Home Wiring Questions

[mass_burner]

I am looking to rewire a circuit in my basement. I just want to tuck the wiring into the joist bays instead of stapled to the joist faces. The entire circuit is lights, no outlets, 15A.

Can I splice the new 14/2 with old non- grounded wiring coming from the panel? I read that this was possible if you weren't extending the circuit, which I'm not.

 

[Wisneaky]

I am looking to rewire a circuit in my basement. I just want to tuck the wiring into the joist bays instead of stapled to the joist faces. The entire circuit is lights, no outlets, 15A.

Can I splice the new 14/2 with old non- grounded wiring coming from the panel? I read that this was possible if you weren't extending the circuit, which I'm not.

You should run new 14/2 from the panel. It is safer to have the ground.

 

[mass_burner]

You should run new 14/2 from the panel. It is safer to have the ground.

There is a choke point where the garage meets the basement that will be a pita to resource. Also, the wire goes through the firewall above the furnace, and don't want to have to redo all that also.

 

[Wisneaky]

There is a choke point where the garage meets the basement that will be a pita to resource. Also, the wire goes through the firewall above the furnace, and don't want to have to redo all that also.

You can't hook the cables together and pull it through? I honestly wouldn't recommend tying them together. It can probably be done but any wires that are spliced together should be inside a junction box and I believe that is code.

 

[mass_burner]

You can't hook the cables together and pull it through? I honestly wouldn't recommend tying them together. It can probably be done but any wires that are spliced together should be inside a junction box and I believe that is code.

Oh, yes, sure thing, I had planned to put the splice in a covreted metal junction box and ground the new Romex to the ground inside the box.

 

[semipro]

The splice must be in an accessible box.
You must still secure the romex within the joist bays, every 4 ft. I think.
I worry that connecting your new cable ground at the metal junction box might mislead someone to think that that circuit is grounded when its not. Actually, I believe any metal box is assumed to be grounded so you should probably use a plastic box. I'd be inclined to pull the ground from the new romex or to trim it at each end so that it can't be connected. I'm not sure the solution though. Hopefully someone else will know better.

 

[jharkin]

What kind of wire is coming out of the panel? Is it armored BX, or that really old non grounded cloth covered stuff with just a hot and neutral?

 

[mass_burner]

What kind of wire is coming out of the panel? Is it armored BX, or that really old non grounded cloth covered stuff with just a hot and neutral?

Old non grounded cloth covered, two wire.

 

[mass_burner]

The splice must be in an accessible box.
You must still secure the romex within the joist bays, every 4 ft. I think.
I worry that connecting your new cable ground at the metal junction box might mislead someone to think that that circuit is grounded when its not. Actually, I believe any metal box is assumed to be grounded so you should probably use a plastic box. I'd be inclined to pull the ground from the new romex or to trim it at each end so that it can't be connected. I'm not sure the solution though. Hopefully someone else will know better.

Yes, in a junction box within the joist, with a cover plate. All joist bays are open. Actually, the reason I'm doing this is to neaten up the wiring by stapling inside the joist bays.

 

[KB007]

What is stopping you from starting at the panel with new wire? Really you should. Staples, gotta have staples or drill 1/2 way through ceiling joists or studs.

Ask yourself what you'd think if you found a splice like that in your house when you were doing something - would you just brush it off, or would you be pissed that someone did that?

 

[jharkin]

Yeah my house was an absolute mess wiring wise when I bought it. A lot of romex, but also quite a bit of BX armored, some of that old cloth ungrounded stuff and a number of disconnected knob/tube circuits.

One of the old cloth ungrounded circuits had a number of extensions grafted on by PO using grounded romex. What thy did was bring the ungrouded circuit into a junction box along with another grounded circuit, and then borrowed the ground from the other circuit. Worse than that they got things all messed up and had the neutrals crossed among other mistakes.

In the end I did what KB suggests, ripped it all out and reran new romex direct from the panel. I realize you have a number of structural issues making that a challenge and I dont have any other ideas beyond whats already been suggested, sorry.

 

[seige101]

Code wise you cannot 'modify' a circuit without bringing it up to code.

 

[mass_burner]

Code wise you cannot 'modify' a circuit without bringing it up to code.

Yes, I know. But I'm not modifying, only rerouting. Would it be better if I spliced using 2 wire, hot/neutral, no ground?

 

[jebatty]

No intent to hijack, but how effective is GFI outlets to achieve the same or better result that grounded outlets? Or a GFI breaker at the panel?

 

[seige101]

Yes, I know. But I'm not modifying, only rerouting. Would it be better if I spliced using 2 wire, hot/neutral, no ground?

Personally i would run a new feed back to the panel and make it safe and right. Why bother with the effort of moving it and not take the oportunity do it correctly at this time IMHO.

No intent to hijack, but how effective is GFI outlets to achieve the same or better result that grounded outlets? Or a GFI breaker at the panel?

While it will be 'safer' using a gfci outlet on an ungrounded 2 wire circuit. This 'safer' only deals with well ground faults. So it's better offering some additional protection but again re-wiring with a newer wire with a proper ground would be best.