12/2 Romex simpull without an EGC

[roger]

This may have come up before but I don't remember it if it did. We are redoing our kitchen and about a month ago I bought a 50' roll of 12/2 Southwire Romex for extending a few circuits.
I fished down existing walls using about half the roll and today I was going to energize a drop for a temporary receptacle during the continuing construction process. Well, when I stripped the sheath, I found the EGC was missing so I went to the remainder of the roll and sure enough, no EGC.

I will be contacting Southwire before I do anything else with the remainder but wanted to know if anyone else has seen this.

 

[tortuga]

Thats pretty odd, have a picture?
The only time I have seen new 12/2 with no ground is 12/2 boat cable, it looks just like romex but has stranded conductors.

 

[LarryFine]

I will be contacting Southwire before I do anything else with the remainder but wanted to know if anyone else has seen this.

I have not.

(I know it's easy to say when I'm still wiring, but I would never pay the per-foot price for short lengths.)

 

[roger]

Thats pretty odd, have a picture?
The only time I have seen new 12/2 with no ground is 12/2 boat cable, it looks just like romex but has stranded conductors.

I will post a picture later

 

[roger]

I have not.

(I know it's easy to say when I'm still wiring, but I would never pay the per-foot price for short lengths.)

I know, if I were still buying material for jobs I would never buy small quantities.

This was a packaged 50' foot roll in Southwire wrapping I had my wife pick up at ACE Hardware on her way home one day.

 

[hbiss]

Says "with ground" right on it.

"I had my wife pick up at ACE Hardware". Obviously was meant to be sold by Home Depot.

-Hal

 

[tortuga]

Thats bizzare, Were you using the ground wire for a pulling eye and perhaps pull it out?

 

[roger]

Thats bizzare, Were you using the ground wire for a pulling eye and perhaps pull it out?

No, just shoved it down the wall to the location after demoing soffits. The EGC paper wrap is intact within the sheath just no wire.

 

[roger]

Says "with ground" right on it.

-Hal

So does the sheath.

 

[LarryFine]

I know what happened: Someone unrolled it, pulled out the EGC, rolled it back up, and resealed it.

 

[roger]

I know what happened: Someone unrolled it, pulled out the EGC, rolled it back up, and resealed it.

Maybe, I'm sure Southwire will have an answer.

 

[mtnelect]

I tried to contact a human voice on Southwire, nowhere to be found. Be prepared to fill out a contact form and wait for a response.

 

[roger]

I tried to contact a human voice on Southwire, nowhere to be found. Be prepared to fill out a contact form and wait for a response.

Actually, I've had good luck communicating with Southwire through emails in the past. Of course that was when I was making major purchases of wire.

 

[LarryFine]

I know what happened: Someone unrolled it, pulled out the EGC, rolled it back up, and resealed it.

I was, of course, kidding. The scrap value wouldn't be worth the work.

 

[roger]

I was, of course, kidding. The scrap value wouldn't be worth the work.

I know you were Larry, and believe it or not, I wasn't exactly serious when I said I'm sure Southwire will have an answer.

 

[brantmacga]

Very interesting Roger. I checked southwire’s website to see if they offer NM-B w/o ground because I know they still manufacture UF-B w/o a ground. But it looks like all of their NM-B products have a ground wire. I’d like to hear their response to you.


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[James L]

I was, of course, kidding. The scrap value wouldn't be worth the work.

Never underestimate the ambition of a meth head

 

[roger]

This morning I checked the other pieces I had installed and they had the EGC intact, the last 25' or so of the roll was where it was missing. It appears as though however the manufacturing process works that the EGC must have run out during the production run.

Here's a picture of the very end of the roll.

 

[roger]

Very interesting Roger. I checked southwire’s website to see if they offer NM-B w/o ground because I know they still manufacture UF-B w/o a ground. But it looks like all of their NM-B products have a ground wire. I’d like to hear their response to you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll post their response.

 

[James L]

It appears as though however the manufacturing process works that the EGC must have run out during the production run.

about 25 years ago I felt a strange lump inside a piece of NM and my curiosity got me to cut it open. There was a splice in the ground, just folded over and crimped together. Only time I've ever seen that