 |
10-05-2009, 09:14 PM
|
#1
|
|
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 64
|
Strange old 2 wire romex
My boss and I were were changing out some recepts in and older house that had some older 2 wire (No EG) cloth romex. He came across and few and I did too that had #12 for the hot and #14 for the netural. We both were puzzled, he's been doing this work for 25 yrs and myself 11 yrs and we have never seen this before.
Could there have been some purpose behind it coming this way or was it just a factory screw up? Anyone else seen this before? Were kinda curious to find out.
Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
Join the #1 Electrician Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
ElectricianTalk.com - Are you a Professional Electrical Contractor? If so we invite you to join our community and see what it has to offer. Our site is specifically designed for you and it's the leading place for electricians to meet online. No homeowners asking DIY questions. Just fellow tradesmen who enjoy talking about their business, their trade, and anything else that comes up. No matter what your specialty is you'll find that ElectricianTalk.com is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally free!
Join ElectricianTalk.com - Click Here
|
Warning: The topics covered on this site include activities in which there exists the potential for serious injury
or death. ElectrcianTalk.com DOES NOT guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this site. Always use proper safety precaution and reference reliable outside sources before attempting any construction or remodeling task!
|
10-05-2009, 09:15 PM
|
#2
|
|
Not Peter D
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 5,399
|
More than likely it was a factory screw up that the installer didn't notice or didn't care about.
|
|
|
|
10-05-2009, 09:21 PM
|
#3
|
|
Seen your member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cornpatch USA
Posts: 9,988
|
Full-size grounding conductors weren't required until 1968.
__________________
This message is hidden because Forgery, Honda Racer, JackBoot, LawnGuyLandSparky, milehiwire and user 5941 are on your ignore list.
|
|
|
|
|
10-05-2009, 09:24 PM
|
#4
|
|
Not Peter D
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 5,399
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by 480sparky
Full-size grounding conductors weren't required until 1968.
|
He said reduced size neutral.
|
|
|
|
|
10-05-2009, 09:27 PM
|
#5
|
|
Seen your member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cornpatch USA
Posts: 9,988
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter D
He said reduced size neutral.
|
So, now you want some of that stuff too, huh? 
__________________
This message is hidden because Forgery, Honda Racer, JackBoot, LawnGuyLandSparky, milehiwire and user 5941 are on your ignore list.
|
|
|
|
|
10-05-2009, 09:42 PM
|
#6
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Beautiful Cumberland Valley, in PA
Posts: 6,866
|
I've seen it, don't know who made it, but it seems to be from the early to mid 1950's. I've actually never seen it used for receptacles, but I've seen it at fixtures and switches at least a few times.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 08:09 AM
|
#7
|
|
Head Grunt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Lower Adirondacks, NY
Posts: 58
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter D
He said reduced size neutral.
|
Which is a grounded conductor. I myself have not seen this type of Romex yet, if i have i dont remember it. If it bothers you replace the breaker with a 15amp.
__________________
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.-Thomas Jefferson
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 11:01 AM
|
#8
|
|
Not Peter D
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 5,399
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by woodchuck2
Which is a grounded conductor.
|
Thank you. I was already aware of that. 480sparky said ground ing conductor. Old NM cable with a reduced grounding conductor is very common. This cable with a reduced size ground ed conductor is a strange bird indeed.
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 11:08 AM
|
#9
|
|
Seen your member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cornpatch USA
Posts: 9,988
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter D
Thank you. I was already aware of that. 480sparky said grounding conductor. Old NM cable with a reduced grounding conductor is very common. This cable with a reduced size grounded conductor is a strange bird indeed.
|
'Stange birds' is your specialty, Peter. In fact, I think I found one of your 'strange birds':
__________________
This message is hidden because Forgery, Honda Racer, JackBoot, LawnGuyLandSparky, milehiwire and user 5941 are on your ignore list.
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 11:10 AM
|
#10
|
|
Not Peter D
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 5,399
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by 480sparky
'Stange birds' is your specialty, Peter. In fact, I think I found one of your 'strange birds':
|
480sparky - 3
Peter D - 0
How do you keep finding pictures of my work? 
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 11:16 AM
|
#11
|
|
Seen your member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cornpatch USA
Posts: 9,988
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter D
480sparky - 3
Peter D - 0
How do you keep finding pictures of my work? |
It kinda sticks out like a sore thumb.
__________________
This message is hidden because Forgery, Honda Racer, JackBoot, LawnGuyLandSparky, milehiwire and user 5941 are on your ignore list.
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 12:25 PM
|
#12
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 784
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by 480sparky
It kinda sticks out like a sore thumb.
|
But.. did they switch the neutral? Prob. a non polarized plug 
__________________
 Don't fight .. Play nice! 
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 02:01 PM
|
#13
|
|
Seen your member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cornpatch USA
Posts: 9,988
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toronto Sparky
But.. did they switch the neutral? Prob. a non polarized plug |
Peter?
Peter?...............
__________________
This message is hidden because Forgery, Honda Racer, JackBoot, LawnGuyLandSparky, milehiwire and user 5941 are on your ignore list.
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 09:21 PM
|
#14
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Boston
Posts: 102
|
why not just switch it on/off using the trip/reset
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 09:49 PM
|
#15
|
|
Not Peter D
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 5,399
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by 480sparky
Peter?
Peter?...............
|
I can't remember doing that one. I wouldn't have used a box so that's not mine.
|
|
|
|
|
10-06-2009, 09:51 PM
|
#16
|
|
Head Grunt
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Lower Adirondacks, NY
Posts: 58
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter D
Thank you. I was already aware of that. 480sparky said grounding conductor. Old NM cable with a reduced grounding conductor is very common. This cable with a reduced size grounded conductor is a strange bird indeed.
|
Good eye. I didnt catch the wording, my bad.
__________________
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.-Thomas Jefferson
|
|
|
|
|
10-15-2009, 08:25 PM
|
#17
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,160
|
I saw some cloth "romex" from the 40's (relocated Army barracks) with an insulated hot and a bare neutral.
Never seen the smaller neutral though.
|
|
|
|
|
10-18-2009, 10:11 AM
|
#18
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 340
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter D
I can't remember doing that one. I wouldn't have used a box so that's not mine.
|
That might make it Peter D 1
|
|
|
|
|
10-18-2009, 11:41 AM
|
#19
|
|
Site Idiot Smacker
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Posts: 1,040
|
I seen to recall an old instructor talk about this once, but alas, it was years ago, and way to many shot of tequila ago to remember the explanation.
__________________
Don't make me bust out the apprentice stick!
|
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
