Low Voltage Cable in Gutter

[bimmer528]

Landscaping lights are installed around our building and the 14 gauge outdoor wire was run in a loop back to a transformer inside the building. The cable loops to a short porch roof and instead of boring holes through brick to feed the cable to the ground from the roof, it is ran inside a gutter downspout. Is this ok?

The cable run in the downspout is roughly 12 feet from the top to bottom. The wire then feeds two lights ground level.

Total wire run is around 100 feet

 

[petersonra]

Interesting.

I can't come up with any reason such an installation is unsafe.

 

[hbiss]

Heh, heh. When I worked for the cable company that, along with laying the cable in the gutter, was called a "Jersey Gutter Shot". Apparently it was popular with installers in New Jersey who were hit-and-run, too lazy to do it the right way kind of guys.

I can't think of an NEC violation either though except maybe workmanship.

-Hal

 

[petersonra]

Heh, heh. When I worked for the cable company that, along with laying the cable in the gutter, was called a "Jersey Gutter Shot". Apparently it was popular with installers in New Jersey who were hit-and-run, too lazy to do it the right way kind of guys.

I can't think of an NEC violation either though except maybe workmanship.

-Hal

I am not even sure it is bad workmanship. I have a hard time objecting to something that is safe, functional, and cost effective, even if it appears a bit cheesey.

 

[iwire]

I am not even sure it is bad workmanship. I have a hard time objecting to something that is safe, functional, and cost effective, even if it appears a bit cheesy.

Well workmanship is in the eye of the beholder.

That aside if I was paying for a professional installation laying it in the gutter would be unacceptable. Even if for no other reason than it looks cheesy.

It would also make cleaning the leaves and pine needles out of the gutter that much more of a pain.

 

[infinity]

Heh, heh. When I worked for the cable company that, along with laying the cable in the gutter, was called a "Jersey Gutter Shot". Apparently it was popular with installers in New Jersey who were hit-and-run, too lazy to do it the right way kind of guys.

I can't think of an NEC violation either though except maybe workmanship.

-Hal

This is a very common CATV installation around here. My guess is that the cable subs get paid by the number of jobs that they do and not by the hour. Hit and run is an apt description.

 

[tom baker]

Its not a raceway, I don't see it as a code violation....I've never seen anything like that in this area....

 

[jbwhite]

The only red tag I have ever gotten for workmanship was for a wire laying in a gutter. When I called and explained that it was heat tape, the inspector told me to just rip up the tag. LOL.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

We had a similar situation here, only it was the installation of NM cable in a leader for the air conditioning. I contacted UL and they stated that the leader is not listed for the installation of cable of any type.

With that said, I would say the same goes for the installation of low voltage cable.

 

[iwire]

We had a similar situation here, only it was the installation of NM cable in a leader for the air conditioning. I contacted UL and they stated that the leader is not listed for the installation of cable of any type.

So now stud bays must be UL listed for the installation of NM?

I remember that thread, the leader was installed specifically to conceal the refrigeration pipes and cable.

I can't see how that is better or worse than installing a wooden cover on the same pipes and cables.