1 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,039 What Up? What Up? Everybody? Welcome to another episode. Let's Ask 2 00:00:35,039 --> 00:00:38,920 Paul the podcast where I, Paul Abernathy, answer all of your pressing electrical 3 00:00:39,039 --> 00:00:45,840 code related questions submitted through our online portal. Where is that? That's over 4 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:50,880 at Paul Abernathy dot com. And by the way, that's a free service, 5 00:00:51,119 --> 00:00:55,200 so if you want to ask me questions, it is sponsored by Wicks, 6 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,439 so they pick up the tab. It's a free uh thing that we 7 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,880 offer and offering it now for years. Just go there and put in the 8 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,719 information, ask your questions, be very detailed about what code cycle you're working 9 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,599 on, and try to ask your question very detailed. And remember I cannot 10 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,280 give you design advice, but I can answer your code related question and give 11 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,879 you code references and then you do the hard leg work and seeing how that 12 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:23,599 will apply to your application. But I will answer the code based on what 13 00:01:23,719 --> 00:01:26,560 is written in the NEC and my interpretation of that. And I should mention 14 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:34,359 that today's episode is sponsored by fasttrackssystem dot com. That's where you get all 15 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:40,280 of our online courses, whether it's grounding and bonding, it's residential, commercial, 16 00:01:40,359 --> 00:01:44,359 industrial, you know, electrical theory, we have a course on that 17 00:01:44,439 --> 00:01:49,200 as well, but one of our most popular programs is our exam prep or 18 00:01:49,239 --> 00:01:53,760 our NEC learning courses, and that is the fast Tracks Black and the fast 19 00:01:53,799 --> 00:01:57,439 Tracks Plus. We also have budget courses available as well, so make sure 20 00:01:57,439 --> 00:02:00,599 you check those out. If you're more frugal, then they are available over 21 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:06,879 on Fasttracks system dot com. That's our main website, so f A S 22 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,439 T T R A X S Y S T E M dot com. Of 23 00:02:10,439 --> 00:02:13,960 course, the link will be down in the description if you're interested in looking 24 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,759 into our courses to learn the National Logical Code at a little bit better level 25 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:22,919 than you may be at today. Okay, So on this episode, uh, 26 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,080 we're going to answer a couple of questions and kind of get caught up 27 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,120 here. I've you know, I've got literally at this point, I've knocked 28 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:35,000 out quite a few, uh and some of my answer directly via email and 29 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:40,080 some make it to our podcast. So here are two or two or three 30 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,960 that have made it to our actual podcast. So I'm going to kind of 31 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,560 work on these and try to answer these questions and help clarify some things. 32 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,919 Okay, the question says, hello again, sir, I have another one 33 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:58,759 for you. Is a small breaker box subject to article three twelve and four 34 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:05,159 oh eight only in terms of distribution points. I don't mean a twenty slash 35 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,960 forty square d homeline panel. I'm talking about a cabinet enclosure. And notice 36 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:16,120 the language you chose here, cabinet enclosure that contains one service disconnect and one 37 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:21,039 distribution breaker. Let's say, so, can you help me understand why a 38 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:28,360 small breaker enclosure is or is not also a subject to article three fourteen because 39 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,879 I'm thinking the breaker is a device. Okay, So I think one of 40 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:38,240 the most important things about this is to understand what is a cabinet. So 41 00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:43,879 a cabinet is as defined in the National Electrical Code. It's an enclosure that 42 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:49,080 is designed for either surface amount or flesh mount and is provided with a mat, 43 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:53,840 frame or s good state in the order it's frame, matt or trim 44 00:03:53,240 --> 00:04:00,319 in which a swinging door or doors are or can be hung. Okay, 45 00:04:00,879 --> 00:04:03,639 So a cutout box, for example, is more like a disconnect. It's 46 00:04:03,639 --> 00:04:08,159 got a swinging door on it. A cutout box is typically surface mounted. 