Running wire

[bobbyb]

I am running wire in my new garage for the outlets and was wondering about if there was a limit as to how many wires can run through the holes you drill in the 2x4 studs? Currently I only have 2 at the most, but I need to run another wire for the garage door opener and was going to have 3 wires ruuning through the hole. I know counties have different requirements on stuff like this, but I'm not sure on this one. Thanks, Bobby.

 

[gatchel]

How big is the hole the wires are run in?

 

[bobbyb]

7/8", drilled with a paddle bit.

 

[sberry]

Normally 3 wires are allowed.

 

[sdowney717]

three is ok.
I remember Inspector passed it when we did that
probably 4 ok, they had a rule

 

[sdowney717]

http://www.thathomesite.com/forums/load/wiring/msg080554216270.html?9
a discussion on this suggests 4 wires in 3/4 hole is ok

 

[tfi racing]

Depends on the distance the wires are being run.Some codes and inspectors feel they need to be de-rated if more than two NMD cables are run together through the same holes for more than 3 studs(or two-three feet).

 

[avc8130]

7/8", drilled with a paddle bit.

You will need metal plates over all of those holes since they are so large.
ac

 

[jayrush13]

You will need metal plates over all of those holes since they are so large.
ac

That is pretty much the standard size that is used for wiring houses and if you drill in the middle of the stud you don't need to "nailplate". Where you go around corners or get lazy in your drilling you will need them but not in a straight line if you know what your doing.Trust me i nailplated Hundreds of apartments and houses in my Apprenticeship

 

[sdowney717]

Correct, no nail plates needed. Still some jerk could run some super long screw and intersect the wire.

 

[nate379]

I pulled down some walls here and the contractor nail plated everyplace a wire or water, vent, etc vent in the wall if it was closer than ~2" from the end of the stud. (Walls are 2x6)

 

[avc8130]

Correct, no nail plates needed. Still some jerk could run some super long screw and intersect the wire.

He said "in my garage". To me that means nail plates required. MUCH easier to slap up a few nail plates now then to deal with hitting a wire when the cabinets/shelves/hooks/etc go in.

1 1/4" is the CLOSEST you can be to the edge of the stud with any portion of the hole. Anything closer will have to be plated. Your 7/8" hole will leave 1 5/16 if drilled PERFECTLY centered. That means all your holes must be drilled withing 1/16" of center AND they must be perpendicular to the stud faces (parallel to the edges) within 1/16".

Go buy a box of nail plates and save yourself the hassles. They are cheap.
ac

 

[jayrush13]

He said "in my garage". To me that means nail plates required. MUCH easier to slap up a few nail plates now then to deal with hitting a wire when the cabinets/shelves/hooks/etc go in.

1 1/4" is the CLOSEST you can be to the edge of the stud with any portion of the hole. Anything closer will have to be plated. Your 7/8" hole will leave 1 5/16 if drilled PERFECTLY centered. That means all your holes must be drilled withing 1/16" of center AND they must be perpendicular to the stud faces (parallel to the edges) within 1/16".

Go buy a box of nail plates and save yourself the hassles. They are cheap.
ac

I guess if your inspector is that picky i feel sorry for you in all the houses and apts i have wired there have only been 2 wires i recall being hit with Screws/Nails. One was hit with 4"x7/8 lags driven in by a 1/2 drive electric impact so a nail plate probably wouldn't help and the other was a 16 penny nail with a nail gun when the sheathed the wall after we wired it. So if you want to waste your time and money go ahead

 

[avc8130]

I guess if your inspector is that picky i feel sorry for you in all the houses and apts i have wired there have only been 2 wires i recall being hit with Screws/Nails. One was hit with 4"x7/8 lags driven in by a 1/2 drive electric impact so a nail plate probably wouldn't help and the other was a 16 penny nail with a nail gun when the sheathed the wall after we wired it. So if you want to waste your time and money go ahead

Yeah, the inspectors I have dealt with actually look and enforce the codes when homeowners do the work. Who would have guessed?
ac

 

[bobbyb]

I can get ya'll an update tomorrow cause the county inspector is coming back. I got the wires run to the box (3 wires in one 7/8" hole) and the garage door opener is operating and legal now. Thats why all this started cause I had the garage door opener going to an extension cord (only temporary) and the inspector failed it. He said everything looked ok other than that so I guess I don't need the nail plates. Thanks for all the replys and info. Bobby.

 

[avc8130]

I can get ya'll an update tomorrow cause the county inspector is coming back. I got the wires run to the box (3 wires in one 7/8" hole) and the garage door opener is operating and legal now. Thats why all this started cause I had the garage door opener going to an extension cord (only temporary) and the inspector failed it. He said everything looked ok other than that so I guess I don't need the nail plates. Thanks for all the replys and info. Bobby.

If you plan on sheetrocking, take some pics of your bare walls so you can see where your wiring is run if you go to install cabinets or mount something to the wall with any type of structural fastener.
ac

 

[geaugafletcher]

Put up the plates just as good measure.

However:

Yeah, the inspectors I have dealt with actually look and enforce the codes when homeowners do the work. Who would have guessed?
ac

Inspectors are notoriously inconsistent with each other and with the code. Personalities enter in to it as well, piss off your inspector for whatever reason (valid or not), he'll become vastly more priggish in his work.

 

[avc8130]

Put up the plates just as good measure.

However:Inspectors are notoriously inconsistent with each other and with the code. Personalities enter in to it as well, piss off your inspector for whatever reason (valid or not), he'll become vastly more priggish in his work.

Exactly! Metal plates are cheap. I have had 2 inspectors smile when they saw them during rough inspection.
ac

 

[Cuda]

Exactly! Metal plates are cheap. I have had 2 inspectors smile when they saw them during rough inspection.
ac

I have to agree. Look at it as an investment.

 

[Joe92GT]

Not only are nail plates really cheap, there isn't an easier thing to install. Hold to stud, hit with hammer. Next.

In a place that will have potentially lots of things being hung on the wall, why not?

 

[D.J.]

Not to the same subject but also get photos of the vent and plumbing and any other thinngs that will be covered by materials in the "blank walls" also. This can be used later down the road when you "think" you remember where they are.
________
Philippine girl live

 

[bobbyb]

Ok, next time I go to Lowe's or Home depot I'll take a look at the plates, cause it will be awhile before I hang the sheetrock. I'm sitting here now, on this computer waiting for the inspector. Gotta go play solitare......

 

[MrMark]

The hole size does not matter as long as the romex cables are not chaffing. Basically, can they fit in the hole nicely without being too tight. Too tight and they can become damaged when pulling and that damage you may never see.

It's a judgment call, generally I feel comfortable with 2 romex in 3/4 hole, and 3 romex in 7/8 hole, although I feel better drilling 7/8 holes for two cables. The Code becomes involved when more than 9 current carrying conductors are bundled together. This requires derating. To avoid this situation you should run no more than 4 romex next to each other.

I would put the nail plates everywhere in my garage, expecially if cabinets and the like are planned for that area.

 

[jayrush13]

Yeah, the inspectors I have dealt with actually look and enforce the codes when homeowners do the work. Who would have guessed?
ac

Yea none of our inspectors look we just give'em a bottle of wild turkey when they pull in and they don't even get out of the truck. I don't even think they carry a code book.

But i don't know about the homeowner thing I am a professional

But apparently you know more

 

[avc8130]

Yea none of our inspectors look we just give'em a bottle of wild turkey when they pull in and they don't even get out of the truck. I don't even think they carry a code book.

But i don't know about the homeowner thing I am a professional

But apparently you know more

Yeah, I did a buddy's house with him and the inspector was all over on the rough and final electrical inspections.

Same buddy's father pays a licensed electrician to do a new panel/upgrade service and the inspector doesn't even open the panel.

ac

 

[SiGmA_X]

Yea none of our inspectors look we just give'em a bottle of wild turkey when they pull in and they don't even get out of the truck. I don't even think they carry a code book.

But i don't know about the homeowner thing I am a professional

But apparently you know more

This explains a -lot- of the $&%( construction work in Oregon these days..

 

[swaterbenny]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayrush13 View Post
Yea none of our inspectors look we just give'em a bottle of wild turkey when they pull in and they don't even get out of the truck. I don't even think they carry a code book.

But i don't know about the homeowner thing I am a professional

But apparently you know more
Yeah, I did a buddy's house with him and the inspector was all over on the rough and final electrical inspections.

Same buddy's father pays a licensed electrician to do a new panel/upgrade service and the inspector doesn't even open the panel.

ac

Yeah two different levels of know how there seems totally understandable. They don't give electrical licenses out like drivers licenses.

 

[jayrush13]

This explains a -lot- of the $&%( construction work in Oregon these days..

SO you work in the construction industry? Or you are just talking about some thing you don't know

If you must know Oregon is one of the hardest states to get an electrical license in and one of the strictest when it comes to codes and enforcing. But every one on here that goes to Borders and buys a code book thinks they know it all. So i will just keep to myself and let all the Homeowners with the latest NEC handbook tell you how you should do it

 

[Red Green]

Yeah two different levels of know how there seems totally understandable. They don't give electrical licenses out like drivers licenses.

Well just because somebody took a test and got a licence dosen't mean they are doing the work correctly.

I would think that a professional that is getting paid should be held to the same high standard as somebody doing work for themselves.

 

[nate379]

Not so much that, but it's nice to have a 2nd set of eyes on the work as well.

To give you an idea, I build bombs for a living. After you build one or two the next 100 or however many are pretty easy to figure out.

Well still, before they are sent out to the flightline to be loaded on aircraft, the guy running the show and maybe even a few other folks will go over everything to make sure it's all good... and yes, they do find things wrong from time to time.
Done some builds that had use building 400-500 per day, 2 12 hr shifts, 7 days a week.

BUT to go back to the thread, nail plates are about $.40/each. Skip the McDonald's lunch for a day and you have enough $$ to get those plates. OR if you are really cheap, dig in the scrap pile and make your own. They are 1.5" wide and about 4" long.