ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion Building Codes for Electricians Running romex in same joist space as water?

I have seen the same as WireNuts. Mostly,only. with heating pipes, These things are running 180+D FH. Where as the domestic HW is only 120.

I aswell keep a safe distance away from any of them.

WireNuts, how hot was that hot water pipe?? It would take a steam line to melt through the 90C-rated insulation in NM-B, but most people don't even set their hot water heaters above 60C. And even if the romex did melt through and short out to the pipe, that *should* solidly ground it to the GEC and short-circuit trip the breaker.
BX isn't going to cause electrolysis, either, though. I think some plumbers are just paranoid

I can see a chance for electrolysis with bx, a steel or aluminum jacket touching a copper pipe throw in a little moisture from condensation and you have a instant battery. This probably would only happen in an exterior wall.

That wouldn't create electrolysis, though, only galvanic corrosion of the exterior of the copper, and not pinholes. There's really nothing you can do to a copper pipe to create electrolysis in it. Any interior pitting of the pipe is completely unrelated to any electrical cabling that might happen to be nearby.

Article on the actual causes of pinhole leaks is here, and it has nothing to do with electrical wiring:

http://www.toolbase.org/Building-Systems/Plumbing/copper-pinhole-leaks