47 00:04:09,039 --> 00:04:12,960 You've got a panel board, which is guts that go inside of a cabinet 48 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:18,120 or it could go inside of a cutout box, and it is typically the 49 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,959 cabinet would be either surface or flush mounted with the trim on it, with 50 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,600 a swinging door. That's how you access these devices and things like that, 51 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,000 okay. And if it's not a swinging door, it still has a door, 52 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:36,720 okay. So I think a cabinet is an enclosure. Now when it 53 00:04:36,759 --> 00:04:43,160 comes to what you describe, whether it has one main breaker in it or 54 00:04:43,199 --> 00:04:46,600 it has you know, ten breaker or whatever it may have, that is 55 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:51,720 still considered a cabinet. Right now, it is also an enclosure. But 56 00:04:51,759 --> 00:04:58,040 when it comes to applying the rules for that, then Article three twelve is 57 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:08,040 titled Cabinets, cut out boxes and meter socket enclosures, whereas three fourteen says 58 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:15,000 outlet device pull and junction boxes. Okay, So outlet boxes, device boxes, 59 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:20,959 pull boxes, junction boxes, conduit bodies, fittings and handhold enclosures. 60 00:05:20,959 --> 00:05:26,720 Okay. So the way you describe it, it's simply by the nature of 61 00:05:27,439 --> 00:05:33,279 the article itself. Now, if you go read the scope of three twelve, 62 00:05:33,959 --> 00:05:40,600 the scope says, this article covers the installation and construction specifications of cabinets, 63 00:05:41,199 --> 00:05:46,160 cut out boxes, and meter socket enclosures. Okay, So it specifically 64 00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:51,759 talks about that, And I think It's also extremely important to remember that when 65 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:58,160 you go look at four zero eight that every reference that it makes, and 66 00:05:58,199 --> 00:06:01,199 we'll just say jump to part three, which is handleboards, every reference that 67 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:05,800 it makes, for example, for wire bending space and the enclosures or whatever, 68 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:11,600 it always references back to three twelve. It never references back to three 69 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:17,399 fourteen. I don't see any example in here at all with any reference back 70 00:06:17,959 --> 00:06:24,720 to three fourteen. So three fourteen is specific to boxes. Now we're not 71 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,920 saying that an enclosure can't be a box. I think maybe if you hit 72 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:30,920 a cabinet you removed all the guts out of it. Let's say you did 73 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,720 a service change and you're moving it, and now you're using the cabinet before, 74 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:39,319 which is an enclosure, and now you've removed everything and it's just being 75 00:06:39,399 --> 00:06:43,399 used as a junction box or splice box and things like that. Then it's 76 00:06:43,439 --> 00:06:46,720 still an enclosure, and you still would have you'd have to meet the rules 77 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,959 in three fourteen for it, because it's you know, maybe you're putting a 78 00:06:50,959 --> 00:06:55,759 flat cover on it now and it doesn't have a swinging door, and now 79 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,560 you're treating it as an enclosure, but it's also a junction box. It's 80 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:06,759 also splice box and things like that. So I think that getting the confusion 81 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:13,279 between three fourteen and three twelve. Think of three twelve again is more the 82 00:07:13,399 --> 00:07:19,399 cabinets, cut out boxes. These are or other you know, identified enclosures 83 00:07:19,439 --> 00:07:25,959 that you could put a panel board in. Okay, that that is specifically 84 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,079 something that three twelve is going to cover for that part of it. Of 85 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,160 course, you have four oh eight that's going to cover the panel board, 86 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:35,279 switchboard, switchgear and all that kind of stuff that could be mounted in these 87 00:07:36,079 --> 00:07:40,600 cabinets which are enclosures. Again, if you look at the definition of a 88 00:07:40,639 --> 00:07:44,680 cabinet, so I think it's it's it ends up being how you use the 89 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,399 product, Okay, And that's the kind of the best way I can answer 90 00:07:47,399 --> 00:07:53,360 that that question. But again, nowhere in four zero eight do you see 91 00:07:53,439 --> 00:08:00,720 any