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Any Electricians?

wrinkster22

wrinkster22

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jun 11, 2011
2,623
7
Toronto
I was wondering if any Macrumor users were electricians because I need some help. I am adding an outlet in an old home. The walls are solid block so it is surface mounted wiring. To keep the wire (14/2 Romex) it is in plastic raceway. Everything is going quite well until I hit the first obstacle. There is an old radiator. There is now way I can install the raceway/wiring behind this. Can the wire just sit exposed touching the rad or no? Thanks in advance!
 
Absolutely not.

Obviously, a radiator gets very hot. If the wire is touching the radiator, if the jacket on the wire melts, it could at best electrify the radiator, and at worst start a fire and burn your place down.

If you can't run behind it, run around it.
 
MacNut said:
Why are you not using conduit?
Click to expand...

Possibly because (metal) conduit has that industrial look? I think raceways are designed to be seen.

For the OP, is this the first floor with access from the basement, or is there a basement? If so, you could go down, in fact if there is a basement with access running the wires below and sending them up to each receptacle would look better imo.

Was the original wiring surface mount? Not that it matters now, but I think it would have been better if they had cut holes in the block and run the wiring in a conduit that allows individual strands of wire to be pulled through.

(I'm not a electrican by profession, but worked as a new and "old work" elecrician when I was going to college, completely wiring houses, tying in CB panels, hooking up service, and have done a variety of electrical projects since then.)
 
Last edited:
As a Master Electrician for the last 45 years I have only one thing to say. Avoid running the Wire Mold holding the Romex anywhere near the top of the radiator. If possible run it up high near the ceiling and then drop down in a corner etc. Also 14/2 is rated at 15 amps so if this is an addition to what is on the same circuit it must not exceed 1380 watts. My computer room has two 20amp circuits divided among 6 outlets, on Each circuit. The wall behind my desk as a plugmold with 3 outlets on each circuit totaling 6 outlets. I know know one likes to run wire mold up the center of a wall, but if ran in the corners and along the wall up next to the ceiling then down again in a corner it is less noticeable.
 
joelw135 said:
As a Master Electrician for the last 45 years I have only one thing to say. Avoid running the Wire Mold holding the Romex anywhere near the top of the radiator. If possible run it up high near the ceiling and then drop down in a corner etc. Also 14/2 is rated at 15 amps so if this is an addition to what is on the same circuit it must not exceed 1380 watts. My computer room has two 20amp circuits divided among 6 outlets, on Each circuit. The wall behind my desk as a plugmold with 3 outlets on each circuit totaling 6 outlets. I know know one likes to run wire mold up the center of a wall, but if ran in the corners and along the wall up next to the ceiling then down again in a corner it is less noticeable.
Click to expand...

When I was laying out circuits many moons ago, we used 1.5 amp per receptacle as the guide for 15amp circuits. Sound right?
 
Oh wow thanks for all the replys. The room itself is in the basement. The walls are solid block so I can't go in them. What I ended up doing is putting the wire in plastic (pvc) raceway that is paintable. The raceway is as close to the bottom of the rad as possible- right about the feet (legs?) of the rad. There is one outlet in the room that is in wall. I am adding the new outlet via surface mount wiring. Looks don't *really* matter as it is in the basement, not my living room. The outlet goes 4-5ft up the middle of the wall for a 32" tv thats being wall mounted. The other outlet I am adding is for the treadmill.
Note* I am not increasing the amount of items plugged in I am just increasing the amount of outlets so I don't need an extension cord.

In conclusion:
*2 new outlets
*romex ran in plastic raceway/conduit
*powers treadmill/tv
*wall wire is covered (none exposed)
*raceway is about an inch above the legs of the radiator
 
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