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Costco Spectra wire

supratreo

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So I noticed Costco sold 14/2 NM on big spools from a company called Spectra. never paid too much attention as I'm going to use 12/2 but now it looks like they might be selling that.
My question is, has anyone used this? I'm not trying to cheap out, especially when it comes to fire safety, but curious how it comperes to Romex.
Romex is all Ive ever used but Costco has also never let me down with their products.
thanks
 
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Chuckster in NJ

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PCustoms

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Even though it’s not UL listed, it's OK to use because it has been tested by a recognized laboratory.…….. UL is not the only recognized agency.
BTW! I saw this wire at Costco and it looked like speaker wire…….. Personally, I would stick with a popular brand like South Wire or Cerrowire because "Inspector ****" may fail it.
IMG_3136.jpeg

Seems to have a UL file...

Inspector **** can stick the empty roll where the sun don't shine after you're done wiring with it...

Not sure I see a file for NM-B though. Kind of wonder what the OP was actually looking at
 

yatg

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Saw 12/2 at Costco a month or so ago. Was $250 for 500ft. I believe instead of the smooth oval shaped sheath that's typical of NM, it had a groove down the center, sort of a fat figure-8 shape. Seen that before in some older cable.
1756169699790.jpeg
 
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supratreo

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Seems to have a UL file...

Inspector **** can stick the empty roll where the sun don't shine after you're done wiring with it...

Not sure I see a file for NM-B though. Kind of wonder what the OP was actually looking at
What yatg posted is what i'm talking about, i'll get more details next time i'm there.
 

PCustoms

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If you enlarge the picture, FWIW the label on the lower right roll say NM-B.

This?

1000002520.png

Can't tell if that's a B or a D.

I looked at the UL files quick last night and didn't see anything for NM-B, plus there were a lot of Canadian certificates...
 

Max

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It’s hard to say for sure. It seems to be a warehouse only thing as I can’t find it on their web page.
 

N_Jay

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Saw 12/2 at Costco a month or so ago. Was $250 for 500ft. I believe instead of the smooth oval shaped sheath that's typical of NM, it had a groove down the center, sort of a fat figure-8 shape. Seen that before in some older cable.
1756169699790.jpeg
Just got some Southwire that was the same.
Looks like UF, but not listed as such.
Pulled well, and once u figured out how to strip it, I think I like it better.
Guessing this is similar.
 

wyliesdiesels

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So I noticed Costco sold 14/2 NM on big spools from a company called Spectra. never paid too much attention as I'm going to use 12/2 but now it looks like they might be selling that.
My question is, has anyone used this? I'm not trying to cheap out, especially when it comes to fire safety, but curious how it comperes to Romex.
Romex is all Ive ever used but Costco has also never let me down with their products.
thanks
howdy neighbor. I havent seen this wire for sale at my local costco but i will definitely check next time im there

Can you get a pic of the label on the spool? specifically want to see the wire type label. it would need to be NM-b not NMD90.

i do find it odd that costco is selling building wire now...
 

wyliesdiesels

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I just sent spectra a message thru their website.... im really curious about this now because it its not NM-B boy is that a quandry...
 
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supratreo

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howdy neighbor. I havent seen this wire for sale at my local costco but i will definitely check next time im there

Can you get a pic of the label on the spool? specifically want to see the wire type label. it would need to be NM-b not NMD90.

i do find it odd that costco is selling building wire now...
hey brother, it varies from store to store. i'll stop by my closest one today and see if they have it. you know how costco is, here one day, gone the next.
 

Chuckster in NJ

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I will never understand why people use 12/2 NM when they are connecting to a 15A breaker !
It’s "natures way" of telling you that you have too much money.

I had a buddy of mine (old when I was young) who wired his whole house in #12 minimum with metal boxes back in the 1980’s and when he died in 2010 his widow had a issue with no power in one section of the house so I went there to help her out and it sucked working on those metal boxes pushing the wires back in on the metal boxes that were stapled in.……. All his kitchen counter circuits were wired with #10.
 

yatg

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well that seals the deal. label and jacket does say NM-B.... wonder why they dont list it on their website.... :headscrat
Costco doesn't list every item they sell on the website, and every item in the store isn't on the website.
Even between stores in the same city, there can be items at one and not the other.
I used to have to go to a specific store to get the crumbled blue cheese.
A friend told me that the Costco near SFO has all different types of ethnic foods.

Anyway, if you zoom in on the picture @justsam posted ... it says (UL) on the cable.


1756228963464.png
 

nadogail

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I will never understand why people use 12/2 NM when they are connecting to a 15A breaker !


IMHO they are using an abundance of caution and allowing for future growth.

I have a circuit in my home that I wired with 14 and now would like to add more loads to.
 

manwithtools

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Cool.

Anyone can incorrectly mark product with UL.

Show me the listing file...
Sure, but any company large enough to be supplying Costco with product would be fools to do so. Not arguing there is or is not a UL file, didn't bother to look. I'm just saying that false UL labeling in this case might be equivalent to tilting at windmills.
 

wyliesdiesels

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I certainly confirms they make it, but unless I missed the UL file last night it isn't listed...

@supratreo get a good clean pic of the UL logo on the spool if you can!
UL isnt the only NRTL for the US

And the only NRTL listings they have posted on their website are for canadian/CEC permitted wire types... they probably didnt bother to post US listings
 

PCustoms

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UL isnt the only NRTL for the US

And the only NRTL listings they have posted on their website are for canadian/CEC permitted wire types... they probably didnt bother to post US listings

I'm very familiar with how UL and NRTL work. Have you ever worked to have a product listed?

The spool has a UL logo right on the front of it...
 

N_Jay

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Saw it in Seattle area on vacation.
If ours had it would get a few rolls for our upcoming house builds.
 
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