reference back to three fourteen. You see plenty of references back to three 92 00:08:00,839 --> 00:08:05,560 twelve. So again that kind of tells you and the way you describe your 93 00:08:05,639 --> 00:08:09,160 question, you have overcurrent protective devices in there, so that means you do 94 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:13,439 have a panel board that's where the breakers mount to and things like that. 95 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:20,160 So again that's hopefully that answers that question on that one. At least, 96 00:08:20,199 --> 00:08:24,040 that's the best I've got for you on now. Okay, so what else 97 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,279 have we got here? We have another question we'll answer. Let's see here. 98 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:33,399 Hello, sir, I did your fast tracks last year and it helped 99 00:08:33,519 --> 00:08:37,039 me a ton. I got my Oregon Supervisor's license with your help, so 100 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:43,039 thank you. Well, congratulations says here in the Pacific Northwest, we have 101 00:08:43,279 --> 00:08:50,879 some wet weather a lot of the year. Some outdoor traffic and lighting installations 102 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:56,080 are required by the authority having jurisdiction to be with a certain wired type. 103 00:08:56,799 --> 00:09:01,080 In most cases, single conductors that'd be single insulating doctors must be run with 104 00:09:01,399 --> 00:09:11,240 XAHHW seven strands to reduce corrosion. Okay, it says it makes a big 105 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,720 difference as the finer strand starts to corrode in less than a year in some 106 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:22,080 cases. Can you discuss wire stranding? What's the main classes are and how 107 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:28,080 the stranding is affected by corrosion? Thanks again, God bless. Okay, 108 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:33,799 thanks for the question. So I guess we'll talk about the wire type insulation 109 00:09:33,919 --> 00:09:41,080 type. So XAJHW. The X stands for cross link polyethylene. Okay, 110 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:48,399 that thus the X that's what it means. And it's very robust in a 111 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,200 sense to moisture even that has the W in there, So it's obviously what 112 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,360 location rate it has the two hs, so it's ninety degree and they're dry, 113 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:56,440 but it's only seventy five in a wet unless you have a dash too 114 00:09:56,519 --> 00:10:01,000 on the end of that. So if it's xahw dash too, then it 115 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,480 would be ninety wet or dry when it comes to doing adjustment and corrective stuff, 116 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:09,960 but again you're always limited to determinations in one ten dot fourteen C anyway, 117 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,840 so we tend to think about sixty degree or seventy five degree rated terminals 118 00:10:13,919 --> 00:10:16,840 anyway, that's probably more than you want it for that. Now, seven 119 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:24,519 stranding, depending on the sizing, seven strands are typically going to be what's 120 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:31,919 called a class B type of stranding, and class B stranding is it is 121 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,919 an ASTM class. Now, this is if we're talking about copper and you 122 00:10:35,919 --> 00:10:46,960 didn't state either or copper is very resistant okay to corrosive conditions. So again 123 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:48,399 that's one of those things where we end up having to look at it and 124 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,799 say, well, you know, we have to be always careful what we're 125 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:58,279 you know, what's being talked about because again it is very resistive to crosier 126 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:03,679 conditions. But typically you're going to see an option for seven strands up to 127 00:11:03,879 --> 00:11:09,000 about two gauge, and when you get over to gauge you start to see 128 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:13,679 from one gauge up to about four. Ought you tend to see what's called 129 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:20,799 a nineteen strand. Now that can either be nineteen strands of still ASTMB eight 130 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:26,639 or it could be a stranding configuration that we call ASTMB seven eighty seven. 