UF cable though block wall

[cbixel]

I am replacing some electrical outlets in the basement of my home. The previous wiring was 12 gauge 2 conductor only, with no ground. I am planning to run 12 gauge 2 conductor with ground. I would think that the best wire to use inside the block wall would be the grey wire that is rated for underground. The wall is an exterior wall.

I am also going to replace the electrical boxes, as many of them are corroded as the walls used to be damp. I have addressed the water issue thoroughly, but still, since it is an exterior wall, would think it best to use the UF cable rated for underground use.

I am not sure which box would be best. I can get the masonry boxes, which seem most appropriate, but they are metal. I can get plastic boxes, which would not be harmed by moisture, but the cable clamping system on these is certainly not as robust as the NM cable clamps that go on the metal boxes.

In an case, code asks for NM cable to be supported within 6 inches of the electrical box, but I am not sure how one would do that if the cable were fished through an existing block wall.

It is quite easy to drop the cable through the block wall, and the holes are already there for the electrical boxes, so I am not really interested in abandoning that for a surface mount system in conduit.

 

[Megawatt]

I am replacing some electrical outlets in the basement of my home. The previous wiring was 12 gauge 2 conductor only, with no ground. I am planning to run 12 gauge 2 conductor with ground. I would think that the best wire to use inside the block wall would be the grey wire that is rated for underground. The wall is an exterior wall.

I am also going to replace the electrical boxes, as many of them are corroded as the walls used to be damp. I have addressed the water issue thoroughly, but still, since it is an exterior wall, would think it best to use the UF cable rated for underground use.

I am not sure which box would be best. I can get the masonry boxes, which seem most appropriate, but they are metal. I can get plastic boxes, which would not be harmed by moisture, but the cable clamping system on these is certainly not as robust as the NM cable clamps that go on the metal boxes.

In an case, code asks for NM cable to be supported within 6 inches of the electrical box, but I am not sure how one would do that if the cable were fished through an existing block wall.

It is quite easy to drop the cable through the block wall, and the holes are already there for the electrical boxes, so I am not really interested in abandoning that for a surface mount system in conduit.

If you are going to push UF cable through a block wall it has to be sleeved with conduit. I use PVC. Yes every time use plastic boxes and if done right it has a locking tab they will let you push the cable in but not pull it out. Remember at least 1/4 inch of the sheath or jacket has to be in the box. On wire fished through the walls you are not required to staple the wire. Get rid of them metal boxes, they can cause a lot of problems being some people who do electrical work don’t use bushings which can cut the wire

 

[cbixel]

I am not quite sure I understand about the PVC. It would seem sensible if I were planning to run cable from the inside of the home to the outside, as you could drill a hole all the way through the block and then line it with PVC pipe. The wire I am running, however, runs from the top of the wall, vertically, down to the outlet, and runs within the block. I am not sure how you would get PVC in there, unless it was the flexible Smurf tube.