How many of you people are required by the AHJ to use MC cable in detached garages? I know that using NMC would probably be classified as being exposed to physical harm, but I can't find a spacific article in the NEC that would prohibit its use.
Here in NJ in an non-sheetrocked detached garage NMC was not acceptable. (Physical damage) Note the word 'was'.
Comments ranged from..."ever see what a rake handle can do to MC?" (Seperation of the interlocked sheath) "NMC is more flexable, it just kinda stretches".
Now if someone could find some really old BX!
Hendrix:
Does the AHJ cite an Article? or is a local thing?
Nothing even close to that around here. Romex is allowed just about everywhere. Attached garages must be sheetrocked on attached walls and ceilings of course, but outside walls can be open framing with regular NEC considerations for wiring practices. Detached garages are fair game for anything as they are treated like sheds. I'm guessing that must be a local AHJ thing.
I do have some old BX! Actually, it is 14/2 MC. I have no idea how I ended up with that stuff. I sure do remember wiring plenty of new houses with BX in Northern NJ as recently as the early 1980's.
Ed: I was joking and refering back to really old BX that you needed a hacksaz and patience to cut & terminate. It was 'real steel'; probably from the '40's, or earlier.
Yep, I assume that you are referring to the stuff that used a spiral steel strip that was about 1/2' wide and about a flexible as a tree branch, correct? Today's stuff is a walk in the park compared to that.
Not to mention, they were probably using hand drills (brace and bit) when they were wiring houses with that cable. No wonder everyone walked around looking like Popeye the Sailor in the late 30's! After hand-drilling a house and dragging that cable around all day, I imagine that there was no need for additional exercise.
You guys got it! Matter of fact, I remember my first time picking up 'MC-Lite' or whatever the mfg name was. 250' of 'old' BX weighed as much as 750-1000' of MC-Lite.
