Roping a house in cold weather

[GerryB]

A previous post covered the romex getting wet pretty well. It can get plenty wet according to the manufacturers, only the cut end laying in water would soak (or wick) up the water and you skin it back until the paper is not wet. As far as cold weather, that is a drag. I try to isolate an area and get a little more heat into it somehow. Of course this slows down the job. And finally, I've been around awhile, never heard the term "roping", but I knew what it was before reading the post.

 

[GoldDigger]

The following info came from here http://www.southwire.com/products/RomexSIMpullTypeNMD90OEM.htm.[/FONT][/COLOR]

Interesting that you can pull in conditions down to -25C as long as you have heat soaked the NM at 0C (32F) or warmer for 24 hours first.
I guess that means that you have to keep the bulk wire warm until just before you actually pull it or at least keep it in its warm box.
What temperature the sparky is at does not seem to matter to them.

 

[ActionDave]

As much as I hate to assume. If I walked into a structure and saw the NM 'wet' I would ask it to be removed.

Have you ever seen Home Runs in a basement covered with water? The paper wicks the moisture up.

What if the electrician device'd the home? Nothing says he can't install devices and cover plates before drywall. What if just one of them was wet?

What about it? There a dozens of electricians driving around my state and region with spools of romex in the back of pick-up trucks getting all kinds of wet. This has been common as long as I have been alive and then some. No cases of any damage after the install and energizing in my little town. I feel safe extrapolating out to the rest of country that it hasn't happened there either. New NM has a lot less paper in it than old NM too.

 

[ptonsparky]

What about it? There a dozens of electricians driving around my state and region with spools of romex in the back of pick-up trucks getting all kinds of wet. This has been common as long as I have been alive and then some. No cases of any damage after the install and energizing in my little town. I feel safe extrapolating out to the rest of country that it hasn't happened there either. New NM has a lot less paper in it than old NM too.

I wonder what happens to that romex that has been surrounded for several days by the wet insulation that is blown onto the walls? Removed? Just because it has been rained on during installation does no make it unsafe.

 

[ritelec]

I've been around awhile, never heard the term "roping", but I knew what it was before reading the post.

Same here........... thought that was what was implied but was expecting a hoedown or rodeo or something....



Cold...wiring........drag............

"heats in the tools".................... yeah right ....

 

[James L]

I've been around awhile, never heard the term "roping", but I knew what it was before reading the post.

I've been around since the early 90s. I've heard the term quite a few times, but not by anyone who actually ropes houses. In my experience, this seems to be lingo that is limited to "real" electricians.

The last time was a few months ago in a Craigslist ad listed by a Commercial electrician. He said he wasn't looking for someone who could "rope a house" but needed someone who understood real electrical work

When I moved from Residential to Commercial work about 8 years ago, I was called a "rope slinger" by a couple of guys at the company I hired on at.

I'm not saying that this is necessarily the case with the OP. He may have simply heard the term by others, and might not have meant anything derogatory at all

 

[HEYDOG]

First time that I have actually used the term (roping). I have been teaching code classes for 15 years and have heard a few residential electricians used this slang term. But most of you guys knew what I was referring to.

 

[K8MHZ]

I came through the industrial apprenticeship and we called NMS 'rope'. Over the years I have done industrial, res and commercial work.

One year we were putting a service in a new home. It was so cold that the insulation on the 2/0 THHN I was trying to get into the meter socket actually broke. Not just the clear coating. A clean split all the way to the copper.

That was not a fun day.

The same EC had us wiring a remod with a 3 foot open gap at the top of the entire house one winter. It was impossible to heat. A bottle of water would freeze in about 2 hours....INSIDE this house.

That was a no-fun job, too.

I just looked at the temp here. It's 0.2 degrees F. That's chilly even for a seasoned Michigander such as myself.

 

[ptonsparky]

First time that I have actually used the term (roping). I have been teaching code classes for 15 years and have heard a few residential electricians used this slang term. But most of you guys knew what I was referring to.

FWIW, I had never heard of the term until this forum. It did not take long to figure out the meaning but it still sounds foreign.

 

[kwired]

Never wired without windows.

I also like the carpenters to be finished.

In summer heat it is often nice to work in those places before the windows go in. And carpenters are never done, even after drywall and paint is done, something will get changed somewhere even if only a relatively minor change.

As much as I hate to assume. If I walked into a structure and saw the NM 'wet' I would ask it to be removed.

Have you ever seen Home Runs in a basement covered with water? The paper wicks the moisture up.

What if the electrician device'd the home? Nothing says he can't install devices and cover plates before drywall. What if just one of them was wet?

If basement is filled with water you have more problems than just wet NM cable. If water gets into a device or device box it will dry. If it gets into a GFCI it may not work anymore, I guess it would have to be replaced. You are making a big deal out of nothing. Complete immersion and a little splash, spray, or rain are not always the same thing. I have many times cleaned electrical equipment with water, you do have to be careful just what you do clean and make sure you get it dry before using it again.

A previous post covered the romex getting wet pretty well. It can get plenty wet according to the manufacturers, only the cut end laying in water would soak (or wick) up the water and you skin it back until the paper is not wet. As far as cold weather, that is a drag. I try to isolate an area and get a little more heat into it somehow. Of course this slows down the job. And finally, I've been around awhile, never heard the term "roping", but I knew what it was before reading the post.

That is correct

What about it? There a dozens of electricians driving around my state and region with spools of romex in the back of pick-up trucks getting all kinds of wet. This has been common as long as I have been alive and then some. No cases of any damage after the install and energizing in my little town. I feel safe extrapolating out to the rest of country that it hasn't happened there either. New NM has a lot less paper in it than old NM too.

Amen.

FWIW, I had never heard of the term until this forum. It did not take long to figure out the meaning but it still sounds foreign.

Many of those people haven't been around real cowboys all that much.

 

[GerryB]

Same here........... thought that was what was implied but was expecting a hoedown or rodeo or something....



Cold...wiring........drag............

"heats in the tools".................... yeah right ....

That's what I call "Roping". (where'd the pic go?) I heard of "romex slinger" Anybody know what a "rabbit gun" is? Heard that slang in New York City.

 

[ptonsparky]

Used to be .22 here, now maybe .17. Things can't be that different from here and NY.

 

[GerryB]

Used to be .22 here, now maybe .17. Things can't be that different from here and NY.

Nope, it's electrical.

 

[ritelec]

Rabbit gun................now I do...thanks.............

I cheated............

http://www.theunionbootpro.com/slang/

 

[GerryB]

Rabbit gun................now I do...thanks.............

I cheated............

http://www.theunionbootpro.com/slang/

I checked there myself to be sure I had it right. Some of those are hilarious. I kinda liked Captain Cord Cap. (Safety Inspector)