Wet Romex Usable?

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stickboy1375 said:
I wrote an email to Southwire about getting NM wet, here is the response... (I dont know if every NM manufacture would respond the same, but this is Southwires feelings about it...)






NM cable is a dry location cable. It depends on how it has been subjected to water as to whether it is ok or not. NM is installed in houses under construction and sometimes get water on the jacket. This will not affect the cable.
However, if the ends of the cable are submerged in water or left open so that water can get inside the cable, it may not be ok. The paper that surrounds the grounding conductor can "wick" the water into the cable. If it is just on the ends and the cable dries out immediately, there should be no problem as long as it is just tap water or rain water. If there are chemicals in the water, they can cause the copper to corrode. This could be a problem.
Again, it just depends on the situation.

Regards,
Paul White
Southwire Company
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Geez, don't let Fire Alarm see this email or he'll accuse Southwire of being too theoretical and not practical enough. :grin:
 
should be replaced if it has been exposed to water
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Puposely vague I suppose?

It is exposed to water if you carry it from your dry truck to the dry house in the rain.




And seriously...back to the OP, a leaking pipe got water/antifreeze on some romex. The whole hose didn't fill up and the water didin't wick up throughout the cable. If you find a roll or romex that has been laying at the bottom of your pool for a few days, you might want to scrap it. If the cable gets wet from a leak I think you're ok.
 
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lpelectric said:
Geez, don't let Fire Alarm see this email or he'll accuse Southwire of being too theoretical and not practical enough. :grin:
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Paul White is just another Theoretician that has never wired a house. Southwire is not even based in California, so you've got to take that into account...
 
220/221 said:
Puposely vague I suppose?

It is exposed to water if you carry it from your dry truck to the dry house in the rain.
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So you cut back on the roll until you get past where the roll has "wicked" the water into it. Simple deal. Seems like a roll would take quite a soaking before it would wick too much water in too far. I can't envision having to discard very much "affected" NMB. :smile:
 
Fire Alarm said:
Paul White is just another Theoretician that has never wired a house. Southwire is not even based in California, so you've got to take that into account...
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Please explain again how it is you're driving home this point of a "them against us" sort of mentality having to do with the issue of the paper jacket in NM-B absorbing water.

You've read testimony from Southwire and from NEMA in support of not using "wetted" cable and continue to bang on electricians who refuse to install wetted NM-B and "theoreticians" who see the wisdom in rejecting potentially damaged cable from a new install.

Are you claiming superior knowledge to Southwire and NEMA, or just the bulk of the posters on this thread? :confused: :smile:
 
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
The information in this publication was considered technically sound by the consensus of persons engaged in the development and approval of the document at the time it was developed.Consensus does not necessarily mean that there is unanimous agreement among every person participating in the development of this document.

NEMA standards and guideline publications, of which the document contained herein is one, are developed through a voluntary consensus standards development process. This process brings together volunteers and/or seeks out the views of persons who have an interest in the topic covered by this publication. While NEMA administers the process and establishes rules to
promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not write the document and it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy or completeness of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its standards and guideline publications.
 
wirebender said:
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
The information in this publication was considered technically sound by the consensus of persons engaged in the development and approval of the document at the time it was developed.Consensus does not necessarily mean that there is unanimous agreement among every person participating in the development of this document.

NEMA standards and guideline publications, of which the document contained herein is one, are developed through a voluntary consensus standards development process. This process brings together volunteers and/or seeks out the views of persons who have an interest in the topic covered by this publication. While NEMA administers the process and establishes rules to
promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not write the document and it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy or completeness of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its standards and guideline publications.
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Practical, heh? ;)
 
Fire Alarm said:
Besides wealth and good looks, I have something else many of you do not: I have actual experience wiring houses. Lots of houses.
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When are you coming to my area so I can get an autograph? :roll:
 
lpelectric said:
Please explain again how it is you're driving home this point of a "them against us" sort of mentality having to do with the issue of the paper jacket in NM-B absorbing water.

You've read testimony from Southwire and from NEMA in support of not using "wetted" cable and continue to bang on electricians who refuse to install wetted NM-B and "theoreticians" who see the wisdom in rejecting potentially damaged cable from a new install.

Are you claiming superior knowledge to Southwire and NEMA, or just the bulk of the posters on this thread? :confused: :smile:
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Look man, I'm not going to let you drag me down into a discussion involving facts and statements from the manufacturer.

I am closing this thread!

Angle_Type_Brass_Padlock.jpg
 
Fire Alarm said:
Look man, I'm not going to let you drag me down into a discussion involving facts and statements from the manufacturer.
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I know, how dare we listen to someone that actually manufactures the product... what would they possible know about it? ;)
 
Fire Alarm said:
Southwire is not even based in California, so you've got to take that into account...
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There's probably a good reason for that...if a huge manufacturing company like Southwire was based in California, they would have already gone out of business or moved the factories to Georgia, where they've always been. ;)
 
wet romex ok

wet romex ok

I recently (April) did alot of flood damage repair work in Westchester Cty.--you may have heard of the major flooding we had--we left new romex, but replaced old bx that was water damaged. We replaced any and all devices--this was ok with our inspectors--not sure what your AHJ would say!
 
Originally Posted by Fire Alarm

Besides wealth and good looks, I have something else many of you do not: I have actual experience wiring houses. Lots of houses.



When are you coming to my area so I can get an autograph?
~peter d



Hey, Southwire is not in Cali., so they don't know what they are talking about! Besides a lighter wallet and being ugly as sin, I do have common sense.
Common sense says quotes like that are ignorant. You're not the guy who comes to work in hair gel, are you? Man, what a BIG lock you have:grin:

Don't get rattled. Google narcissism.
 
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