Dedicated power lines-getting started

Receptacle spacing has been in the NEC forever, and is no bigie; in fact it's too conservative. No one would design a modern residence to Code minimum - and remember, the Code is *not a design guide, and most of it's requirements are *minimums.

Ditto Eagle. The wire mentioned is UL and NEC defined as Power Limited Fire Alarm Cable. The prob w/ 300V rated wire intended for power circuits is the abuse and abrasion that may occur on installation. Especially on retrofits. There isn't much margin for error. Hence building wire is all 600V insulation rated... It's thick, it's fat, and intended on getting beat up on installation.

Yeah, you could make up some PC's with this cable that would be OK, but you had better know what you're doing, and don't plan on dragging them around or walking on them...

There is, no subsitute or compromise when it comes to electrical safety.

Thanks, Shasta.
I enclose this type (83802/3) cable in appropriate vinyl outer jackets for abrasion-resistance and tight PC connections. Nonetheless, pulling it through old lathe isn't something to be cavalier about. I suggest that naked 83802/3 be used carefully, threaded where it's visually verifiably safe, and perhaps terminated in loose "floating" power boxes rather than risking pulling across an old nail behind a lathe near an existing old duplex. But Romex is certainly at risk for the same reasons, although its junk-jacket is indeed tougher than pure soft teflon. Catch 22 again....

subaru-
Romex is indeed subject to fork-ups on installation. There are many many cases of a heavy handed gorilla taking one too many whacks with a hammer on those romex staples, crushing the wire, creating either a dead line-to-neutral/ground short, or much worse, an arcing ground fault. Result of the latter: a fire.

Regardless of the conductor chose, note that in the electrical trade, residential wiring is called "dingbat" work, and is where apprentices start out at. No slur intended; they are just following the plans (Code minimum)as approved by the developer (Cost & time minimum), and that's why we all end up with $0.79 receptacles w/ #14 wiring.

There are NEC provisions that are stupid for the informed, but are there to protect the idiots. No, I won't list the ones I know. And that's why any intelligent engineer or designer, or provider of electrical material, won't ever give casual advice unless he is covered by liability insurance.

Your response was well stated, BTW. Personally, I wouldn't be retailing electrical products that aren't listed and labeled for the use I was advertising them as, unless I included a liability release with each purchase order, since you don't personally supervise the installation of said products.

No matter how "ideal" the 83802 and 83803 might seem for house wiring, the bottom line is that it is most likely NOT approved for a majority of people's house wiring.

I would urge anybody that uses ANY non-standard house wiring to check with their local electrical inspector (not an electrician) before completing their project.

What happens if your house burns down and your insurance company finds you used wire that was not up to code for your area?

I'm NOT picking on the 83802 or 83803 specifically, as even my super duper new power cord wire is better than half the stuff in people's walls, however it should NOT be used for house wiring either...

Eagle has done his homework and is consistently getting the same answer on this issue, so you might want to do some checking with the people who regulate this stuff, subrugru, and see if you get answers to the contrary.

Best regards,

Chris VenHaus
VH Audio
www.venhaus1.com

Yeah, the issue seems to be the fragility of the Teflon outer jacket, whether its red or natural. I have a good friend who's a pro independent adjuster (worked both sides of the fence for 20+ years, and is a mech e from MIT, so we always yak about wires and the old "question", of course.)
Perhaps this stuff could be run through an easy to install conduit somehow to satisfy codes? I suspect that the soft vinyl jacket I use on my PCKits isn't sufficient, either.
Does anyone know the mechanical requirements for external jacketing of house-wiring?
Seems a shame to not use such a nice, quiet, detailed and affordable 12AWG'er.
Chris..."super duper"? Does changing it from red to white, and going "softer" (19x26 vs the semi-stranded 7x20) really do anything except establish propriety? We've done well to partially debunk the snake-oil around here re PCs....
Please send that sample I ordered. I'm pretty curious to run a few single-blinds to see if there's something audibly different. Thanks. GREAT new logo you've got, too!