Low voltage wiring

[mgoth]

Hello to all, new to forum.

I just changed jobs and am suddenly the resident expert on the NEC since I am the only EE (I just bought the 2002 NEC handbook).

My new company makes powered awnings for home and RV use and I am trying to educate them on how to do things electrically correct. They want to use SO cord from a 12VDC motor on the awning to a power converter to be installed inside the home. They want to run the SO cord along the exterior of the home and then basically poke it through the wall and install the power converter inside. I read through 400.7 and 400.8 about the allowed and not allowed uses of flexible cord, but does it make a difference that I am only running 12VDC and not 120VAC? I know that my doorbell wiring in my house is extremely lax compared to my 120VAC wiring.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Low voltage wiring

Flexible cord requirements are not dependent on source voltage. In this case, it appears that you will be required to employee another wiring method from the equipment to the power source.

Doorbell wiring is under a different section of the code that permits this type of wiring to be installed permanent and within walls .

I suppose if you were to use flexible cords for whatever reason to wire a doorbell, it still could not violate 400.8.

 

[mgoth]

Re: Low voltage wiring

Thanks for the response, I just realized that there is a different section for positing low voltage topics and that my specific question has been answered at great length over several posts. According to those posts and the NEC, you are entirely correct.

Thanks,
Mark