extra wire at boxes

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jetlag

Senior Member
I sometime look thru the wiring books at supply house , I like the photo's . One said you must leave 8 '' extra wire past the front edge of recept box for rough in. I thought the code says either 6 or 8 from where cable enters box but in no case less than 3 '' past front of box .
 
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jusme123

Senior Member
Location
NY
Occupation
JW
'08 code 300.14 states that it is 6" from where it emerges from the raceway or cable, BUT if the box is less than 8" in any direction than the conductor is required to extend 3" past the outside of the box
 

LEO2854

Esteemed Member
Location
Ma
8" past the front edge of the box is good practice you can allways make them shorter just don't make them shorter than 6":)
 

jusme123

Senior Member
Location
NY
Occupation
JW
8" past the front edge of the box is good practice you can allways make them shorter just don't make them shorter than 6":)

I was just stating the min code requirement as stated in 300.14. If I install a box that is 12" X 12" X 12" and come into the back of the box with the wires, the wires do not have to be long enough to reach the outside of the box according to code. Although I am not saying it is a good practice, it would be to code.
 

jetlag

Senior Member
Thanks Tom

Thanks Tom

for small boxes, its 3" in the box and 6" out per code, but the 8" may be a good practice.

300.14 at least 6" of free conductor, measured from the point in in a box where it emerges from its raceway or cable sheath ,shall be left at each outlet junction or switch point for splices or the connection of luminaires or devices. Where the opening to an outlet, junction , or switch point is less than 8 in in any dimension, each conductor shall be long enough to extend 3 in. outside the opening .

A small device box has openings less than 8 '' so only 6 '' cable required in box and min. 3 '' will extend past the box opening. Large boxes require min 6 inside but dont have to extend past the opening. If you know of a code to support what you say please give code reference. it seems you have it bassackwards
 
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jetlag

Senior Member
thanks leo

thanks leo

8" past the front edge of the box is good practice you can allways make them shorter just don't make them shorter than 6":)

I go more by the box type and device going in . If I leave 3 " past the front of outlet box , it was a mistake and there is no more slack to pull . I will leave 4 to 6 on a single gang , I try to eyeball 5 " . I know any more will just get sniped off , so not have to pack it in device box. Now multi gang is another thing I will leave 8 or more , somtimes I loop the hot and grounds around the screw terminals from first switch to the last in box. of course each switch has its on hot leaving the box to fixture . and the neutrals nut together. Does anyone know if it is a violation to loop between switches that way. :)
 

LEO2854

Esteemed Member
Location
Ma
I go more by the box type and device going in . If I leave 3 " past the front of outlet box , it was a mistake and there is no more slack to pull . I will leave 4 to 6 on a single gang , I try to eyeball 5 " . I know any more will just get sniped off , so not have to pack it in device box. Now multi gang is another thing I will leave 8 or more , somtimes I loop the hot and grounds around the screw terminals from first switch to the last in box. of course each switch has its on hot leaving the box to fixture . and the neutrals nut together. Does anyone know if it is a violation to loop between switches that way. :)

Does anyone know if it is a violation to loop between switches that way?
Thats a good question i have not seen any referance about that in the code.:roll:
 

jetlag

Senior Member
Not to my knowledge. I do cringe when someone in a company larger than one man does it, because it will get cut off by mistake, cause a threeway to be trimmed out as a single pole, etc.

I dont follow , there is no difference except instead of a hot jumper ran to each switch and wire nut to hot in , the same hot in just loops to each switch. why would some one else go back and cut it off with switches in ? If it is cut off before then I wire it your way . A 3 way gets a hot the same way , and the two travelers on the other screws to the 14 /3 with neutral , dont they know where the 3 way goes , no matter if the hot is long or short :-?
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
What I am saying is there's a good chance the long hot will get cut off by mistake at the trim, as the switches are installed. Do as you please, it's none of my business. I prefer to make it as mindless as possible to minimize mistakes.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
........I prefer to make it as mindless as possible to minimize mistakes.

If there's a SP switch going in a particular spot, there's two wires plus a ground right there.

If there's a 3-way, there's three wires, the common wrapped around the travelers & ground, in that spot.

4-ways have two pairs of travelers wrapped in pairs along with the ground.

That way, no matter who trims the job, there's absolutely no brains involved.
 

LEO2854

Esteemed Member
Location
Ma
If there's a SP switch going in a particular spot, there's two wires plus a ground right there.

If there's a 3-way, there's three wires, the common wrapped around the travelers & ground, in that spot.

4-ways have two pairs of travelers wrapped in pairs along with the ground.

That way, no matter who trims the job, there's absolutely no brains involved.

Thats why we are licensed:grin:
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Here's a 3-gang showing how I leave it when I'm done at rough:

MU18.jpg

 

jetlag

Senior Member
If there's a SP switch going in a particular spot, there's two wires plus a ground right there.

If there's a 3-way, there's three wires, the common wrapped around the travelers & ground, in that spot.

4-ways have two pairs of travelers wrapped in pairs along with the ground.

That way, no matter who trims the job, there's absolutely no brains involved.

Well now I do the out going wires to the fixtures exactly that way , its just the hot line into the box that I loop to each switch instead of running a jumper from hot to each switch. In a case where the hot is allready in the fixture , my box will be exactly as yours the 2 wires will be hot in white and hot out black . I wont loop a hot over in that case . Each switch has its own hot there already like you say. Im talking about when the line in hits the switch , not the fixture , how do you get the hot to each switch ? The only way I know is loop it or run jumper from each switch to hot line in . Why fill the box with all those jumpers and on a 4 gang you will have 5 conductors to wire nut together.
 
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