10-2, 8-2, and 6-2 Romex cables

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jeff48356

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Livonia, Michigan
Just a thought here: Wondering why they make 10-2, 8-2, and 6-2 Romex with a white wire if anything that uses these cables for power is a 240V appliance. Why not make them with a black, red, and ground, rather than a white? I can't think of any 120V single-pole appliances that use anything higher than a 30A breaker. The only thing I know of that even uses a single-pole 30A is an outdoor receptacle for a motor home.
 
It's just how wire is made. They don't know how it will be used when they make it.

I have seen what you're talking about used in Canada - I call it DC Romex.


Thermostat wire is the same way: 2 cond - red & white, 3 cond - red, white, green, 4cond - red, white, green, yellow, etc.

That's why red is hot, white is heat, green is fan, yellow is AC, etc. The color usage evolved as HVAC equipment evolved.
 
As Larry stated, Canadians are not allowed to use 12/2 nm with a white wire for 240V. They have readily available, in stock, 12/2 nm with a black and red wire for 240V
 
jaggedben said:
I guess maybe because you are allowed by code to re-indentify white to red but not the other way around.
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Does that apply to service conductors too? I have used white tape to re-identify a 1/0 conductor as white (when using 2/0 black hots). Most supply stores only carry black in larger conductors.
 
jeff48356 said:
Just a thought here: Wondering why they make 10-2, 8-2, and 6-2 Romex with a white wire if anything that uses these cables for power is a 240V appliance. Why not make them with a black, red, and ground, rather than a white?
Click to expand...

My only thought on the subject is that people keep buying it the way it is so there is no incentive to change.
 
jeff48356 said:
Does that apply to service conductors too? I have used white tape to re-identify a 1/0 conductor as white (when using 2/0 black hots). Most supply stores only carry black in larger conductors.
Click to expand...

The rule doesn't require sizes 4 and larger to be continuously marked. They can be taped at terminations. That's why the OP specifically asked about 10, 8, and 6.
 
jeff48356 said:
Does that apply to service conductors too? I have used white tape to re-identify a 1/0 conductor as white (when using 2/0 black hots). Most supply stores only carry black in larger conductors.
Click to expand...
To carry many colors in larger conductors takes warehouse space. It is becoming more popular to see colored conductors though - I guess there is more demand for it. It is even more common on multiplex twisted assemblies.

Otherwise if code only requires field identification of those conductors the suppliers save some warehouse space by only stocking black and letting installers mark them as needed in the field.
 
growler said:
My only thought on the subject is that people keep buying it the way it is so there is no incentive to change.
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"We've always done it this way, and nobody's complained."
(we've never opened up lines of communications with our end users, either -- we only sell to regional distributors, who sell to local suppliers, who sell to end users)

Hey, maybe there's a market opportunity: start manufacturing red/black/bare, and simultaneously lobby for a code update requiring it.
 
drcampbell said:
Hey, maybe there's a market opportunity: start manufacturing red/black/bare, and simultaneously lobby for a code update requiring it.
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We would buy it for certain jobs, because I like the idea of the right colored insulation, but would be annoyed if we were forced to buy it and not have the black/white stuff reidentified be usable.

Don't give them any more ideas about how to make life difficult.
 
The way I see it is that a white conductor in a cable assembly is not a problem, the requirement to re-identify a white conductor used as a hot is unnecessary.

Roger
 
jeff48356 said:
Just a thought here: Wondering why they make 10-2, 8-2, and 6-2 Romex with a white wire if anything that uses these cables for power is a 240V appliance. Why not make them with a black, red, and ground, rather than a white? I can't think of any 120V single-pole appliances that use anything higher than a 30A breaker. The only thing I know of that even uses a single-pole 30A is an outdoor receptacle for a motor home.
Click to expand...

I know Southwire makes 8-2 with red and black conductors. Use it for A/C runs in houses all the time.
 
Voltage drop

Voltage drop

As stated previously you can tape the white with black tape to identify it as a hot wire. And you may to use a larger size to accommodate for voltage drop. So where needing 12/2 you may have to run 10/2 in which case the white would be a neutral.
 
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