When will I find stranded resi wiring?

[rick carpenter]

I do disaster demo/rehab/rebuild, and it generally will be on older, lower-income housing which may be under or not insured and may not be up to current code. I'd like to be as handy as possible for rough-in and wiring up outlets for on-site power. Volunteers are permitted to work up to a certain point then pros come in afterward and finish.

A house stripped down to the studs for a rebuild might have one or two hot outlets to begin with. As more workers arrive, we need more power so unless we go with generators we cut off the main and temporarily (i.e., a licensed electrician will finish it) wire up an outlet. Apart from large gauge panel wiring which I won't touch and appliance or electrical/power cords, when might I run into stranded wiring for older resi? I know anything is possible.

 

[sberry]

It will be in metal cable if it is there, when you find it you find it. Also cable larger than 10.

 

[ForceFed70]

Ruling out the larger gage stuff, finding stranded will be pretty rare. It's more expensive and generally not needed in residential.

Low voltage is another place you may find it. Doorbell circuits, garage door sensor wires, landscape wiring, etc for example.

 

[ishiboo]

Are you concerned stranded is more difficult to work with or requires more experience or something? I'm not quite sure why you're asking...

 

[rick carpenter]

Are you concerned stranded is more difficult to work with or requires more experience or something? I'm not quite sure why you're asking...

I didn't know if at one time stranded might have been acceptable for resi apart from what ForceFed70 said. So I find some maybe it got overlooked in the demo and is not supposed to be there, in which case I need to let someone know.

 

[Norcal]

I have only seen stranded NM cable once & it was in a 1950's 8' wide trailer may still have it. I don't think you will ever see it, something there is no market for.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

It's going to be in conduit normally ,if you do find it.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

U wont find stranded cable in NM style.

Any stranded wire in houses will either be in pipe or be SEU or SER which is another type of jacketed cable...

EDIT: Im half awake today. U can get NM-b in #8, #6, #4, and #2...

 

[American Locomotive]

U wont find stranded cable in NM style.

Any stranded wire in houses will either be in pipe or be SEU or SER which is another type of jacketed cable...

Southwire offers 6 and 8 gauge stranded NM cable. Granted the strands seem to be coarser than their THWN wire.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Southwire offers 6 and 8 gauge stranded NM cable. Granted the strands seem to be coarser than their THWN wire.

Yeah whoops.

My brain isnt on today. I think i was thinking of the smaller sizes.

U can get stranded NM-b in sizes upto #2

 

[gnxtc2]

U wont find stranded cable in NM style.

You wanna bet???? I was doing some wiring on a 32' boat. The boat was manufactured in the US. The boat was wired in 14ga and 12ga stranded aluminum NM wire. It was a first for me.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[tab2]

You wanna bet???? I was doing some wiring on a 32' boat. The boat was manufactured in the US. The boat was wired in 14ga and 12ga stranded aluminum NM wire. It was a first for me.

Billy T.
[email protected]

This wire is usually tinned to minimize corrosion for the environment it's in. At least the spools I buy from waytek and del-city have been. That stuff isn't cheap and everything is almost always a home run so you use a lot too.

https://www.delcity.net/store/Marine-Cable/p_356.h_181036

 

[gnxtc2]

Thanks ^^^^^^^

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[wyliesdiesels]

You wanna bet???? I was doing some wiring on a 32' boat. The boat was manufactured in the US. The boat was wired in 14ga and 12ga stranded aluminum NM wire. It was a first for me.

Billy T.
[email protected]

I had a brain fart.

And AL NM-b wire is no longer made in those sizes....nor have I seen new aluminum NM-b in any size...may be available by special order but no one stocks it in store...

 

[matt_i]

My thought is that TH-H/W-N is in another class of materials as compared to NM or NM-b. More temp resistant, more oil water and gas resistant, far tougher insulation jacket...

Bottom line is the premium performance comes at a premium cost and no builder is going to eat that on a fixed price bid for a job, be that working directly for a homeowner or as a sub of a GC.