131 00:11:26,759 --> 00:11:31,720 Now, the difference in those seven strands is they're all identical sized, Okay, 132 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,000 when you get to the nineteen strand, and even if it's B seven 133 00:11:37,039 --> 00:11:39,679 eighty seven, which is just another derivative of an a STM standard for stranding, 134 00:11:39,919 --> 00:11:45,159 and it's incidentally that's for insulating conductors only, so you can only use 135 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:50,240 seven eighty seven for insulating conductors, not for bear conductors. So in this 136 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,320 case, the seven conductors in the center are all the same size, but 137 00:11:54,360 --> 00:12:01,159 then the next layer or subsequent layer of the remaining conductors are alternating size small 138 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,200 one, big one, small one, big one, small one, big 139 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,960 one, small one, big one. So a total of nineteen strands. 140 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:11,480 So that's an ASTMB seven eighty seven perfectly fine. It kind of acts like 141 00:12:11,519 --> 00:12:16,879 a compressed copper, by the way, but it's just an alternating type of 142 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:24,879 strand. You you can get seven strand where they're all the same size, 143 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,759 and it's a little harder to deal with. It's a little stiffer, but 144 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:35,840 that, again is an ASTM B eight type of stranding is available. And 145 00:12:35,879 --> 00:12:39,759 then as you start getting into two fifty kcmil and larger. In the typical 146 00:12:39,799 --> 00:12:43,919 class B stranding, which is general building wire and things like that, it 147 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:48,879 tends to jump to thirty seven strands until you get up to six hundred kcmil. 148 00:12:48,919 --> 00:12:52,440 Then it can jump up to sixty one strands, and then it stays 149 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:56,960 that way until it gets over a thousand kcmil. Again, manufacturers have some 150 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:01,000 tolerances of a stranding count that they can follow. It's not written in stone. 151 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,879 It could be one more, one less. Again, we're shooting for 152 00:13:03,919 --> 00:13:09,840 the circular mills what we're trying to get to in the application. Now, 153 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,799 when it comes to aluminum, you have different standards that we use, which 154 00:13:13,879 --> 00:13:20,639 is called like single input where it's nineteen strands, but it is basically trapezoid 155 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:26,279 design and it's called compact aluminum, which kind of acts like a solid conductor, 156 00:13:26,279 --> 00:13:31,279 but it is stranded. And then you've got concentric unila, which is 157 00:13:31,399 --> 00:13:35,720 again we have a STMB eight hundred eight oh one B eight thirty six. 158 00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:41,039 It's a different straining as well for whether or not you're dealing with aluminum conductors. 159 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:46,759 And again it's just you know, you don't have to overthink this because 160 00:13:46,759 --> 00:13:50,200 the manufacturers have to have all these products tested before they can put them into 161 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,200 market. Now, ASTM is a voluntary standard, it's not mandatory anywhere, 162 00:13:54,080 --> 00:14:00,039 but all of the manufacturers follow it. And so if you're getting something and 163 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:05,039 it is ASTM B three, that's typically your solid conductors. If you get 164 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:09,600 an a STM B eight, that's going to be your stranded seven strand nineteen, 165 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,840 strand thirty one, strand sixty one. You know that type of thing. 166 00:14:13,879 --> 00:14:18,799 And then of course you get into other stranding. So there's a class 167 00:14:18,879 --> 00:14:22,840 A double A, there's B, there's C, there's D, there's E, 168 00:14:22,919 --> 00:14:28,519 there's F. I mean get into high strands like K and things like 169 00:14:28,559 --> 00:14:33,879 that, which have a lot of smaller strands for flexibility, right, fine 170 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,399 flexible type of thing, and so a lot of people want that when they're 171 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,440 doing PV applications they want that fine flexible for bending, and obviously battery applications 172 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:48,279 that want that more finely stranded for flexibility type of thing. But for building 173 00:14:48,279 --> 00:14:52,960 wiring. Typically what we're looking at is Class B applications. Okay, that's 174 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:58,879 that's the that's the workhourse of it. And just remember we have again this 175 00:15:00,039 --> 00:15:05,600 stranding configuration where ASTMB eight and then of course we have other allowances like ASTMB 176 00:15:05,879 --> 00:15:09,000 seven eighty seven, and that is a nineteen strand. Now, by the 177 00:15:09,039 --> 00:15:13,440 way, that's nineteen strands. Whether it's one gauge or four ought, it's 178 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:18,600 still nineteen strand. It's just the size changes on the stranding. Okay, 179 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:22,720 to still come up with the circular mill, because you know what a one 180 00:15:22,799 --> 00:15:26,960 odd is one hundred and five thousand, six hundred circular mill. It's still 181 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,840 got to be that whether it was a seven strand or a nineteen strand, 182 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:33,279 you get me. So it's traditionally when you get to sizes one through four 183 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:39,639 odd, it tempically typically jumps up to a nineteen strand. When you're below 184 00:15:39,679 --> 00:15:43,240 that, it's typically seven strand. Now that does not mean that you can't 185 00:15:43,279 --> 00:15:48,879 have an ASTMB seven eighty seven in smaller conductor sizes, absolutely you can. 186 00:15:50,559 --> 00:15:56,039 I mean all manufacturers make that in ten gauge, twelve gauge, eight gauge. 