Phase taping

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HoosierSparky

HoosierSparky

Senior Plans Examiner, MEP
Location
Scottsdale AZ
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Senior Plans Examiner
When running NM cable for a 240v 20 ckt, can 12/2 be used and phase tape the white or would 12/3 be required? Code section?
Thanks.
 
HoosierSparky said:
Thanks guys. I had heard you couldn't do that anymore and would be required to use a 12/3.
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Probably some confusion related to the fact that most switches now need to have a neutral conductor in the box. Occupancy sensors and other automatic controls are the reason. A circuit that doesn't need a neutral at all still can re-identify a white or gray conductor in a cable assembly.
 
And we are all safer now.
I'm thinking of going back to all the work I did over ~40 years to mark the wires making them, "more saferer" if only one life could be saved it would be worth the cost; to the customer.
 
A single circle around the white conductor with a Sharpie is all that's required. There is some debate as to what that's worth. If you see a black and a white on a 2-pole CB does the sharpie mark really matter?
 
infinity said:
A single circle around the white conductor with a Sharpie is all that's required. There is some debate as to what that's worth. If you see a black and a white on a 2-pole CB does the sharpie mark really matter?
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Been my stance for a very long time, white wire on a breaker, if you don't know that is not a grounded conductor you probably have no business messing with it.

When I was fairly inexperienced we were working on AG building with a lot of UF cable installed in it. Most of us know how fun that stuff is to strip sheath off, especially when you haven't done it very much. I had a lot of tape to cover nicks in conductors back then at times. Black tape on white wire OMG, probably confused the hell out of anyone that came back to work on this. Some of them maybe were 240 volt circuits though, but back then we weren't marking them intentionally so if there were no nicks on a 240 volt circuit there was white wire on a breaker and no tape.
 
kwired said:
Been my stance for a very long time, white wire on a breaker, if you don't know that is not a grounded conductor you probably have no business messing with it.

When I was fairly inexperienced we were working on AG building with a lot of UF cable installed in it. Most of us know how fun that stuff is to strip sheath off, especially when you haven't done it very much. I had a lot of tape to cover nicks in conductors back then at times. Black tape on white wire OMG, probably confused the hell out of anyone that came back to work on this. Some of them maybe were 240 volt circuits though, but back then we weren't marking them intentionally so if there were no nicks on a 240 volt circuit there was white wire on a breaker and no tape.
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I've never been a fan of dumbing down something to this level. As you've said if you don't know what you're looking at then you should be touching it in the first place. Guess you needed some white tape. :giggle:
 
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