A properly installed box *is* safer, because the cables are clamped to the
box. This means that any pulling, tugging, impact, etc. on the cables
cannot
possibly dislodge the splice -- definitely not true when there is no box.
Huh?
Sorry, sport, but those plastic boxes routinely used in new home
construction are hardly proof again "any pulling" or "tugging."
Apparently even those staples aren't always necessary: those plactic
"stacks" (or whtever holds several romex cables) are considered "gud enuf."
THE reason for the rule is because splices do go wrong and "they" don't want
them to go wrong inside walls.
In "new" work there just isn't any reason to permit inaccessible splices.
At most they would allow very cheap electricians to use the end of a cable
reel.
But in "old" work at some time I suspect that some "approved" (as in UL,
etc) means of splicing romex type cable will be available. It would
require that the "splice" be: 1) as physicall strong as the un-spliced
cable; and 2) be electrically indistinguishable from the un-spliced calbe.
In old work it's routine that "sh*t happens. Someone wants to move a
ceiling fixture a "little over." What do so? If you can't "stretch" one
or two of the cables you might end up poking a few holes in the plaster and
running a new cable and just abandening the old cable. Maybe the time has
come to open the door for approval of a romex splice and permission from NEC
to use them in "old work" and for repairs when, say, someone accidentally
drills a hold through a romex type calbe when instaling some speaker wires.
I suspect that because an "approved" splice can't be made, quite a few
really sloppy splices are made in the hope that they will only be discovered
when the house is eventually torn down or completely remodeled. And then
who will care?
Failing to use a box is in and of itself "shoddy word". Not to mention a
Code
violation.
In "new work" it will always be considered "shoddy work." But I can see a
place for it with "old work."
--
** Posted from
http://www.teranews.com **