So many times I run RX through attic and drop down the outside of the house, just down the outside wall to an RV outlet or something like that. Sleeve it in PVC. I know its a violation, but I can't be the only one doing it. Just curious if thats the norm, or should I rethink my ways?
RX cheating a little!
- Thread starter joebeadg
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
What is RX?
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
"Code is Code. Its OK for others, but not if it costs me time and money" Mike Holt
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
Well from what I've been told (some) run the romex through the attic then hit an LB with a romex connector then piping outside, but first strip the outer sheathing while running those conductors through emt or similar. The big problem for the gung ho inspectors "typically" is romex wiring under the sheath has no markings .. pretty scary.
Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
If you've already gone through the trouble of getting into the attic anyway why not just transition to UF while in attic then run down in PVC, then its it's legal.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Why transition. Just stay with uf the entire way and there won't be an issue
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
At one time it was illegal to run Romex inside a conduit unless it was a firewall sleeve, although codes constantly change. So ... stripping the sheathing allows for better breathing of the insulated conductors ..
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
That's a common belief but in reality it was never illegal, the wording wasn't clear like it is now.
It is illegal in wet locations.
Roger
Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
This thought just up with "common practices" I've often seen RX used and terminated in an exterior light box on side of house, given the discussion and looking at the code it seems that is a code violation. Is this accurate? If this is true it also seems that it is not getting picked up by inspections or is this a rescent clearification of the code.
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
The inside of an outdoor box is not rated a wet location. Plus, 6-8" into an outdoor box doesn't hardly qualify as the NM being outdoors. If it were, why isn't the interior of an outdoor panel rated a wet location?
Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
It just came to mind because I've been to home to change out outdoor light fixture where the RX paper inner wrap was soaked enough to actually wring out.
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
For the record I am all about what the NEC stands for and always want to perform legal Installations but ... come on, some of these codes really are stretching it a bit on the safety concern, ok I'll bit, in layman's terms how is a thhn type insulation within a stripped nmb enclosed within an emt or similar a violation due to wet conditions.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Firstly, I believe NM cable has THwn-2 however it doesn't have to have that. The code requires it to be 90C and that's it. Since the jacket isn't marked then we don't know whether it is rated for wet location. Now if you are asking if there would ever be an issue with it in a conduit... IMO, probably not especially if the run is vertical.
For the record the conductors in NM are not technically THHN or THWN but that was not what my posts were addressing.
Roger
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
We including me, are carrying on a discussion started by, something of the nature of ... is it necessary to make a transition from one type of conductor system to another.
Asking is it allowable to run " rx " ..romex through an attic and simply sleeve it outside after leaving the snuggly attic environment to a conduit system outside.
then we ended up on Romex not being allowed in wet locations. I guess my point was, what was once romex in the attic became de-rated by removing the sheathing and became upgraded to a conduit enclosure, other than not having the wire labeled every 12" I'd think it was safe, maybe not code though.
You said others stripped the sheathing because it was illegal to install RX in conduit at one time, I simply pointed out that it was never illegal to install RX in conduit. However, RX is in fact illegal in wet locations with or without the sheath. The inside of a conduit in most outside installations is a wet location.
Roger
Roger
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