ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues 4 story NM-B ?

Apparently the 'Nayional Multihousing council" has appealed proposal 7-137 over the heads of CMP-7 and the Technical Correlating Committee to the NFPA's "Standards Council" to allow NM-B per art 336 in over 3 stories;

some rop's here; http://www.necdirect.org/pdfs/A331-340.pdf

comments?curses?death threats???

The oldest story MONEY talks. Soon enough the big boys will get to use romex anywhere and not have to pay for licensed workers.

Is that the deal? It takes to much skill to run anything other than NM cables?

hmmm, well...i DO get the impression that there is way more of a $$$ influence invovled than anything else.

I've also been informed that the NM rule was not always around....and that the 'substaintiation' for the change was apparently more $$$$ based than one centering on saftey...

Any older 'precode'* electricians care to comment???

* well maybe that's not the correct word, but U get the idea...

For what it's worth ... in one of our local counties (Montgomery Cty MD) they have modified the rule to read no RX in any structure over 3 floors. Don't matter if it's a 4 floor, underground pkg garage. 3 is the limit; they count unfinished basements, parking levels, finished attics and everything in between. The GC's are having a fit over the cost of the electrical part on some of these taller houses.