NM secured 8" from box

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chris kennedy

chris kennedy

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Location
Miami Fla.
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Retired electrician
An inspector and I are having a discussion where we both swear there was a time when NM had to be secured within 8"of a box.

Neither of us can find it in our older books.

Are we both crazy? (or old)

Thanks
 
chris kennedy said:
Are we both crazy? (or old)

Thanks
Click to expand...

Of course not. There is a theory that there are an infinite number of universes in different dimensions. It is thought that things would be a little different in each universe.

You just woke up in the wrong universe. Happens to me all the time. :happyyes:
 
8" when there is no connector or other mechanism holding the cable in the box.
 
infinity said:
8" when there is no connector or other mechanism holding the cable in the box.
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And only applies to single gang device boxes also. Otherwise nearly everywhere else the cable must be secured to the box and first support must be within 12".
 
infinity said:
8" when there is no connector or other mechanism holding the cable in the box.
Click to expand...

kwired said:
And only applies to single gang device boxes also. Otherwise nearly everywhere else the cable must be secured to the box and first support must be within 12".
Click to expand...

Sound like I have been misinterpreting the requirement. I have always stapled with 8" on any non-metallic box. Sounds like anything larger than a one gang box and one gang boxes that have the openings that grab the cable can be stapled within 12". Correct?

I guess this also means that it's improper to defeat the plastic piece that holds the cable firmly on multigang boxes by bending it into the box unless you staple it within 8". Apparently I have been accidentally code compliant all this time.
 
Coppersmith said:
I guess this also means that it's improper to defeat the plastic piece that holds the cable firmly on multigang boxes by bending it into the box
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FIFY.

314.17(C) requires the wiring method to be secured to the box; the only allowable exception is for single gang non-metallic boxes when the NM is fastened within 8" of the box.

Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
FIFY.

314.17(C) requires the wiring method to be secured to the box; the only allowable exception is for single gang non-metallic boxes when the NM is fastened within 8" of the box.
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Ah, right. I better stop doing that then. Interpreting the NEC is not for the faint of heart.
 
Coppersmith said:
Sound like I have been misinterpreting the requirement. I have always stapled with 8" on any non-metallic box. Sounds like anything larger than a one gang box and one gang boxes that have the openings that grab the cable can be stapled within 12". Correct?

I guess this also means that it's improper to defeat the plastic piece that holds the cable firmly on multigang boxes by bending it into the box unless you staple it within 8". Apparently I have been accidentally code compliant all this time.
Click to expand...

wwhitney said:
FIFY.

314.17(C) requires the wiring method to be secured to the box; the only allowable exception is for single gang non-metallic boxes when the NM is fastened within 8" of the box.

Cheers, Wayne
Click to expand...

Wwhitney answered it. Nothing new either, been dinged over 20 years ago by an inspector for having broken clamps in a multigang box. Only the one gang box is allowed to not have clamps, and if using such a thing you must secure cable within 8 inches instead of the usual 12 inches. One gang old work boxes must have a clamp though, probably not compliant to fish a cable to an existing one gang box either, unless you use a clamping mechanism. None of us never break out a clamp when fishing cable into an existing concealed box though.
 
Coppersmith said:
Sound like I have been misinterpreting the requirement. I have always stapled with 8" on any non-metallic box. Sounds like anything larger than a one gang box and one gang boxes that have the openings that grab the cable can be stapled within 12". Correct?

I guess this also means that it's improper to defeat the plastic piece that holds the cable firmly on multigang boxes by bending it into the box unless you staple it within 8". Apparently I have been accidentally code compliant all this time.
Click to expand...
That's because before all of the plastic boxes just had the knock out. As to the second part, that is correct, except that you aren't supposed to defeat the clamp. I don't make too big of a deal about it as an inspector.
 
kwired said:
. . . probably not compliant to fish a cable to an existing one gang box either, unless you use a clamping mechanism.
Click to expand...
I try to connect or terminate the EGC of the new cable in a way that keeps the sheath well within the box.
 
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