MC Quik Lite

TealHeals

Member
Location
Oregon
Occupation
journeyman electrician & licensed signing supervisor
We use a lot of MC Quik Lite with my current job. We make sure to use MCI-A rated connectors. This is the style of MC that has the internal aluminum wire running down the length of the cable; it does not have a separate ground wire.
One of my journeymen is unhappy because the rough-in crew used this stuff for a wall heater and there was nothing for the wall heater can to ground to. The only bond was via the cable connector.
I also just learned today that some of the electricians are using MC Quik Lite into our sub-panels and landing the aluminum bonding wire into the ground bar. <--- this part makes me cringe.
However, I think all of the above is technically to code.
Can you help see any blind spots I'm overlooking? Is there a technical reason I need to be using regular MC for devices other than receptacles - and also sub-panels? I mean the latter is something I would open up and think amateurs did it.
 
One of my journeymen is unhappy because the rough-in crew used this stuff for a wall heater and there was nothing for the wall heater can to ground to. The only bond was via the cable connector.
The jacket in contact with the bare conductor is the EGC. No different than using a metal raceway as the EGC. This is a listed cable so there is no issue with using it.

I also just learned today that some of the electricians are using MC Quik Lite into our sub-panels and landing the aluminum bonding wire into the ground bar. <--- this part makes me cringe.
That would make me cringe too and I would immediately have it removed and school the guys who did it that it's improper. One of the reason you would use this type of cable is to save labor by not having to terminate a wire type EGC at every junction. Landing the bare conductor is not required, is unprofessional and it defeats the labor savings you get from using this type of cable. It also shows that the sparky didn't read the instructions that come with the roll of cable. The bare conductor should just be cut off at the connector. That's all that's required for the cable to properly act as the EGC.
 
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