Exposed Wiring

Wrex · Jul 26, 2008

While cleaning up my garage this weekend I noticed something that may need correcting.

My garage door opener is hard wired via Romex NM cable which is stapled to the surface of the ceiling and runs down the wall about 8 feet then through a hole to the basement (my garage is attached).

Isn't exposed NM cable supposed to be run through conduit?

Chris75 · Jul 26, 2008

Wrex said:
While cleaning up my garage this weekend I noticed something that may need correcting.

My garage door opener is hard wired via Romex NM cable which is stapled to the surface of the ceiling and runs down the wall about 8 feet then through a hole to the basement (my garage is attached).

Isn't exposed NM cable supposed to be run through conduit?

How did that happen? The garage door hardwired part. and no exposed NM does not need to be run through conduit.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Wrex · Jul 26, 2008

Chris75 said:
How did that happen? The garage door hardwired part. and no exposed NM does not need to be run through conduit.

I don't know it was here when I moved in. It looks like that somone removed the strain relief that would have secured plug in cord to the opener and replaced it with a NM knockout clamp.

Chris75 · Jul 26, 2008

Wrex said:
I don't know it was here when I moved in. It looks like that somone removed the strain relief that would have secured plug in cord to the opener and replaced it with a NM knockout clamp.

Not to beat the install down, but removing a UL cord would certainly void any listings, but hey it works right?

Wrex · Jul 26, 2008

Yeah it does I went online and after some digging was able to find the manual and there it says that you can remove the cord to hardwire it.

But why?

I guess the guy who did the install was too lazy to install an extra outlet.

I personally would have installed a recepticle in the ceiling.

Chris75 · Jul 26, 2008

Wrex said:
Yeah it does I went online and after some digging was able to find the manual and there it says that you can remove the cord to hardwire it.

But why?

I guess the guy who did the install was too lazy to install an extra outlet.

I personally would have installed a recepticle in the ceiling.

Never seem a residential opener that gave you an option of hardwire, but thats okay, at least you can cut a box in at a later date if you ever need to replace the unit.

Billy_Bob · Jul 26, 2008

Sounds OK to me but I would have installed an outlet.

Might want to be sure it is on a GFI breaker (and properly grounded), especially if you have a metal garage door. There have been some electrocutions involving small children with metal garage doors that have openers.

As to exposed wiring in a garage, if the walls will be covered with drywall, I like to run wires which are up high in conduit. This is because people like to put in all sorts of nails, hangers, etc. in a garage to hang stuff on the walls. So this would protect the wire from a nail. But it sounds like your walls are not covered, so no one is likely to put a nail through the wire! (So no problem...)

hj · Jul 27, 2008

romex

Any exposed Romex wire can be accidently damaged and should be enclosed. Even the feed to a water heater is supposed to be encased in a metallic sheath.

Speedy Petey · Jul 27, 2008

HJ, I certainly don't mean to be a jerk, but do you have a code reference to support this?

I don't think you'll find one.

Wrex · Jul 27, 2008

Billy_Bob said:
Sounds OK to me but I would have installed an outlet.

Might want to be sure it is on a GFI breaker (and properly grounded), especially if you have a metal garage door. There have been some electrocutions involving small children with metal garage doors that have openers.

Yikes! I think I'll install a box within the next week it got me thinking I like the option of being able to pull the plug if the opener ever went batty. I can order the proper plug and strain relief from Sears.

Would a GFCI on the opener outlet be overkill?

As for the drywall my garage is finished it's wierd though. I live in a house built in the 40s and it looks like the walls are just sheetrock with a gray scratch coat of plaster.

The wires are stapled directly to the wall what laziness I guess they didn't want to properly fish the wires.

Chris75 · Jul 27, 2008

hj said:
Even the feed to a water heater is supposed to be encased in a metallic sheath.

No its not... but go for it.

Billy_Bob · Jul 27, 2008

Wrex said:
Would a GFCI on the opener outlet be overkill?

The whole idea of electrical codes is safety and keeping bad things which have happened in the past from happening again. So yes good idea to install a GFCI if you are going to install an outlet and the circuit is not currently on a GFCI breaker.

I don't know the circumstances (technical details) of how people were electrocuted by metal garage doors. In most cases people probably don't have much to worry about. But an opener is a mechanical device and these things can malfunction. So good idea to be on the safe side just in case!

hj · Jul 28, 2008

water heater

I don't have to know where it is in the code, because our inspectors will reject any unshielded supply to a water heater. And I am not about to get on the wrong side of the inspectors.

Speedy Petey · Jul 28, 2008

hj said:
I don't have to know where it is in the code (But you SHOULD), because our inspectors will reject any unshielded supply to a water heater. And I am not about to get on the wrong side of the inspectors.

Ah-Ha! That does NOT make it code though. It makes it that you have inspectors on a power trip.

Something that is locally enforced, but is not a widespread code, should certainly be explained that way.

Jbfan74 · Jul 28, 2008

Chris75 said:
No its not... but go for it.

Hows this for exposed wiring,

May be a bundling issue!!!

Chris75 · Jul 28, 2008

jbfan74 said:
May be a bundling issue!!!

Naa, none of those wires are ty-rapped.

Exposed Wiring

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