Does this type of installation follow code?
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I agree with steel. After 37 years as a contractor with 2 as an inspector, I see the benifit of steel. If I ever built another house I would use steel MC and metal boxes. The plastic NM is too vulnerable to damage from mice, squirrels, attic floors, and many other instances.
I think that is location specific. I don't think I would spend the money on wiring a house in AC90 (or conduit) because of potential problems of infestation. Most people are pretty good about pests, and where they are common, no matter where you live then that is a different story. I would however consider it in farming installations or buildings that are not being occupied all the time. Maybe in your area, (no basements, higher temps, over crowding, etc) it might be better, but I don't think it works as a blanket statement.
Like I have said in many other posts, I don't know an EC around here that uses plastic boxes, everything is metal.
Cheers
John
Over the past several years I have seen 3 house fires because squirrels chewed the wires in the attic. I have also seen several fires caused by people storing things or walking in the attic on top of wood that was nailed down over cables on top of the joists.
So again, the issue is not the wiring, it is what was done to it. Especially with squirrels, that should be an easy fix to eliminate the ingress of them. I might be tough to stop mice from getting in and causing damage, but squirrels is easy.
As far as the other, it would appear to be an incorrect installation or failed inspection.
Cheers
John
As far as the other, it would appear to be an incorrect installation or failed inspection.
Cheers
John
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I do not see what could be a problem. The external of the MX is for the protection of the load carrying wires so they can be exposed. And the ground wire, whether bare or covered is fine as long as it is connected correctly. Myself, I would assume it is, however it would take only a few minutes to check it out if concerned.
I am kinda thinking that you work in the communication field which uses external ground in the form of the braided web around the wires which is done as an EMT shield so are concerned. Having the ground wire inside and also protected is SOP in the electrical trades, so you have no worries.
@Ancient One ,
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NEC 300.10 answers your question.
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I clicked that link you provided and make no sense of it. It keeps taking me in circles, and even off to some other place to make a "gravatar" whatever that is. And I did not sign up on that because I don't like leaving my Email all over the place, plus I see they sell personal information.@Ancient One ,
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I apprenticed under an electrician in 1961. I already know some about wiring but learned code from a very experienced electrician. I wired my first new home by myself in 1962. I mostly do residential but do some commercial. I am not that experienced with three-phase but have worked with some of it. I don't even recall joining this forum but received an Email from this site that listed some posted questions. I had some extra time (actually I have a lot of it now thanks to COVID 19 and being 80, I don't go out much) But I still take some small jobs mostly for existing clients and people recommended by them.
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"joe-nwt said:
I see installations like that all the time. Frankly, I see no problem with it at all. And as far as the grounding goes anyway, how likely is it that someone could get electrocuted from that fixture if it were "hot?" They would have to climb up to it on a metal ladder which is standing in water and they would have to be barefoot. How likely is that to happen? A person would have to be a grade-A student in the school of idiots to do that. If that photo is in practically any state in the west that is one of the ways it will be done. Someone said conduit, that Is something that is ancient history out here. All are wired with either NM cable, or in the case of very old homes with knob and tube, they are not grounded anyway. And most homes built prior to 1955 do not have any grounded wiring at all. I never saw NM cable with ground wire until in the mid1960s. There is nothing wrong with the plastic box cover, and the MX does not have to be grounded if the ground wires are hooked up in the J box.
And I did not see anything in NEC 300.10 which would even apply to this situation.
NEC 300.10 answers your question"
I see installations like that all the time. Frankly, I see no problem with it at all. And as far as the grounding goes anyway, how likely is it that someone could get electrocuted from that fixture if it were "hot?" They would have to climb up to it on a metal ladder which is standing in water and they would have to be barefoot. How likely is that to happen? A person would have to be a grade-A student in the school of idiots to do that. If that photo is in practically any state in the west that is one of the ways it will be done. Someone said conduit, that Is something that is ancient history out here. All are wired with either NM cable, or in the case of very old homes with knob and tube, they are not grounded anyway. And most homes built prior to 1955 do not have any grounded wiring at all. I never saw NM cable with ground wire until in the mid1960s. There is nothing wrong with the plastic box cover, and the MX does not have to be grounded if the ground wires are hooked up in the J box.
And I did not see anything in NEC 300.10 which would even apply to this situation.
I don't know how that link can be asking you to do other things. The link is only for filling out the electrical related field for other members to see you are an electrician.
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OK, I think I see the problem now. When I clicked onto that link and read the posted problem I responded to it without reading the other replies. I read a bunch of them this morning and am amazed at how heavily anti-plastic the members of this forum are. Here on the West coast plastic is the norm in residential work. Practically all j boxes, both ceiling and wall are in plastic and NM cable is the norm. What I saw in the photo is normal out here and to myself no problem at all. The blue color is the color of Carlan brand NM boxes and Home Depot, along with the electrical wholesalers and any hardware sells them. NM is used in every residential tract of homes built out here. And before plastic, the contractors used bakelite boxes. (I hate running into them in repair work, they are brittle, the screw holes wear out or some idiot has without the right 6/32 or 8/32 screws use drywall screws in them and break the box. And a good many of the old bakelite boxes have metal nail on fasteners which have to be cut out to change out the box, a very difficult task just to put in a nice new plastic box f course, and very often it is a blue Carlan brand box. Other brands use other colors. I prefer the Carlans myself as they are the lowest priced. and easy to install. And work excellent. There are some places which I use metal boxes, and NM cable is ran into them at that. Those are the 4x4 boxes to use for large NM cable for dryer and oven large 240 V 30 and 40 amp connection. No conduit is used out here except on commercial type jobs where it is required.@Ancient One ,
I know you've been here since 2017, however I would appreciate it if you followed the link below on how to fill out your profile. It's required. Thank you.
IMPORTANT: Required Profile Fields
Please add your Electrical Trade in your account settings. From the navigation, near the upper right-hand corner, click on your avatar to open the drop-down menu and select “Account Settings”. The scroll down to Electrical Trade. Fill in the information for your trade and click Save at the...
After reading many of the replies to this guys question, I decided to not respond to them as they are mostly written by anti-plastic people that have no idea of how common plastic boxes are.
Now, that I see you are questioning whether I am an electrician or building contractor (I am both) and see that you are near the east coast where everything is done differently than out here. If you want you can just remove or ban me like you did that guy a few days ago who evidently posted a question about questioning the validity of having to replace all the breakers in a box. Well, I myself was once asked for a quote for replacing all the breakers in a box. It seems that some "electrician" had told the lady they all needed replacing. You removed and banned him for questioning the same thing that was once put at me and I also questioned. So I may be in line for your removal and banning of myself also. Funny, I have never been questioned on other electrical sites, not even on the Mike Holt forum that is known for the highest quality of knowledge of forum members.
The only reason I replied on this forum is that I was Emailed from this forum to do so.
J W
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Yes thats perfectly okay and safe
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