Alwayslearningelec
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
- Occupation
- Estimator
Can anyone guess why the engineer is asking for this?
# 10 Wire
- Thread starter Alwayslearningelec
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ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
VD.
Alwayslearningelec
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
- Occupation
- Estimator
I thought that but why are the normal run in #12?
I would still run a Homerun out in #10 for the EM then branch to the EM in #12.
xformer
Senior Member
- Location
- Dallas, Tx
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
I will take a guess. A way to spend budget allotment. And without more information, voltage drop.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
With LED lighting you could use #16 wire and still not worry about voltage drop. This is just a dumb waste of someone's money.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Codes and practices just haven't caught up.
Buck Parrish
Senior Member
- Location
- NC & IN
This is what we did at a major university building. We brought #10 to the first j-box then went to #12.
These flimsy plastic lights could break when trying to bend the #10 wires in place.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- Semi-retired engineer
My guess is boilerplate language in the specs that they are afraid to change because no one knows why it was done that way in the first place.
I generally discouraged pulling smaller than #12 because smaller wires are not real strong and a lot of electricians used pulling practices that are not ideal. The last decade or so though, I have noticed a lot better pulling practices so I no longer worry much about it.
I once had a electrician tell me he did not use pulling lube because it has to be removed once the wiring is in place and that was too much work.
I generally discouraged pulling smaller than #12 because smaller wires are not real strong and a lot of electricians used pulling practices that are not ideal. The last decade or so though, I have noticed a lot better pulling practices so I no longer worry much about it.
I once had a electrician tell me he did not use pulling lube because it has to be removed once the wiring is in place and that was too much work.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
I do remember some of that pulling lube worked well going in, but years later it was like glue coming out.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
This is my best guess as well. If you have a way to ask (e.g., RFI or Value Engineering suggestion), I would go for it.
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