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datguy11
@verizon.net

datguy11

Anon

[Electrical] to romex or not to romex?


raceway to become switch
 
 
Going to install a small piece of left over track lighting and a switch for the top of a staircase that leads from my main floor to my basement. I have several shelves with tools, some brooms, mops, misc things etc etc. This area has needed a light for years and I am finally getting around to doing it.

In any case, the receptacle box where the switch will go looks like some sort of raceway starting box, and plan to run a romex cable from it, stapled along the wall, to my track light.. its about 10 feet of romex maximum.

I know you are not supposed to run romex along an exposed wall, but this will be a minor run in an area with little chance of disturbing the cabling.

What do you think? And is there a transitional adapter from raceway to romex?

Id hate to run BX cable here, but i will if necessary

From the pic, the romex will run up from the left side of photo (just underneath where the wires are dangling) up and across the ceiling to just above the smoke detector

What do you think? Should I go with raceway or is it over kill for such a small run?
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

3 recommendations

Mr Matt

Member

said by datguy11 :

What do you think? Should I go with raceway or is it over kill for such a small run?

It appears that you have a Wiremold extension box so why not simply use Wiremold? UL approved for surface mounting.

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru

Premium Member

Would look a lot better too.

garys_2k
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI

garys_2k to Mr Matt

Premium Member

to Mr Matt
+1 on running a bit of Wiremold up the wall to the light fixture. Safe and code compliant and won't be a hillbilly job.
contsole
Premium Member
join:2003-12-30
Newington, CT

contsole to datguy11

Premium Member

to datguy11
Is surface mounted romex OK in an attic, garage or basement? When is it not to code - is it living vs non-living space or maybe no dry wall installed?

garys_2k
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI

garys_2k

Premium Member

It's allowed to be exposed where there's little risk of damage. Up very near the basement or garage ceiling is usually OK, just about anywhere in an unfinished attic. Anywhere else and it needs to be protected behind or inside of an enclosing cover.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

6 recommendations

nunya to datguy11

MVM

to datguy11
Is this going to be one of those "I know it's wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway" threads? I hate those.

Termites
@cox.net

Termites

Anon

I would put the wire through BX Cable secure and paint this way nothing will happen to the wire

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

2 recommendations

LazMan to nunya

Premium Member

to nunya
said by nunya:

Is this going to be one of those "I know it's wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway" threads? I hate those.

I predict an anon fly-by, with no follow up...
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt to Termites

Member

to Termites
said by Termites :

I would put the wire through BX Cable secure and paint this way nothing will happen to the wire

That will look like crap. Wiremold is equivalent to conduit. With Wiremold simply pull the conductors through Wiremold and terminate each end.

Check out this website: »www.legrand.us/wiremold/ ··· spx#spec

You will probably need series 500.

datguy11
@verizon.net

datguy11 to LazMan

Anon

to LazMan
LazMan,

Wrong about that.. I am back..

I decided what the heck ,I will run the romex. Its only for a light for the small area at the top of a staircase that will be on a couple of minutes a day. No need for overkill
lawsoncl
join:2008-10-28
Spirit Lake, ID

1 recommendation

lawsoncl

Member


So what happens if you later decide to sell the house, and the inspector flags an obvious electrical code violation? My opinion would be to do it right with some wiremold racetrack and don't "hillbilly" the job as someone so eloquently put it.

Is that existing box on concrete? If it is, stapling romex to it might be difficult versus gluing down wiremold.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

5 recommendations

nunya

MVM

said by nunya:

Is this going to be one of those "I know it's wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway" threads? I hate those.

Yep. I called that one.
Critsmcgee
join:2011-12-02

1 recommendation

Critsmcgee to datguy11

Member

to datguy11
said by datguy11 :

LazMan,

Wrong about that.. I am back..

I decided what the heck ,I will run the romex. Its only for a light for the small area at the top of a staircase that will be on a couple of minutes a day. No need for overkill

Doing it the right way to code is "overkill"? A 10 foot piece of wiremold is only $8 so it might cost you what $15-18 to do it that way? If you are to cheap to do it RIGHT you shouldn't have even bothered to ask.

garys_2k
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI

1 recommendation

garys_2k to datguy11

Premium Member

to datguy11
Why the hell did you ask if you were going to do it illegally anyway?
Quattrohead
Premium Member
join:2005-02-09

2 recommendations

Quattrohead

Premium Member

The secret to doing dumb/stupid/illegal things is not to get caught....and that usually means not advertising it to the whole world.
Oh well, keeps us amused.

Termites
@cox.net

Termites to Mr Matt

Anon

to Mr Matt
said by Mr Matt:

said by Termites :

I would put the wire through BX Cable secure and paint this way nothing will happen to the wire

That will look like crap. Wiremold is equivalent to conduit. With Wiremold simply pull the conductors through Wiremold and terminate each end.

Check out this website: »www.legrand.us/wiremold/ ··· spx#spec

You will probably need series 500.

Nice looking raceway there clean looking you're right..