187 00:15:56,200 --> 00:16:03,559 I mean it's available. The only difference between AST eight and ASTMB seven 188 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,879 eighty seven is the fact that B eight all the strands are the same size 189 00:16:08,279 --> 00:16:11,720 seven eighty seven, The center core are the same, The seven and the 190 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,600 center are the same, but then the ones that go out around it are 191 00:16:15,639 --> 00:16:19,879 alternating size. Okay, so you have two different sizes and they alternate, 192 00:16:19,919 --> 00:16:25,440 a small one and a large one alternates. It's interesting to tell you that 193 00:16:25,519 --> 00:16:30,639 when it comes to grounding and bonding purposes, you can't use ASTMB seven eighty 194 00:16:30,679 --> 00:16:36,000 seven with it being bear because that's a product that can only be sold as 195 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,679 an insulated conductor. And then you could use green or whatever you're black, 196 00:16:38,759 --> 00:16:41,600 with green tape on it whatever for bonding jumpers, you'd be all right, 197 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,519 but you can't use it as a bear for grounding and bonding. You need 198 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:49,759 something in B seven eighty excuse me, you need something in ASDMB eight for 199 00:16:49,879 --> 00:16:56,240 that, okay, or B three solid for certain applications like for around a 200 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,159 raise or whatnot. You have those options, So it's important to understand the 201 00:17:00,159 --> 00:17:06,039 stranding and as far as corrosion it's concerned. You know, we put copper 202 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:11,000 in the ground for grounding, electrode conductors, ground rings. We do a 203 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:12,440 lot of things with copper in contact with the earth, and it doesn't have 204 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:18,799 that much of a problem. So if you're getting a lot of corrosion on 205 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:23,839 your conductors copper conductors, again it's probably because of moisture getting in the air 206 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,519 or you know, having some potential issue with galvanic action that's going on that 207 00:17:29,599 --> 00:17:36,000 you need to look at in your installation. But again that's about the best 208 00:17:36,039 --> 00:17:41,000 that I can talk about when it comes to corrosion. It's it doesn't matter 209 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,240 if it's your area is a little more wet than other areas, because these 210 00:17:45,279 --> 00:17:51,279 products are installed in all different types of applications all over the country where you 211 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:56,240 have you know, rain and direct burial applications and raceways that you know are 212 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,799 going to be flooded and all those type of things. So it's probably more 213 00:18:00,799 --> 00:18:03,599 about your termination, how you're terminating it and things like that, and whether 214 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,759 or not you're using the proper boxes. If you're at a wet location, 215 00:18:07,839 --> 00:18:11,400 are you using proper wire nuts, for example, or devices that are rated 216 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:17,640 for wet location versus regular wire nuts that are not you know, those type 217 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,200 of things. I guess would look into it more, but I really can't 218 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,759 get too much into the corrosion aspect of it, because corrosion is just a 219 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:30,160 nature of the game. But the better you seal those connections and you know 220 00:18:30,319 --> 00:18:34,279 you're not gonna have to worry too much about corrosion with the conductor inside of 221 00:18:34,319 --> 00:18:38,640 the insulated material, that type of thing. Okay, it's part of the 222 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,440 best I can. I can, you know, describe that for you. 223 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:48,279 But if you are seeing that the finer strands are causing you problems, then 224 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,240 again you're doing the right thing. Either go with solid or go with a 225 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:56,920 seven strand. I be honest with you. Even the ASTMB seven eighty seven 226 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:03,759 nineteen strand, I don't consider those fine strands in nineteen count so I mean, 227 00:19:03,839 --> 00:19:07,880 I'm not seeing issues with that in the wiring cable business or industry. 