Thanks for all the input. Though the reason for paper wrapping is a bit off topic, still interesting.
@ JamesL - now we're getting somewhere. The splices - I assume satisfy code - buried in a drywall, 2x4 cavity?
From the Home Dep pic, they don't look any safer than putting a box (e.g., metal, w/ romex clamps) and a lid inside the wall. Maybe it has to do w/ size of a buried box - bigger target if cutting into a wall? Not sure. Other than the splices' clamping force, they don't look "safer" than a quality J-box & lid.
What about any of these (I just filtered on 600v)
https://www.grainger.com/category/s...13%21178122875935%21e%21%21g%21%21splice+kits
For instance,
https://www.grainger.com/product/IDEAL-Splice-Kits-29UJ82 says it's for UNDERground, 600v. Where / how would I find out if any splice met / exceeded code for indoor & inside a wall?
Re:
actual water height. The day the water receded, I determined from some 16" concrete blocks
on end (raising furniture), the water level in the house
had to be < 8". More like 7" or 6."
Took a day to sink in. So it never got to
std height outlets &
not to the load center. There are 3 or 4 outlets - maybe a few more - closer to the slab. They probably were under a couple inches water ~ 24 - 36 hrs, est.
The drywall is all removed to ~ 42" now, but I didn't check how wire ran to those few
low outlets. Straight up, or sideways. But I can.
Eventually, flood insurance / FEMA requires removing 48" of drywall - apparently if there's only 1" of water.
Re: checking water wicking (if any) in the few low outlets. (this is more like a 1-7/8 story) Other than replacing the wire to near the 1st floor ceiling (at least 9ft, maybe more in one room) & checking that the wrapping isn't wet at that point, the testing method - if & how high - water wicked up is a bit puzzling. There are "moisture meters" - made to check lumber, slabs, walls, etc. Some have 2 very small probes. I suppose you could gently pierce the sheathing - several ft above the outlet - over the grd conductor & test w/ a meter. Granted, it's only a few outlets.
Don't know if code allows cutting / slicing / penetrating romex sheathing (for any reason), then re-seal, say a short slice in outer sheathing w/ tape, liquid tape or any other product. I don't see that as a risk, despite code. They MAKE many splice products for below & above ground cables, but don't know exact applications. Maybe mfg's sites give applications.
Fishing new wire to the 2nd story attic & setting a J box - "just to be safe," is a fair amt of work, w/o knowing if water wicked 1 inch or past the 1st floor ceiling. But, can be done..
In ONE room, the near to floor outlets are on an outside wall, that does NOT have a 2nd story above it - only a low pitch roof w/ too small an attic space to get near the top plate of the outer wall.
It'd take luck & skill to run a fish tape from the breakfast room, into the tight attic (maybe 4:12 pitch roof there) & get it to move back toward open attic. It's theoretically "possible."
I haven't actually crawled into that part of attic. Maybe w/ a long pole / extension pole of sorts, to reach ? 12 - 15 ft (wild guess) across the low attic, that could
grab the fish tape or, bend the tape down enough, so it started running along the roof decking, toward the taller attic. It could be difficult on certain outlets.
@ Goldstar:
Wiring under water If undamaged, no replacement is necessary
So... NJ decided that water wicking up the grd conductor wrapping wasn't an issue? Or did I misinterpret?
IIRC, with Sandy, some parts of NJ had salt or brackish flood water? Here, no salt. Rising water was from rain & dam releases. Yes - it could have caused sanitary sewers to overflow. Don't think that's a danger to copper.
Unless you got a water sample from the house, or take a wire section to a testing lab, no way to know what was in water. If anything of concern, I'd wager it was pretty diluted, as the rains were torrential & record breaking.
IMHO, if I couldn't readily and easily identify whether any cabling was damaged I would replace it.
How would you determine if water wicked up the romex? Or just ignore that, as NJ did? For wire, other than water in the ground wrapping, what would damage it, if walls are all standing?
we're not talking about a few inches of water - we're talking about feet of water
Not here, we're not. About 8" -almost certainly less. Who ever said that some NJ houses had water wick 10 ft up the romex, IIRC didn't say how high the water was above the lowest cut end of romex. 7 in. vs. 7 ft of water makes a huge difference how high the water inside romex had to overcome gravity Also length of time it was under water.
