Dead wires in walls

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No capping or labeling is required by the NEC for power or lighting conductors. I always twist the wires together before burying so they can never be energized.
 
Stevenfyeager said:
I've had inspectors say in remodeling, a non used old wire can be capped and labeled 'dead' and shoved back in a wall without a j box. Is this true? Thank you.
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If the wire is truly disconnected at both ends then it can be left in the wall. I assume you mean power conductors.
 
Stevenfyeager said:
I've had inspectors say in remodeling, a non used old wire can be capped and labeled 'dead' and shoved back in a wall without a j box. Is this true? Thank you.
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I had an inspector tell me once that the wire had to be completely removed if no longer used.:roll::roll:
 
This pales in comparison to my conversation the other day with one of our city's elec inspectors. He wasn't asking for it, but we talked about how many of the local guys want all the insulators removed after we rewire and gut out K+T jobs. I of course said it isn't in any NEC code book made to require that, and there is no amendment to the Honolulu code requiring anything like that. Then he goes on to say how he does require that the conductors all be removed, to which I replied that horse hockey to that as well, the code does not require that the old disconnected unused knob and tube conductors be removed, but I always do it anyway cause it gets me around 50 to a hundred bucks in scrap wire every old house rewire job and old macsqueaky , er I mean old macmikey like's to scap wire. But no, he keeps on claiming it is required to remove all unused chapter 3 wiring, and of course I keep telling him it is absolutely not required to do so. Even as he drove away we were in friendly disagreement about it. But removing the insulator knobs- total malarky and I refuse to even discuss it.
 
480sparky said:
I can't find any NEC requirement to the contrary! :cool:



So 'spare' circuits would not be allowed?
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Ran many a spare circuit in larger homes, say 4,000 sq ft , the largest was 12,000 sq ft. Run 12-3 & 14-3 Romex to a J-Box for each, either in the attic or basement or both. At the panel end the wires were wire nutted & labeled spare. Installing breakers on spare wires is STUPID.
 
macmikeman said:
This pales in comparison to my conversation the other day with one of our city's elec inspectors. He wasn't asking for it, but we talked about how many of the local guys want all the insulators removed after we rewire and gut out K+T jobs......

But no, he keeps on claiming it is required to remove all unused chapter 3 wiring, and of course I keep telling him it is absolutely not required to do so. Even as he drove away we were in friendly disagreement about it. But removing the insulator knobs- total malarky and I refuse to even discuss it.
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Requiring the old insulators/tubes out is just nutty.

Wonder exactly how one would accidentally light up that old ceramic?:D
 
user 100 said:
Requiring the old insulators/tubes out is just nutty.

Wonder exactly how one would accidentally light up that old ceramic?:D
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The closest thing to an answer on why came from one inspector who said it was an attic navigation hazard and one could get injured from bumping their head on one. Ridiculous statement, but ................. I suppose one could. I also suppose one could hurt themselves much worse when they misstep and fall thru the old plaster or canick and hit the ground 8 feet or more below but I digress.........

The year is 2017. I could understand this type of nonsense running around an inspection department in the year 1965 or so, there was not any internet , or any MikeHolt.com, but in this age, requiring an electrical contractor to remove the porcelain insulators is nothing but shameful ignorance. But yet, it happens, and it happened to me before.
 
Stevenfyeager said:
I've had inspectors say in remodeling, a non used old wire can be capped and labeled 'dead' and shoved back in a wall without a j box. Is this true? Thank you.
Click to expand...

if the conductor is disconnected on both ends, it is not part of an electrical
distribution system.

at. all.

does the NEC have an opinion on electrical material not connected to any
system? if they do, i'd better get that roll of romex out of my garage.

not only is neither end properly terminated, there is not a single strap,
support, or staple over it's entire length... and it's over 200' long!

and, it's a safety hazard. i tripped over it the other day. said a bad word.
 
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