334.15C For Or Against

Bubbles

Well. This might stir something up but....

What would you rather have in Your basement. A large NM 6/3 Feeder on Bottom of Joist feeding a large load sub-panel or a little bitty MC 12/2 ran securely around the perimeter of joist and beam back to panel??? Which one is better for hanging clothes on now?

DetailHandyman

I'm in favor of anything to hang clothes on.

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Magnettica

Not sure why this code is the way it is but I do know that running 6/3 to the underside of a floor joist is a whole lot easier than trying to run it through 9-10 bored holes.

Did you recently fail an inspection or something for the 12/2 MC?

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Magnettica

334.15 Exposed Work

(C) In Unfinished Basements. Where cable is run at
angles with joists in unfinished basements, it shall be per-
missible to secure cables not smaller than two 6 AWG or
three 8 AWG conductors directly to the lower edges of the
joists. Smaller cables shall be run either through bored
holes in joists or on running boards. NM cable used on a
wall of an unfinished basement shall be permitted to be
installed in a listed conduit or tubing. Conduit or tubing
shall utilize a nonmetallic bushing or adapter at the point
the cable enters the raceway. Metal conduit and tubings and
metal outlet boxes shall be grounded.
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Bubbles

No. Just another code rule where I can't really find a reason. Why is 8/3 allowed yet not 10/3? What's the difference other than a few amps? There has to be a reason. I'm just trying to figure what it is??

480sparky

Physical (tensile) strength of the cable.

As for what's best to hang clothes off, that's easy.... K&T!

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Magnettica

Lately, if an old dingy basement has too many cob webs, plumbing pipes, old cables, etc, I will run conduit instead of "competing" for space in between joists. You just have to make sure all the undersides are even with one another because in old houses that isn't always the case.

10/3 is rugged but not as rugged as 8/3 or even 6/3.

10/3 is at least flexible to the point where you can actually avoid kinking the cable.

With 8/3 or 6/3 it's a bit less forgiving.

But even if you drill holes or attach to the underside of the joist, the possibility of hanging clothes on the cable exists. That's why the code reads "running boards" as an acceptable method. I've done it a time or two myself.

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