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Proper way to protect wire

5K views 41 replies 12 participants last post by  ryan50hrl 
#1 ·
What is the proper way to protect nm cable coming down from the rafters to outlets mounted to my concrete walls in my basement shop?
 
#10 ·
A variety of "conduit" including Wiremold (tm) is available for protecting wires and Romex type cable on walls where physical damage might occur.
 
#11 ·
If your going to be running a lot of nm and want to put it in conduit....why not switch over to THHN/THWN stranded? It is a whole lot easier to pull through conduit than romex....and you can get more wires in it....
 
#18 ·
You would need 3/4 emt to allow for conduit fill requirements. 1/2 emt is .1220 inches squared at 40% fill. NM cable must be considered a single wire. It is .1320 inches squared approx to allow for various manufactuers for 12/2 w ground. 12/2 G would need 3/4 emt.
From the NEC Chapter nine note 9. Just saying ....:)

(9) A multiconductor cable or flexible cord of two or more
conductors shall be treated as a single conductor for
calculating percentage conduit fill area. For cables that
have elliptical cross sections, the cross-sectional area
calculation shall be based on using the major diameter

of the ellipse as a circle diameter.
 
#16 ·
You should not install romex in a conduit system, meaning from device box to device box as your wiring method. It is allowed to be installed in sleeves indoors that are intended to protect the romex from damage.
In the previous post showing you an example of sleeving you need to also install a bushing where the romex enters the sleeve to protect the romex from abrasion or from being cut.
 
#17 ·
I don't intend on running much through it in the basement, just down the walls. However whoever wired my garage let the Romex drape between the 4 ft spans, I'm pretty sure that's not up to code. So I'm trying to find an alternative to buying all new wire.
 
#19 ·
I don't intend on running much through it in the basement, just down the walls. However whoever wired my garage let the Romex drape between the 4 ft spans, I'm pretty sure that's not up to code. So I'm trying to find an alternative to buying all new wire.
Are you talking about what they did up in the joists? Is this thru bored holes or are you talking about between staples along a framing member?
 
#25 · (Edited)
Ok I think I see what he is saying, if the cable is layed across the tops of the joists and is exposed you would be required to install it on running boards fastened every 4 feet or in conduit.

Inspectors differ on this but I believe the NEC supports your inspector. Some inspectors in open construction in an unfinished detached garage if the cable is not subject to physical damage ... it wouldn't be in your case in my opionion .... they would allow it as long as it was fastened to each joist and wasn't terribly droopy to the point workmanship became an issue.

Generally I drill the joists and pass the cable through the holes
 
#29 · (Edited)
Any problem junctioning the orange with Romex? It currently leaves that box, goes to the main panel however I need to run it to my subpanel from that box, I don't want to use conduit as I can't get around to that box anymore with conduit.


More info.....the orange coming from the top of the box runs to the furnace, It then goes out the left side of the box to the main panel. My intension is to remove all of it running to the left, and go to my subpanel by wirenutting the orange coming from the top to romex (and the nutural too).......i'm assuming the conduit is being used as the ground......i'll confirm that, and if so, how would I connect the ground from the romex to the box???
 

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#35 ·
Thanks.....So anyone wanna point me to where I can find the proper way to count wires in the box, for example, Four wires go straight through.......How do they count? One i'm assuming? Three are spliced in the box, count each one separately? Wire nuts? Ground Wires?
 
#41 ·
Thanks.....So anyone wanna point me to where I can find the proper way to count wires in the box, for example, Four wires go straight through.......How do they count? One i'm assuming? Three are spliced in the box, count each one separately? Wire nuts? Ground Wires?
A conductor that passes thru the box without a splice or termination counts as one conductor. If the loop of unbroken wire is more that twice the minimum length required for free conductors than it is counted as two conductors. For your purpose it appears that all 5 conductors that pass thru count as one each. You have 2 blacks, 1 red, 1 white and 1 orange that pass straight thru.

Each conductor originating outside the box that is termonated or spliced inside the box is counted as one conductor. For your purpose the 3-whites wire-nutted count as 3 conductors.

Wire connectors are not counted.

All grounding conductors count as one, even if you have 3 conductors under one wire nut. The bumdle of the 3 only count as 1 conductor for box fill calcs.


Also secure that box with a screw to the joist not a roofing nail.
 

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#37 ·
the conduit is the ground apparently so just tie the ground from the nm under the ground screw in the box. As for the count i know the nec differs from the cec on that so i'll let someone else answer it.
 
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