blown in insulation

[mtnelect]

From my standpoint in Southern California, The City of Los Angeles always required rigid conduit for residential wiring. When the cost of residential construction increased around 1970's, in order to get federal funding, they had to allow Romex wiring. It was not based on electrical safety, but the cost of construction.

 

[letgomywago]

From my standpoint in Southern California, The City of Los Angeles always required rigid conduit for residential wiring. When the cost of residential construction increased around 1970's, in order to get federal funding, they had to allow Romex wiring. It was not based on electrical safety, but the cost of construction.

Even Chicago allows emt.

 

[AC\DC]

From my standpoint in Southern California, The City of Los Angeles always required rigid conduit for residential wiring. When the cost of residential construction increased around 1970's, in order to get federal funding, they had to allow Romex wiring. It was not based on electrical safety, but the cost of construction.

I can’t imagine wiring a home in rigid lol. That house won’t run down lol. We should push going back to conduit and tubing. Less DYI lol

 

[jaggedben]

And yet the supply is not being increased. Perhaps by design.

That's just really not true. Total generating capacity in Cali increased by 16.6% from 2011 to 2022.
And by the way that does not include at least 4.5GW of grid operated batteries or roughly 16GW of behind-the-meter solar and batteries, so that's actually a big understatement. Add those things and it's more like a 45% increase.

Electric Generation Capacity and Energy

www.energy.ca.gov

National numbers aren't that far off from the first part.

 

[letgomywago]

I can’t imagine wiring a home in rigid lol. That house won’t run down lol. We should push going back to conduit and tubing. Less DYI lol

Most the world uses smurf tube embedded in the wall and floor finish. I do like my romex though for fishing and ease of install.

 

[AC\DC]

Most the world uses smurf tube embedded in the wall and floor finish. I do like my romex though for fishing and ease of install.

I love Smurf tube though you don’t see it around here

 

[letgomywago]

I love Smurf tube though you don’t see it around here

I like it for certain situations but I feel it's overpriced right now

 

[Joethemechanic]

That's just really not true. Total generating capacity in Cali increased by 16.6% from 2011 to 2022.
And by the way that does not include at least 4.5GW of grid operated batteries or roughly 16GW of behind-the-meter solar and batteries, so that's actually a big understatement. Add those things and it's more like a 45% increase.

Electric Generation Capacity and Energy

www.energy.ca.gov

National numbers aren't that far off from the first part.

What do you think of this thing? It's about a mile from me but I've never explored around it. Seems like a synchronous condenser. but not really

Hazle Township, Pennsylvania | Beacon Power

 

[readydave8]

I love Smurf tube though you don’t see it around here

I don't mind smurf until time comes to pull wire

 

[AC\DC]

Found just like, Fmc oversize and strap tight lol
But yes not the best to try and jam wire in lol

 

[Rick 0920]

The older Romex had TW insulation on the conductors. TW has a maximum operating temp. of 60 C. (140 F) If the ambient temp. of the attic is
140 F, then the TW insulated conductors have an ampacity of ZERO amps. That's why some of the older homes that we do service calls on the white insulation on the conductors look brown and we have to strip the insulation off with a knife because it has adhered to the conductors.

 

[AC\DC]

The older Romex had TW insulation on the conductors. TW has a maximum operating temp. of 60 C. (140 F) If the ambient temp. of the attic is
140 F, then the TW insulated conductors have an ampacity of ZERO amps. That's why some of the older homes that we do service calls on the white insulation on the conductors look brown and we have to strip the insulation off with a knife because it has adhered to the conductors.

I’ll have to read that to be sure. But you would apply the temp correction factor to the 60% column so it would not be zero amps

 

[Rick 0920]

I’ll have to read that to be sure. But you would apply the temp correction factor to the 60% column so it would not be zero amps

Table 310.15 (B)(1) is the table that you are referring to. It is based on 30C (86)F. Table 310.16 Note 1. You will only see dashes for the correction factor when your ambient is 132F - 140F. 140F is the maximum operating temperature for a 60C rated conductor. So, per the NEC, any current
flowing in a TW conductor in this condition would result in exceeding its operating temperature. This is why they started using 90C rated conductors in NM cable. I don't know what the insulation actually is on these conductors, but the "B" marked on the outer jacket denotes that of a 90C rated conductor. If you reference 110.14 (C), this allows you to use the numbers in the 90C column of Table 310.16 for ampacity adjustment, correction or both. 334.80 also mentions this but adds that the final derated ampacity shall not exceed that of a 60C conductor.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I can’t imagine wiring a home in rigid lol. That house won’t run down lol. We should push going back to conduit and tubing. Less DYI lol

The house that my mom and dad build when I was about 4 or 5 is all in rigid conduit...even for the phones. Dad installed it using a ratchet threader and rigid tristand vise with the bending shoes in the vise...and he was not even an electrician. He worked in maintenance at a local factory and they were replacing some lighting, and he was able to buy the removed conduit at scrap metal prices. Pretty much all 1/2"

I guess that is where I got started as I remember helping him pull some of the wire.

 

[kwired]

I don't mind smurf until time comes to pull wire

needs secured where it is deflected or else pulling conductors tries to move the non secured portion of the raceway. Not saying that fixes all issues but does help some.

In theory it the corrugated wall should have less surface contact with the conductors and that should result in less pulling friction than smooth wall PVC raceway, but often that doesn't seem to mean anything.

 

[letgomywago]

needs secured where it is deflected or else pulling conductors tries to move the non secured portion of the raceway. Not saying that fixes all issues but does help some.

In theory it the corrugated wall should have less surface contact with the conductors and that should result in less pulling friction than smooth wall PVC raceway, but often that doesn't seem to mean anything.

Helps If you use a nylon fishtape or jetline vs steel.

 

[readydave8]

I tried several different tricks to make pulling through surf easier

The best solution turned out to be:

EMT and MC