using scrap wire

[roger]

Well OK , if it's ethical to splice left over cable rather than a complete run from the electrical panel to the range/oven then I assume it's also OK to use { in this same house } old breakers just clean them up a little bit first - maybe even old junction boxes - wire nuts - covers etc. and that list can go on an on....

Are you asking about used material or simply dusty new material? If you are asking about the latter the answer is yes, it's perfectly fine?

Roger

 

[WinZip]

I for one surrender to this post , were just not all on the same page I guess....

 

[Dave58er]

How long are these "remnants" (as the carpet industry uses)? If it's long enough that the run doesn't look like "connect-the-dots," there's going be a job one day where it will be long enough to use in one piece.

I agree it's legal, I agree it reeks of amaturism, and I agree that I'd do it in a heartbeat if, for example, I had a 35' run, only two 20' pieces, the box could be in the crawl or attic, and that's all I have left to do.

I don't like it, but we have to weigh the costs (money and otherwise) of each option when making these choice. If it were a no-brainer, we wouldn't be discussing it. We all agree on some thing, and not on others.


Thank goodness!

This post is right on and IMO bears repeating.

Also would like to add that I spent time at a supply house before getting into the trade and will say that many times when you order shorter coils cut to length of any size or type of wire or cable there is a good chance you are getting leftovers or "remnants."

 

[WinZip]

Let's say for chits an giggles a few of you in here were going to build yourself a new home , your dream home around 2500 sq feet or more an you plan on buying top of the line kitchen equipment an also it has 2 zones of heat an cooling and of course you will be wiring it yourself.

Now at your shop or in trucks you have left over pieces of 10-2 to 6-4 an to save yourself money an finally find a place to use up left over cable { not scrap } you plan on using this left over cable an splice boxes where ever under your crawl space or attic , Is this what you would really do in your new dream home ???

I think this sums it up.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

Let's say for chits an giggles a few of you in here were going to build yourself a new home , your dream home around 2500 sq feet or more an you plan on buying top of the line kitchen equipment an also it has 2 zones of heat an cooling and of course you will be wiring it yourself.

Now at your shop or in trucks you have left over pieces of 10-2 to 6-4 an to save yourself money an finally find a place to use up left over cable { not scrap } you plan on using this left over cable an splice boxes where ever under your crawl space or attic , Is this what you would really do in your new dream home ???

I think this sums it up.

if i feel like it,,,yes ,,,,I can.


i thought you surrendered

 

[sameguy]

Winzip
I see your point, I would never put a hand hole on the way to my personal runway lighting or power to my boat yard. Due to the fact I can not trust my self to do the job right.

 

[Chamuit]

Let's say for chits an giggles a . . . Is this what you would really do in your new dream home ???

I think this sums it up.

Where are we in the budget? :grin:

 

[WinZip]

Winzip
I see your point, I would never put a hand hole on the way to my personal runway lighting or power to my boat yard. Due to the fact I can not trust my self to do the job right.

LOL now it's an run way and boat yard , and yes I do surrender now but just had to say it and see who would do that in there own homes.

 

[480sparky]

I guess what I don't understand is the issue here.

Do I use left-over wire somewhere else? Who doesn't? Who can afford to do otherwise? Let's see a show of hands of everyone here.......... do you use exactly 500-foot increments of THHN 12 and 10 every day, 250- and 1000-foot increments of 14/2. 14/3 and 12/2 NM every day?

What's the difference between getting a roll of #12 THHN, using 450' of it today, and the other 50' tomorrow as opposed to 450' today and the other 50' three months from now? Three years from now?

 

[One-eyed Jack]

Lets say you wired this new custom home an you had a 100 foot run to a range or oven an you have 3 pieces of cable that would work providing you use 2 splice boxes , now one year later when the warranty has run out you get a call from happy home owner my range doesn't work maybe it's the circuit breaker can you come out for a service call an check this please.

You arrive with a smile on your face check a few things then take a look under the crawl space an you see one of the splice boxes you installed a year ago an find that one connection had burned through the connection for what ever reason , so you fix the problem an present happy home owner with a bill for $190.00 which he pays.

Now two months later you get another call from unhappy home owner my range has stopped working again , you pay him another visit an check box #1 everything is fine so now you remember adding a second box an you proceed to checking it's connection an to your surprise that connection also had burned through it's connection for what ever reason , now you find that you don't have the materials to make the repair at splice box #2 an have to run to supply house or home depot to get what you need for the repair and then present unhappy home owner another bill but for $235.00 this time , an he looks at you an says why do I have to pay you again for what you said you repaired the last trip , now because your an honest person you say to him I used two junction splice boxes under the crawl to use up some left over wire when we wired the house from the start , unhappy home owner is standing there steaming mad with eye balls rolling around in his head an popping out.

