David.kochis@yahoo.com
New member
- Location
- Cleveland, Ohio
Does the NEC code require grommets installed in metal studs when running MC wire through factory punched holes?
MC cable through metal studs.
- Thread starter David.kochis@yahoo.com
- Start date
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- Location
- Massachusetts
No, not required by the NEC.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
However, if you install the plastic bushings they make for that purpose, you may have an easier time pulling the MC.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Pull it the right direction and 'man up'.
Seriously we run miles of MC in studs and would be slowed down by adding bushings.
Unless they are in the specs we would never use them.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Pull it the right direction and 'man up'.
Seriously we run miles of MC in studs and would be slowed down by adding bushings.
Unless they are in the specs we would never use them.
I bow to your superior experience. If it doesn't have "FPLP" somewhere in the description, I haven't seen much of it in the field.
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
Iwire is correct, it does pull way easier in one direction over the other. You want to pull with the edge of the spirals curled up into the next section towards you.
- Location
- Massachusetts
I was joking, not riding a high horse.
But yes MC has a direction it pulls better.
If you have to pull it the wrong way often a good manly yank rolls the edge of the stud over a bit so it pulls easy after that ... unless it is heavy gauge studs.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I was joking, not riding a high horse.
But yes MC has a direction it pulls better.
If you have to pull it the wrong way often a good manly yank rolls the edge of the stud over a bit so it pulls easy after that ... unless it is heavy gauge studs.
S'all good, I got that part.
Bare text is awful for conveying non-verbal cues. I try to play dumb (no wisecracks!) when reading e-mail and take it for content only and not impute meaning where it doesn't exist.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
There are a few issues, foremost if the MC is aluminum it's already horrible to pull through metal studs. :roll:
You also need to consider, as Bob stated, pulling it the right direction through the stud by looking at the way the stud was factory punched, and the way the armor is facing.
You also need to consider, as Bob stated, pulling it the right direction through the stud by looking at the way the stud was factory punched, and the way the armor is facing.
Armor and stud "edge" should be opposite directions.
Armor edge exposed on the tail side of its hump.
Stud edge sharpest from punched direction should be on side MC is being pulled out of, not into.
A good steady pull speed through entire distance helps. Threading a pull rope first sometimes saves time on longer pulls... otherwise you have to be pretty good at hitting the holes and handing off at speed. :happyyes:
A good jerk can get you enough slack to get restarted most the time. Harder to do on heavier gauge studs...
mopowr steve
Senior Member
- Location
- NW Ohio
- Occupation
- Electrical contractor
Around my parts AHJ requires a metal plate which holds the mc from rattling in the wall or basically is a mounting method. Erico/caddy makes one, just a small metal plate with the edges of one side turned up in a V and a place for screw to attach to metal stud so the cable can be held down against the prepunched notches in metal studs.
AHJ's require it here, too. Technically Code does not require them. Reading 330.30(B) it would seem to be required at intervals not exceeding 6 ft., but 330.30(C) alleviates that requirement for runs through framing members.
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