In article ,
Jeff Wisnia wrote:

Toller wrote:

I want to put up a new fluorescent fixture in my basement. Right where I
would put a box for an outlet, there is a cable for an appropriate circuit.

The circuit was put in pretty sloppily, so I was able to get 4" of slack
right where the new box would go. Is that likely to be enough wire to add
an outlet? Seems adequate, but I don't want to cut it up and find I needed
5".

If it turns out not to be enough, I would have to either put in a junction
box to add some wire, or pull out the last 10' of cable and replace it with
an 11' cable. That would be a lot of work since it all passes through
floor
joists, but it would save a junction box. Is it worth it?



Given that the box you're adding will be 3-1/2 or 4 inches "wide" where
you insert it into the run, that 4 inches of slack should let all the
wires project about 4 inches into the box.

That should be plenty to let you pigtail on short lengths of wire
(including the ground conductor) and connect those to the new outlet's
terminals.

But below Code, apparently... 300.14 (2005 NEC) requires 6" as the
minimum for conductor slack in a box. Do the inspectors tend to enforce
this rule, or is it squishy?

On the other hand, I read somewhere that inspectors disapprove of
"excessive" junction boxes. That seems strange to me, since extra boxes
would in some cases allow other parts of the Code to be met (like in
Toller's case) and provide more flexibility for repairs, future
expansion, etc.