On Feb 25, 10:37 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
Blattus Slafaly £ ¥ 0/00 wrote:



Nate Nagel wrote:

Which would you rather see in a basement for wiring? Old BX or new
Romex? I'm really not sure which should be preferable. BX has cloth
covered insulators and just the little strip for ground, but it is
working well (was working on a switch hot and accidentally touched the
box, the lights were off almost simultaneously with the spark - woops.
Just for the record I was wearing my work boots and was careful not to
let my hands touch anything metal; I just didn't realize that the
switch I was using was almost as wide as a single gang box...) cloth
covered insulation appears to be in good shape. I like the damage
resistance of the BX, but I also like the higher temperature rating of
the new NM-B.

I'm certain that the old cloth had a 60C temperature rating if any;
new NM-B has 90C. Does it really make a big difference? I know the
right answer to the question is "use new BX with 90C insulation and a
separate ground wire" but... um... you priced BX lately? I am
definitely replacing a few runs with romex to allow for a 3-way switch
on the stairwell light and will be replacing a couple lampholders with
shop lights (cheap 'n' sleazy, just using short fixture whips out of
the blank plate of the octagon box, there's no ceiling in the laundry
room and won't be until *ALL* the wiring is done)

Also, in situations where someone's already been there and pulled
somewhat-newer Romex, do you generally consider it acceptable to
"repurpose" it if it runs where I need it? This is all the old NM not
NM-B, and for extra goodness some of it has a 16AWG ground. Is this a
big deal? Repulling it is not the end of the world, just a minor
PITA. I know it's not the best it could be, but ISTM that it should
be acceptable...

Oddly enough, this whole line of thought was prompted by the light at
the bottom of the stairs going out as I was pulling a piece of Romex
through the same space. Whenever I knocked against one of the pieces
of BX going into the ceiling box (I was reaching above the ceiling
space between the studs) the light would go out, and then when I
touched it again it would come back on. I figured this needed
immediate attention, and I just imagined that I'd find that I'd have
to repull all of the runs that entered the box due to it being fried.
Imagine my surprise when I pulled it down and everything looked fine
inside, but when I removed the lampholder itself the neutral screw was
loose. OK, reinstall, works. Left it dangling from the wires and
carefully wiggled the two wire nuts inside the box. When I wiggled
the neutral, the light would flicker. Not good! removed wire nut,
here it didn't have any spiral steel insert and was very loose on the
wires. Some electrician - presumably back in 1948! - didn't notice
it, and here it was to freak me out 60 years later... A new wire nut
out of the electrical drawer and all is working fine now

nate

(getting in practice for all the hidden work...)

Well the old BX in my previous house had for a 15 amp circuit a wire
feeding the dining room and living room, all the outlets and overhead
lights, then it went up to the second floor and ran 3 bedrooms outlets
and lights and the bathroom and a hall closet light. That I would
replace with Romex with additional circuits.

That's not an issue... at least not one pertinent to my question. This
circuit serves only the basement lights, period - so when all is said
and done there'll be two troffers, two shop lights, and one fixture on
the circuit. Now the second floor, that's a different story - I do have
one 15A circuit serving three bedrooms, the bath, and a hallway.
That'll all get replaced with at least three circuits pulled in new
Romex (one 20A for the bath and the rest split into two circuits)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Leave it. Better to have the metal jacket to shield it from damage.
If it ain't broke...

JK