To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Costco Spectra wire

S

supratreo

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2020
Messages
354
Location
elk grove, CA
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
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
C

Chuckster in NJ

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
2,307
Location
Hunterdon County NJ
P

PCustoms

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
23,147
Location
VT
Chuckster in NJ said:
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
Click to expand...

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
 
Y

yatg

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2019
Messages
2,828
Location
Southern Oregon
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
 
OP
S

supratreo

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2020
Messages
354
Location
elk grove, CA
PCustoms said:
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
Click to expand...
What yatg posted is what i'm talking about, i'll get more details next time i'm there.
 
P

PCustoms

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
23,147
Location
VT
Max said:
If you enlarge the picture, FWIW the label on the lower right roll say NM-B.
Click to expand...

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...
 
M

Max

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Jun 16, 2018
Messages
3,341
Location
Georgia
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

N_Jay

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
1,170
yatg said:
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
Click to expand...
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.
 
W

wyliesdiesels

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
20,031
Location
Modesto, CA
supratreo said:
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
Click to expand...
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...
 
W

wyliesdiesels

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
20,031
Location
Modesto, CA
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...
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
S

supratreo

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2020
Messages
354
Location
elk grove, CA
wyliesdiesels said:
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...
Click to expand...
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.
 
C

Chuckster in NJ

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
2,307
Location
Hunterdon County NJ
theoldwizard1 said:
I will never understand why people use 12/2 NM when they are connecting to a 15A breaker !
Click to expand...
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.
 
Y

yatg

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2019
Messages
2,828
Location
Southern Oregon
wyliesdiesels said:
well that seals the deal. label and jacket does say NM-B.... wonder why they dont list it on their website.... :headscrat
Click to expand...
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
 
N

nadogail

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
31,999
Location
Coronado, CA
theoldwizard1 said:
I will never understand why people use 12/2 NM when they are connecting to a 15A breaker !
Click to expand...


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.
 
M

manwithtools

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Aug 24, 2015
Messages
13,975
Location
Lebanon, TN
PCustoms said:
Cool.

Anyone can incorrectly mark product with UL.

Show me the listing file...
Click to expand...
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.
 
W

wyliesdiesels

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
20,031
Location
Modesto, CA
PCustoms said:
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!
Click to expand...
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
 
P

PCustoms

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
23,147
Location
VT
wyliesdiesels said:
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
Click to expand...

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

N_Jay

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
1,170
Saw it in Seattle area on vacation.
If ours had it would get a few rolls for our upcoming house builds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom