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UF wire cheaper than Romex!

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Innovate1

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Planning to extend my generator feed from a subpanel to the main and needed some 10/3. Found that UF was about $50 - $100 cheaper than Romex at several big box stores. It's a bit harder to work with but for $80 I can deal with that and it's only a couple terminations. Just thought I would post to let others know you might be able to save some cash... I am guessing that with a lot less UF sold the pricing may just not have gone up yet so I grabbed it as soon as I figured this out.
 
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Chuckster in NJ

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Could this have been a mistake OR a old price that hasn’t been updated? Because I picked up a 250’ roll of 12-2 UF at Home Cheapo in NJ and it was $190…….. 250’ of RomeX was $148.

Congratulations to the OP on a great deal!…….. Keep it warm so it will be easy to work with.
 
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Innovate1

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Chuckster in NJ said:
Could this have been a mistake OR a old price that hasn’t been updated? Because I picked up a 250’ roll of 12-2 UF at Home Cheapo in NJ and it was $190…….. 250’ of RomeX was $148.

Congratulations to the OP on a great deal!…….. Keep it warm so it will be easy to work with.
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I looked up HD prices. 250' of 12/2 was almost the same for UF and Romex at $156/$152. Maybe it's just less common stuff that hasn't been updated. 100' of 12/3 UF is $99. 100' of 12/3 Romex is $208!

Pretty sure the price for 100' of UF 12/3 is down slightly from last week at Lowes which is where I picked up mine. Weird!
 
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Hobby_Man22

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tx
Chuckster in NJ said:
Could this have been a mistake OR a old price that hasn’t been updated? Because I picked up a 250’ roll of 12-2 UF at Home Cheapo in NJ and it was $190…….. 250’ of RomeX was $148.

Congratulations to the OP on a great deal!…….. Keep it warm so it will be easy to work with.
Click to expand...
That **** has to be buried though.
 
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Boogerman

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aspen cove hill
Some inspectors not like, meet code. 340.10(4)

340.10 Uses Permitted​


Type UF cable shall be permitted as follows:
  1. For use underground, including direct burial in the earth.
  2. As single-conductor cables. Where installed as single-conductor cables, all conductors of the feeder or branch circuit, including the grounded conductor and equipment grounding conductor, if any, shall be installed in accordance with 300.3.
  3. For wiring in wet, dry, or corrosive locations.
  4. Installed as nonmetallic-sheathed cable. Where so installed, the installation and conductor requirements shall comply with Parts II and III of Article 334 and shall be of the multiconductor type.
  5. As single-conductor cables as the nonheating leads for heating cables as provided in 424.43.
  6. Supported by cable trays. Type UF cable supported by cable trays shall be of the multiconductor type.
 
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Innovate1

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Hobby_Man22 said:
Why does UF stand for underground feed wire then?
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That's like saying MHF (mobile home feeder) wire can only be used with mobile homes. It's a common use but not the only use.

If UF is only allowed underground and not above ground you would never be able to bring it above ground to connect it.
 
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mrVanagon

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Belleville, IL, USA
  • For wiring in wet, dry, or corrosive locations.
  • Installed as nonmetallic-sheathed cable. Where so installed, the installation and conductor requirements shall comply with Parts II and III of Article 334 and shall be of the multiconductor type.

    Isn't the typical use for romex in dry conditions? And isn't it non-metallic-sheathed cable? That sounds like two reasons UF can be used where romex usually is.
 
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cybrdyke

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Skooterj said:
Both Armored and UF-B are cheaper than NM right now.
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This happens from time to time. It's a glitch in the way that Menards, Home Depot, etc., buy and sell wire. In this case, the UF that's on the shelf is from a more recent order than the NM-B is. Prices have come down over the last few weeks, so the UF is at the new (lower) price level and the NM-B is still at the older (higher) price level. It'll correct itself pretty quickly.
 
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Boogerman

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rburke65 said:
Yes….Uf is difficult to strip
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+++
I wire 2 ICF houses; embed UF in router grooves in foam; refoam over it. Hard strip, hard bend it stiff. Insulation crack around wire leads in boxes sometimes, too; don't know why. Use NMB; not worth savings use UF.
 
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Terry D

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Mar 25, 2015
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St. Louis, MO.
I know what you mean about stripping UF, and I'm sure that I have tried these strippers before with no luck. But the last time I used UF, I thought that I would try them again. Worked like a dream, outer jacket pulled right off. Maybe difference in cable brands. I know they are made for NM-b, but they worked

www.homedepot.com

Klein Tools 7-3/4 in. Klein-Kurve Dual Non-Metallic Cable Stripper and Cutter K1412 - The Home Depot

Strip, cut, bend and pull electrical wires with minimal effort by using this Kurve Dual Non-Metallic Cable Stripper and Cutter from Klein Tools.
www.homedepot.com
 
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wyliesdiesels

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Aug 14, 2012
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Location
Modesto, CA
Terry D said:
I know what you mean about stripping UF, and I'm sure that I have tried these strippers before with no luck. But the last time I used UF, I thought that I would try them again. Worked like a dream, outer jacket pulled right off. Maybe difference in cable brands. I know they are made for NM-b, but they worked

www.homedepot.com

Klein Tools 7-3/4 in. Klein-Kurve Dual Non-Metallic Cable Stripper and Cutter K1412 - The Home Depot

Strip, cut, bend and pull electrical wires with minimal effort by using this Kurve Dual Non-Metallic Cable Stripper and Cutter from Klein Tools.
www.homedepot.com
Click to expand...
i have every flavor of that tool, even models that arent sold anymore (10gauge). theyre made for NM-b not UF-b
 
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