I'm looking at a home listing and noted some wires in the ceiling area that appear to be routed through wooden beams with no conduit. Wondering if this is a code violation or safety hazard or if there are any other concerns. Thx in advance!
It is not really against code (check with local AHJ but may be grandfathered in anyway).
Fine as long as the holes are not too big where they may compromise the integrity of the floor joist.
Also less chance of damage with the cables going thru the joists than on top of them. I would be more concerned if there were open splices in the floor joists. Those could be put into jboxes though.
I would not turn down a purchase based on the cables going thru the floor joists though only on that fact. I would be more concerned with the quality of the breaker panel and service entrance cable condition.
Drilling holes through joists to run cables is typical and permitted, but there are guidelines for where and how to do it and your photo seems to show several violations of permitted practices, especially the rule against drilling too close to the edge of the joist or notching in the middle third of joist span, although it is hard to tell for sure from your photos.
This rule exists because the strain on the joists is greatest in the middle third of the span so drilling or notching there has the greatest potential to weaken the joist.
Would I decline to buy a house just because of this? In an older house, with no cracking of the joists near the holes, I would not let this prevent me from purchasing the house. As AFJES said, there are other more important things to worry about.
Personally I would check with the local building authority to see if any wiring permits were ever pulled because the wiring does not look professional. I would also get the inspectors opinion on wiring in the photos because if you buy and someday sell, you don't want to get stuck with repairing old code violations discovered by the potential buyer who used a home inspector.
Toyln, a hole or notch in a joist weakens the joist in my opinion whether the space is finished/unfinished. Can you clarify what the difference is? I know of a situation where the ceiling joist part of roof trusses were drilled for cable. The AHJ would not approve wiring (required inspection point by permit) until each truss at each hole was sandwiched by plywood that was specified, shaped and located (including nail type and location) by documents from the truss manufacturer. There was no flooring in the attic so I would classify it as unfinished space.
I have never seen a SS load center, not sure they are in production.
There is a 100A subpanel on my salt water dock, mounted on a piling. SqD, and after a couple of years, it is starting to show rust at the edges of the door and the bottom panel. Is there a workaround in getting a salt resistant panel? Read More
All, I am in the US (Ohio specifically) and am running into an issue with a dead short on 12/2 romex feeding my disposal and dishwasher. I have isolated the line and disconnected any appliances as well as disconnected from the breaker, but the neutral and hot are solidly in contact somewhere. I am under the impression that this is the only thing ran on the circuit and I've checked every other outlet in and out of the house and they all work. I can't follow the faulty wire from the panel in basement, because it immediately goes into the wall above (away from kitchen oddly enough) and I can't follow from the kitchen because of finished drywall on the basement ceiling (if it comes from below). I've not changed anything in the house (new roof though, problems started 2 days later), no rodent activity, no rain, but something changed. The wire in question runs into the wall from the panel bundled with at least 6 others. It does not seem to to be GFCI protected anywhere, house built in 2000.
I can open up the drywall, replace the wire, etc. I'd like to do this as a last resort. Am I missing something? Any other likely causes or typical routes a circuit like this would take? Other troubleshooting ?
Read More
05-29-23, 04:21 PM
