Anne Aronsen said:
My brother from Iowa asked me what part of the code requires replacement of romex that had been flooded (in his case for only a few hours). Living and working in CA, I haven't come across this personally and couldn't find it in the NEC, yet my gut response is, yes, completely replace it.
Can someone lead me to a code covering this scenario?
110.11 Deteriorating Agents. Unless identified for use in the operating environment, no conductors or equipment shall be located in damp or wet locations; where exposed to gases, fumes, vapors, liquids, or other agents that have a deteriorating effect on the conductors or equipment; or where exposed to excessive temperatures.
FPN No. 1: See 300.6 for protection against corrosion.
FPN No. 2: Some cleaning and lubricating compounds can cause severe deterioration of many plastic materials used for insulating and structural applications in equipment.
Equipment not identified for outdoor use and equipment identified only for indoor use, such as ?dry locations,? ?indoor use only,? ?damp locations,? or enclosure Types 1, 2, 5, 12, 12K, and/or 13, shall be protected against permanent damage from the weather during building construction.
FPN No. 3: See Table 110.20 for appropriate enclosure-type designations.
The above is from the 2008 Edition of the NEC. Additionally, NEMA has found that any electrical equipment and/or cable that has been under water must be replaced because of the deteriorating effect on the conductors or equipment. Sorry.
By the way, welcome to the forum.