228 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,440 So again, they are still another alternative I would not call. They're certainly 229 00:19:12,519 --> 00:19:17,680 not classified as fine strand. Okay, They're not like a K strand or 230 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:22,079 an eye strand and things like that with high strand count. It's certainly not, 231 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,920 so you'd have to elaborate on more issues of what you're running into. 232 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,799 But yeah, corroding less than a year is an issue. Something else must 233 00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:38,079 be going on that I encourage you to look at that from a different perspective 234 00:19:38,519 --> 00:19:41,480 type of thing. All right, folks, that's going to be it for 235 00:19:41,519 --> 00:19:45,680 this one. These two hopefully answered these two questions to the best that I 236 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,400 can answer them. Again, I'm sure others can answer them much better than 237 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:49,799 me, but that's the best I can answer it. I could have gone 238 00:19:49,799 --> 00:19:56,319 more detail into the different conductors and stranding and insulation types and whatnot, but 239 00:19:56,799 --> 00:20:03,400 I want to keep the episode not too long. You happen to be using 240 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:08,759 x ahhw dash two. I'm sure it's xahhw dash two, but I'll remind 241 00:20:08,799 --> 00:20:14,920 you that thhn thhw N dash too, which is dual rated, is also 242 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,200 okay in a raceway in wet location as well. The copper's not going to 243 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,680 be any different, so the stranding will be the same whether it's th hh 244 00:20:22,799 --> 00:20:30,359 n thwn dash two or x x hw dash too. It's still gonna be 245 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:34,039 the same copper, okay. And when it comes to aluminum, obviously, 246 00:20:34,079 --> 00:20:40,880 you can't terminate aluminum within eighteen inches of the earth. We know that if 247 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,880 you're going to be in an area where it's subject to a lot of moisture. 248 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,240 I mean, you can use an antioxtic compound again keeps moisture out. 249 00:20:48,279 --> 00:20:52,400 That's your prerogative, that's your choice. If you're having problems with terminations, 250 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,079 maybe that's something that you might want to add. It's not required, but 251 00:20:56,319 --> 00:20:59,880 you know, hey, it does keep out moisture at the termination, and 252 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:06,000 a lot of the wet location wire nuts and have stuff in them already that's 253 00:21:06,039 --> 00:21:08,759 going to keep the moisture out of that termination. So there's a reason they 254 00:21:08,799 --> 00:21:14,359 do that. So again, think about that type of installation. Any precaution 255 00:21:14,519 --> 00:21:18,200 that you can take that it helps the longevity of that termination. It's important, 256 00:21:18,519 --> 00:21:23,119 so we encourage it for you to do that. Again, antioxidant compounds 257 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,279 not required unless the equipment states that it's required. But it's certainly not going 258 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,279 to hurt anything. If you want to use it, especially if you're experiencing 259 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:37,000 a lot of problems, then maybe you do use it because again that does 260 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,640 keep out the moisture. Just be careful because not all equipment works very well. 261 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:47,839 With petroleum based antioxidant compounds, so make sure you check the equipment and 262 00:21:47,839 --> 00:21:49,720 everything. As far as a wire and cable manufacture. It's not going to 263 00:21:49,839 --> 00:21:53,279 hurt our insulation, it's not going to hurt our product, but a lot 264 00:21:53,319 --> 00:21:56,799 of the manufacturers of equipment or lugs may have a problem with it, so 265 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,519 just make sure you do your due diligence on that. But if you use 266 00:22:00,559 --> 00:22:06,559 a splicing device that's rated for a wet location, then it might already have 267 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:11,799 something in its silacone or something in it that tries to protect that termination. 268 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,440 Okay, all right, that's all I got, folks. Till next time, 269 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,640 Stay safe, God bless and we hope to catch you on another upcoming 270 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:29,200 episode of Let's Ask Paul.