Wet-rated conductors required in a NEMA 3R or NEMA4 box or disconnect?

[inspector23]

Getting long in the tooth and short in the memory. :roll:

I am trying to remember if there is a code section that requires conductors be rated for wet locations if spliced or terminated in a NEMA 4 or NEMA 3X junction box or disconnect.

I know here in SoCal we always required the installer to use UF rated cable instead of just romex when going thru an exterior wall to an air conditioner disconnect, for example. Or for front and rear required exterior receptacles mounted in an FS box in single-family dwellings. But dang if I can remember a code section to verify it. :happysad:

I can find the code sections for conductors in a raceway compliance (300.38), (310.10C). But I cannot find one for conductors in wet location-rated junction boxes and disconnects.

I am going to go ahead and thank you now for your help rather than risking to forget to later!

Thanks,
Mike

P.S. You would never know this is my first question since the emojis were an option, would you? haha :thumbsup:

 

[packersparky]

There no code section that requires conductors in outdoor enclosures to be rated for wet locations.

 

[augie47]

I think it would be a very rare condition where you would use a "wet location" j box and there not be at lease one raceway in a wet or damp location thus requiring that conductor to be "W" rated {310.10(B) & (C)}, so even if the interior of the enclosure was not considered wet or damp the conductors entering would be anyway.
But I also find nothing specifically that states the interior of an enclosure (other than a raceway) install in a wet location is considered a wet location.
Incidentally, in our location Romex is allowed to enter outside disconnects where they enter from the rearthru an exterioor wall.

 

[infinity]

I know here in SoCal we always required the installer to use UF rated cable instead of just romex when going thru an exterior wall to an air conditioner disconnect, for example. Or for front and rear required exterior receptacles mounted in an FS box in single-family dwellings. But dang if I can remember a code section to verify it. :happysad:

There is no code to verify this because it's not required.

 

[inspector23]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond. Perhaps it wa a local interpretation or local ordinace. At any rate, I am relieved that I may not have slipped as much as I had feared, as I had searched the code pretty thoroughly prior to asking.


Shout out to IWire if he is still out there. Him and I had some fun and serious discussions back in the day.....

Gratefully,

Mike

 

[kwired]

Thing is just a typical splice/junction box, though conductors with "W" in the type are not specifically addressed as relates to the box - if they leave the box (via raceway) they need to have that "W" rating within the raceway.

A conductor that never leaves the box isn't really addressed when it comes to need for this rating. A larger enclosure with other equipment inside (maybe motor controls, a VFD, a PLC or even a panelboard - isn't exactly considered a wet location inside just because it is an outdoor rated enclosure. Moisture entering from condensation is a design concern though, but some of the components I mentioned before need to be kept dry so such design consideration is important.