the home.

codeone

My Dads house had this type of wiring. His house was built in 1948.

Leah Frances

The box actually isn't grounded, i.e. there is no continuous wire or BX-type connection from the box to any 'ground'.

FYI - wiring in the house is truly hybrid. The K&T in the house is circa 1890s. We have some 'old romex' with no ground. And some early romex. This green stuff is unique in the house as far as I've found at this point.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

Scuba_Dave

I dunno...I saw the Title & thought ....watch

Based on other wire I've seen I'd say about 50 years old too

texelect

You are correct K&T is not grounded. If that is the wiring method that feeds this outlet, then the ground from the romex is irrelevant. The romex is not close to being as old as the K&T.

kbsparky

That green romex was commonly used in the early 1960's -- about 50 years old as others have stated. The grounding conductor was smaller than the circuit conductors in those days, full size ground wires were not required until after the 1971 Code was adopted.

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gregzoll

The bare copper in the picture on the right would be a ground wire. It should be connected back at the main panel.

Techy

Not if the feed is coming from the left.