I nicked a wire in a 2/12 cable while doing some work on my house.
I stripped some of the sheathing to see what I had done. The insulation on the black (live) wire is cut and there is a nick that goes about 1/5th into the tickness of the wire.
How can I repair this? There is only one load “downstream” of it (a ceiling fan without light – I’d guess about 50W).
Thanks.
Replies
replace the wire from junction box to junction box, can we say FIRE hazard.
If you are extremely lucky the damage is in a cable directly beside a box and there is enough slack on the other side of the break to get the damage section into the box with enough to spare to make a good connection. You need to get the jacket, not just the conductors, into the box.
If you can find sufficient slack in the cable install a cut-in, old-work, box after cutting the cable. Both ends created go into the box where they are connected in the usual manner with wirenuts and a blank plate is installed to cover the box.
If the new box is in a location where a receptacle would be nice and it is on a circuit allowing one to be put on it a receptacle and plate can replace the blank plate.
If you can't get enough slack either replace the cable from the cut location to the nearest or easiest to get to box on the cable run. Alternately you can install two boxes and far enough away from the damaged area to gain slack on both ends and run a piece of new cable between them.
Do not attempt to splice or reinsulate the conductors without getting any repairs into a box with a cover. Don't bury the box. Make sure it is accessible and relatively easy to find for repairs or checks. A buried box that has a connection that fails later can become a major problem. Sometimes forcing walls to be ripped open and/or cable runs to be replaced at considerable cost and trouble.
Don't try to make a splice within a box without enough slack to allow the connections to extend from the box front 3". I like to give it 6", the old rule, as it allows connections to be made in a more positive manner and a bit more to work with if changed have to be made later. I have seen too many connections made with the cable stretched and too little slack come apart later.
Thanks guys. Not enough slack and the cable is in an akward place.
I'll just do it right and will run a new cable from the box (a light) to the next box (ceiling fan). I thought I'd ask in case there was a safe alternative to this.
Cut-in boxes are relatively easy to install. I usually allocate 15 minutes per box and have time to spare. If the location is not visually obvious installing a pair of boxes a few feet apart and a bit of cable between them is often much easier than fishing in a cable between existing the damage location and an existing box.
Low and possibly in the shadow of a cabinet or furniture blank plates tend to visually disappear. Box covers, blank plates, can be painted or covered with wall paper to better blend in.
There is a splice device that supposedly is UL listed to be buried in walls (it's designed for "manufactured home" use), but inspectors may not allow it.
As I remember it what you describe is made by Ideal. Plastic unit you clamp onto NM. Your allowed to bury them but someone said you have to be able to gain access. Attic would be OK but sealed into a wall with drywall might not be. I should look that up before some moron insists I use one.
Short of holding a gun to my head I cannot see myself using such an abomination. Ones I saw looked entirely too Murphoid and a connection that goes bad but cannot be found is, as Tom Waits would put it, 'An Invitation to the Blues'.