Hey all,
Installing a little baseboard electric heater in small bathroom. Want to install the thermostat in a higher, more convenient for elderly lady. Never done that before.
Drilled a half inch hole through studs, inserted a pull string for what I *thought* would be typical thermostat wire, insulated, rocked and painted.
Now I find a line voltage thermostat is required (ignorant me). In this case it needs 14 gauge – only that one unit on 220 circuit). Finding that I can’t pull the romex thru the holes, although I haven’t resorted to lube yet.
Think if I strip the sheathing from the romex I can pull individual wires with no problem or damage.
If the wire lube doesn’t work, is it unwise/unsafe to run individual wires, no jacket? No permit/inspection needed, fwiw.
Thanks for your help!
Replies
Bummer! and bump.
>> is it unwise/unsafe to run individual wires, no jacket? <<
I would not do it. Maybe someone else knows of an individual conductor which can be legally fished as you describe - I do not, and can tell you for certain that the insulation jacket on the conductors contained in the Romex are not approved for this use.
1/2" hole - I would have guessed you could pull the #14 Romex - but evidently not.
Can you route the Romex (with jacket) some other way - up and through attic, down and through basement / crawl?
Perhaps, cutting a relatively small hole in the DW and boring laterally with one of the long flex bits? Patch & paint after fishing completed.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
If you are running 110 through those 14ga wires you can't run them unsheathed through 2x4's that I've ever seen. You can sleeve them through pipe but that wouldn't help you. I'm sure Bill will give the code # on why it's illegal.
Headstrong, I'll take on anyone!
"is it unwise/unsafe to run individual wires?"
Yes. Very unwise. And a Code violation.
You need to extend the cable with a wiring method approved for 240V. Using NM (romex) would probably be the easiest, if you want to conceal the wiring in the wall. And, the splices from existing to new cable have to be in a box (with a blank cover plate), which remains accessible. No open splices buried in the wall.
Cliff
Yep, I figured that wouldn't fly. I would much rather cut drywall than do something unsafe...no other way to reach in this peculiar circumstance, including fishing. And not that it matters but the "elderly lady" is my mom.Curious, though, perhaps someone could educate me and maybe a few others. If run underground, individual strands (thnn) are okay, but not above ground? Is the kicker in the conduit?Thanks again. You people are great.
As far as I know, there are no individual conductors that you can run underground, either. (UF cable, yes)
14 AWG Romex will definitely pull through a half inch hole - try again.
With 3 exceptions all wiring systems use either approbable cables (wires with a sheating such as NM or UF) or are individual wires run in an raceway (conduit).Those two exception are arial wires outs, Knob and Tube wiring systems, and you are allowed to run a separate ground wire to ground receptacles in old wiring without a ground..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Are you using 14-2 or 14-3? A straight 220 with no 110 component would be 14-2. I've never had trouble running 14-2 through a 1/2" hole.
To give yourself some more pull room, try this:
1. Drill a small hole just under your existing 1/2" hole.
2. Carefully stuff the very end of the pull string in there, then wedge it in with a toothpick or hot melt glue.
3. Use a hole saw, say 1 1/2" or larger, to make a new hole - keeping the existing 1/2" hole and the pull string inside the plug.
4. When you gor through the stud, you will have the string still connected to the plug, and a nice wide opening to pull the romex through.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Oh, good Lord, no. But I can give him two dollars and an assault rifle.
Thanks again. The baseboard is located under a window, the stat on an interior wall, maybe four studs and a 90 degree turn away. If I can't get the 14/2 pulled I'll either get out the rotozip or just put the stat in the unit as usual. Live and learn.
..............and you know you have 2 hot legs and are switching only 1 with the t-stat, right?
Ed
Edited 8/15/2007 7:46 am ET by edlee