One wire thinner than the other

[mbrooke]

Anyone ever had a case where one conductor appears slightly smaller than the other in a cable assembly? Found some brand new 14-2 where the hot appears smaller than the ground and neutral.

 

[ptonsparky]

Yes, but I never took the time to measure other than checking with a pair of Ideal wire strippers. Real scientific.:happysad:

 

[mbrooke]

Scientific enough for me.

Wish I had calipers on hand though. Curiosity has me. I wonder if this is a defect or actually a high level of normal tolerance at the factory.

 

[LarryFine]

Close-up pics?

 

[mbrooke]

Close-up pics?

If I can I'll get some- not sure it will show through- it might though.

 

[mopowr steve]

I have found very questionable, downright wrong mistakes in the manufacturing of nm-b (romex)
And yes scary enough to make a guy question whether he should stay in this business.
Uh-Oh...........come save the day Arc Fault circuit interrupter.............well let’s not go there.

 

[mbrooke]

Can you give examples?

 

[mopowr steve]

I’ve posted it here years ago

1) While pulling in some12/2/g nm-b I noticed a bumpy area in the jacket. So I took a knife to the area, and by god there was a set of crimp barrel connectors there. That was enough to make me gasp. Now somebody here played it off as just a simple mistake that it got sent out like that and that it was probably done for a continuity test between spools of conductor, I don’t care, S like that should never have made it out.

2) Another time I noticed some 12/3/g jacket distorted, cut it open to find that the twisting machine must have gone mad. Twisted so tight that the insulation was displaced and conductors shorted together.

3) not nm-b but had some SEU cable printed as 4/0 but actually was something more like 2/0

 

[480sparky]

The conductor is thinner, or it's the same AWG just with thinner insulation?

 

[mbrooke]

I think the conductor itself.

 

[mbrooke]

I’ve posted it here years ago

1) While pulling in some12/2/g nm-b I noticed a bumpy area in the jacket. So I took a knife to the area, and by god there was a set of crimp barrel connectors there. That was enough to make me gasp. Now somebody here played it off as just a simple mistake that it got sent out like that and that it was probably done for a continuity test between spools of conductor, I don’t care, S like that should never have made it out.

2) Another time I noticed some 12/3/g jacket distorted, cut it open to find that the twisting machine must have gone mad. Twisted so tight that the insulation was displaced and conductors shorted together.

3) not nm-b but had some SEU cable printed as 4/0 but actually was something more like 2/0

I think you once even posted pics.

 

[mopowr steve]

I think you once even posted pics.

Yeah, I think I did.

 

[mbrooke]

I might even have them on my hard drive. Challenge is finding them.