Cable and Dates

[Jimmy7]

I have a couple of coils of 14-2 UF cable that have been sitting on my shelf for while that have never been used. I was looking at them earlier today, and they have a 2019 date on them. Would you still use them? They look new.

 

[infinity]

Of course I would still use them. Thermoplastic cables will last over 100 years so they have plenty of live left in them. I'm still using up some NM 12/2/2 cable from 2010.

 

[hbiss]

Why not. It's a lot better off sitting on your shelf than buried in the ground. Would you expect to replace cable that's been in service after six years?

-Hal

 

[Jimmy7]

Why not. It's a lot better off sitting on your shelf than buried in the ground. Would you expect to replace cable that's been in service after six years?

-Hal

Good point

 

[electrofelon]

Last week I was halfway thru eating a can of beans and I happened to look at the date and it was " best by sep 2021". I hesitated for a minute, but then ate the rest of the can . I'm sure the wire is fine.

 

[winnie]

What's your expiration date high score?

Expiration Date High Score

xkcd.com

 

[LarryFine]

I have a couple of coils of 14-2 UF cable that have been sitting on my shelf for while that have never been used. I was looking at them earlier today, and they have a 2019 date on them. Would you still use them? They look new.

Suppose it had been buried back in 2019; would you feel compelled to dig it up and replace it now?

However, if you're concerned, send it to me.

 

[roger]

I always freeze my wire if I'm not using it by the "best if used by" date?

 

[Jimmy7]

I have a couple of coils of 14-2 UF cable that have been sitting on my shelf for while that have never been used. I was looking at them earlier today, and they have a 2019 date on them. Would you still use them? They look new.

My concern was not the durability of the wire, but the complaints of a customer or contractor regarding not buying new wire. Some customers are a real pain.

 

[infinity]

My concern was not the durability of the wire, but the complaints of a customer or contractor regarding not buying new wire. Some customers are a real pain.

The wire is still new if it was never used before.

 

[garbo]

Many years ago we were moving our electric shop and we must have had 25 partial rolls of TW wire from #14 to 6 guage that were over ten years old. We meggered each roll before using it. Once we started using far superior THHN/THWN never wanted to use TW or THW wire. I would have no concerns in using the two rolls of UF cable.

 

[electrofelon]

My concern was not the durability of the wire, but the complaints of a customer or contractor regarding not buying new wire. Some customers are a real pain.

That is certainly a possibility. If I had someone wire me up with say 25-year-old wire I would probably not approve.

 

[NEC Inspector]

Save it for work you do without a permit. If you get caught and the inspector comes by, you just tell him that all of that wiring was there when you came, you're just here changing out a light or something.

It's hilarious what people will try to tell you was existing before they bought the house... but when you look, the wiring was manufactured a month ago...