romex installation in crawl spaces

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wiredog

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Can romex, NM-B, in crawl spaces be installed on the underside of joists or run through bored holes in the joists if you are using 2014 code.
 

Little Bill

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Can romex, NM-B, in crawl spaces be installed on the underside of joists or run through bored holes in the joists if you are using 2014 code.

This is from the 2011, but to my knowledge it didn't change in the 2014. But I don't have the 2014, maybe someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

334.15(C)
(C) In Unfinished Basements and Crawl Spaces. Where
cable is run at angles with joists in unfinished basements and
crawl spaces, it shall be permissible to secure cables not
smaller than two 6 AWG or three 8 AWG conductors directly
to the lower edges of the joists. Smaller cables shall be
run either through bored holes in joists or on running boards.
 

Little Bill

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Some crawl spaces may be damp, even thought they are not supposed to be with correct ventilation. YMMV.

AFAIK, the code has never considered a crawl space a damp location. Even though you might have a small pond under a house.:p
Yet just slide a piece of NM in conduit for anything outdoors and it will explode soon after!:roll:
 

Dennis Alwon

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Can romex, NM-B, in crawl spaces be installed on the underside of joists or run through bored holes in the joists if you are using 2014 code.


Yes you can drill holes but you cannot run the nm cable on the underside of joists. You can use a running board and staple the wires to it. If you live in NC then you don't need to worry about that section that Bill quoted as it has been amended here.
 

Sierrasparky

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I don't get why the code changed and forbids NM to be run attached to the bottom of a floor joist in a crawlspace. Is the CMP really concerned someone will do pullups using a 14-2?
or were they concerned we workers will hang a drop light to it.
Heck I have not used a drop light in 10 years. I have great battery lights. Now I have LED's that are way better than any 120v incandescent.
 

Dennis Alwon

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I don't get why the code changed and forbids NM to be run attached to the bottom of a floor joist in a crawlspace. Is the CMP really concerned someone will do pullups using a 14-2?

One of our members is responsible for this change. Not me but I am not telling :D
 

ActionDave

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Geeze. Do you remember the reasoning?
I don't remember who it was but the reason was to bring some "consistency" between the rules for basements and crawl spaces..,..had nothing to do with safety. It was a quite silly change IMO and started me down the path of believing that some of the cmp's don't have enough to do and we should go to a five year code cycle.
 

Sierrasparky

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Electrician ,contractor
I don't remember who it was but the reason was to bring some "consistency" between the rules for basements and crawl spaces..,..had nothing to do with safety. It was a quite silly change IMO and started me down the path of believing that some of the cmp's don't have enough to do and we should go to a five year code cycle.


I guess there are a lot of outlaws out there working under homes. I don't think I have ever seen running boards used except near a access hole in at a attic.
 

ActionDave

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With all due respect to MH. It is just amazing what a non Boots on the ground industry expert will cause to us sparkies in the field.
Amen. I'm sure these guys are sincere but at some point somebody needs to start a movement to get the code refocused as safety standard and not a design manual, if for no other reason than the code books are almost getting to big to pick up with one hand.
 
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