On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:35:06 -0400, Wes wrote:
"ATP*" wrote:
Bruce Bergman wrote:

This is why I always keep a few rolls of MC-Lite with me. They
never mention where they want the new circuit...

Romex above garage rafters has not been judged to be exposed to physical
damage by NY code officials, unless it's a recent development. Same code,
same rules, different interpretation.

Quite true - the problem is, you can't transition easily in mid run
between NM Romex and MC-Lite BX cable.

You can put a sleeve of Flex over the NM Romex where it goes down
the wall to a switch or receptacle box, but then it gets tricky on how
they want you to treat it at the J-boxes - how do you arrange a strain
relief so it doesn't try to pull out of the box?

A staple where it pops out of the Flex sleeve isn't going to be
within a foot of the J-box, and a J-Nail on the Flex isn't going to
hold the Romex inside...

Just do the whole thing in pipe or MC and fuhgeddaboudit.

I wonder if this is one of those things where the code office guy can pick and choose on
how he interprets it?

A year or so ago, when my brother the real electrican was dealing with a blown archilies
tendon, I was helping him on a few jobs. In some lab benches we wired up, he used MC
cable where the exposure was limited to the underneath side of a undertable cabinet.

I'm sure Bruce wants his job to pass everytime and plays it safe. Exposed is subject to
interpretation and as Bruce mentioned, it isn't worth getting into a fight with the code
guy.

I remember my brother wanting his home he was building to pass without a single gripe. I
had to tell him that he might want to leave a gimme or the code guy will find something
more difficult just to prove he is doing his job. Sad but that is how things are.

Don't worry, they can always find _something_ to gig if they are
bound and determined. Things can be interpreted too many ways.

Been there, Wasted the better part of three days on old stuff we had
no responsibility for JUST to get that darned signature on the
Approved sticker.

-- Bruce --