All you had to do from the start is take a whole run from point A to Point B

End of story

First off I would not batt an eye on one splice. Your scenario is about as likely to happen as me flushing my water closet and running outside to see if the tide had risen. Not unprofessional,unscrupulous,or any of the other derogatory remarks. Now if he stole the short pieces from another job!!!!!!

 

[mkgrady]

Let's say for chits an giggles a few of you in here were going to build yourself a new home , your dream home around 2500 sq feet or more an you plan on buying top of the line kitchen equipment an also it has 2 zones of heat an cooling and of course you will be wiring it yourself.

Now at your shop or in trucks you have left over pieces of 10-2 to 6-4 an to save yourself money an finally find a place to use up left over cable { not scrap } you plan on using this left over cable an splice boxes where ever under your crawl space or attic , Is this what you would really do in your new dream home ???

I think this sums it up.

Before I read this it occurred to me that this discussion could go on forever. I get a kick out of your post because you seem to imply that your post puts the issue to bed by indicating that nobody in their right mind would splice the cable in your example. If that is what you meant I think you are wrong.

 

[e57]

Sometimes you say some really funny stuff.:grin:

Earth to Zog, we store a lot of building wire and use it when we can, it does not have a freshness date and does not go rancid.

So do you Bob...

Don't you come all walking in here with your common sense and reasonable logic.
~
I'm so bad ass that I have ZZ Top blasting in the background at all times.

FWIW this is one of the funniest threads I've read here in some time. It's really made an otherwise dull day funny...

My contract specifically addresses changes by others. Covering up my when-installed-they-were-legal-and-passed-inspection boxes is just such a change.

Funny - with some modification - so does mine....

I for one surrender to this post , were just not all on the same page I guess....

Oh - don't give up... Common sense hasn't stopped some of us before.... (To include myself...)

 

[mxslick]

Let's say for chits an giggles a few of you in here were going to build yourself a new home , your dream home around 2500 sq feet or more an you plan on buying top of the line kitchen equipment an also it has 2 zones of heat an cooling and of course you will be wiring it yourself.

Now at your shop or in trucks you have left over pieces of 10-2 to 6-4 an to save yourself money an finally find a place to use up left over cable { not scrap } you plan on using this left over cable an splice boxes where ever under your crawl space or attic , Is this what you would really do in your new dream home ???

I think this sums it up.

Yes I would in a heart beat, as for one thing I take a lot of pride in workmanship and would make darn sure those splices are the best. I would have no qualms whatsoever. Besides, one of those splice points may come in handy to add a receptacle or lighting circuit later. (On 14 and 12 only of course.) (I don't see running 10 anywhere on a general purpose circuit unless dealing with voltage drop.)

Secondly I would take the savings in material and put it elsewhere into better fixtures or whatever I could tangibly enjoy. :grin:

As long as the wire is not physically compromised I don't see why it shouldn't be used.

 

[LarryFine]

. . . what left over length dictates whether it is scrap?

If it won't reach the range, I mean, the load without an undesired splice, it's scrap.

 

[roger]

If it won't reach the range, I mean, the load without an undesired splice, it's scrap.

:grin:

Roger

 

[jumper]

Yes I would in a heart beat, as for one thing I take a lot of pride in workmanship and would make darn sure those splices are the best. I would have no qualms whatsoever. Besides, one of those splice points may come in handy to add a receptacle or lighting circuit later. (On 14 and 12 only of course.) (I don't see running 10 anywhere on a general purpose circuit unless dealing with voltage drop.)

Secondly I would take the savings in material and put it elsewhere into better fixtures or whatever I could tangibly enjoy. :grin:

As long as the wire is not physically compromised I don't see why it shouldn't be used.

Amen brudder.

 

[LarryFine]

I wonder, if you went on a service call and found 2 or 3 splice boxes in the range circuit (because of a trouble call) what you would think. Would you tell the homeowner they needed a new cable installed?

Depends on whether I found the problem in one of those splices.

 

[LarryFine]

... you see one of the splice boxes you installed a year ago an find that one connection had burned through the connection for what ever reason ...

... you proceed to checking it's connection an to your surprise that connection also had burned through it's connection for what ever reason ...

I wouldn't charge for either repair, even after warranty. My workmanship has no time limit.

 

[stevenje]

I wonder, if you went on a service call and found 2 or 3 splice boxes in the range circuit (because of a trouble call) what you would think. T

My first thought would be that a homeowner or handyman made a trip down to one of the big box stores and got some free advice on installing the range wire.

 

[e57]

Two words:

extension cord :roll:

Is there a difference.... I think there is.... Building wire and splices is not the same... Trying to imagine some extream 30 boxes 12" from eachother - is not what the OP implied IMO.