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Electrical Wiring

UF or NM wire for running through a garage?

17 years ago

Sorry for the repost. I mislabelled UF as UL, and I wanted one or two more confirmations that I can use NM:

My main breaker is located on an external wall of my attached garage. I'm running #10 wire through an uninsulted drop down in the garage ceiling to the heated portion of the house. Is NM wire the right type to use for this application, or do I need UL wire. The garage can obviously get really cold in the winter and really hot and humid during the summer, but it will be protected from rain.

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Comments (4)

bigbird_1
17 years ago
NM is fine for inside the garage as long as it's out of harms way. Otherwise, if it can be physically damaged, you'll need to put it in conduit. If NM needs to go in conduit, it's often cheaper and easier to use individual THHN wires instead of NM.
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viche
Original Author
17 years ago
What's the difference between THHN and UF/NM and why is it easier to work with? I looked it up on the web and it looked like the grey like the UF I've seen at Home Depot, but round like the NM. Are all four wires bundled together or separate?

The only place where I was worried about damage to the NM wire is that it will be running directly behind (maybe even touching) the back of another wall oven. I was worried about heat, but someone on here (might have been you) told me not to worry because the oven is insulated. Sound right to you?

Thanks
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Not only is there no need to drill the joists, it's probably forbidden if they're engineered trusses... it would compromise their strength. Here in Canada, if wires are run across ceiling joints and the space is more than 60cm/2' high above (therefore 'accessible,' a stringer is run across the joists, basically like what you described, although typically we use 1"x4" and run the wires beside them. You may already have these running across the joists, it ties the trusses together. If things aren't too crowded, you might be able to run the wires alongside.
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Not to hijack, but I have similar question. We want to install exterior GFCIs on our garage (forgot during build, we have one on back of house and 2 on porch but they're too far for charging battery on tractor, etc.). Have 20A circuit for interior garage receptacles and 1 dedicated for freezer. Electrician did not use conduit - ran all the 12/2 (and 14/2 for lights) up in trusses, then down through holes along studs where (plastic) outlets are located. I want to pull off one outlet in back of garage, would be easy to take out a couple of staples, pull wire up, drill new hole and run it down a few feet over for new exterior box. Then to save wire I was hoping to run either straight through a couple of studs (as is done in interior house wiring) or *down*, put the holes low in studs, and then up a couple of feet to new box. If I ran straight across I would put in conduit. If I ran down to sill plate, would it need to be in conduit? Or, do I have to run *up* and over like all the other wiring in garage? Walls are just studded out, no insulation or drywall (except shared wall with house). We may finish them at some point.
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Most people who decide to install security cameras at home now are using the preassembled kits made in China and marketed everywhere. The power wiring is 12vdc, and can be run just about anywhere - a dead short will result only in a camera not working, so the wire itself doesn't pose a hazard. That said, running ANYTHING through a dryer vent is a fail idea. The wire (or other obstruction) gives lint something to cling to, and the resulting buildup/clog is a serious fire hazard. If you run your camera wire through the dryer vent, I can rather guarantee you won't have an electrical fire because of it - but you WILL likely have a NON-electrical fire.
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DavidR
17 years ago
I think you're looking at the wrong item. THHN is an individual insulated conductor, not a cable assembly. It's pulled through conduit.

NM is fine for garages. It needs no special protection as long as it follows the sides of the timbers and is fastened securely. If it is fastened to a wall or the face of the timbers where it would be exposed to possible damage, you should sleeve it in thinwall conduit or similar for protection.

If the oven is rated to install with zero clearance I wouldn't worry about cable behind it. Otherwise, I'd maintain at least rated clearance. But that's not an authoritative statement and your local inspector will have the final word.
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jason1083
17 years ago
THHN is individual conductors (usually stranded copper), it comes on spools and has varying jacket colors (red & black for hot conductors, white for neutral, green for ground). Keep in mind I am simplifying things alot.
You will see it on or near the rack they have at your local home center

Here is a link that might be useful: picture of THHN
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