10-3 Direct Burial wiring question

[yomax4]

If you don't like working with stranded wire, get the Soldering Iron out.

 

[BukitCase]

Soldering??!? Please see my post, second in this thread. Soldering for electrical is not code legal, because a short condition anywhere in the circuit will cause enough heating to MELT the solder and cause even MORE problems... Steve

 

[magicheater]

No, that's not the way it works if properly wired. CurlyDave is correct.

When you have equal loads on both sides, the neutral current is balanced out and the neutral has zero current. If the loads are unbalanced, then the neutral will only carry the difference. For example, one side has a 20 amp load and the other side has a 15 amp load, the neutral will only carry 5 amps.

As long as you actually have 220 at the end, it's fine. Now if you wired it wrong and connected both hot wires to the same side of the feed, then yes, your neutral current would be too high, but you would have zero voltage between the two hot wires and 110 to ground on both.


Ken

Thank you. I stand corrected.

 

[Highbeam]

There is no rule against romex in conduit so long as you don't exceed the fill requirements and so long as you are not in a "wet" location. That's an old wive's tale.

 

[GregbkH]

Anything under ground is considered a wet location.

 

[whitedogone]

Thanks everyone. Fantastic advice.

It is a copper wire, the jacket states Direct Burial 2008 manufacturing date.

The jacket also states 10-3 and there are only 3 wires. I guess I have been working with ROMEX too darn long cause I always thought 10-3 meant 2 hots, a Nuetral and a ground. This stuff does not have the 4th wire that I expected.

That said, I am going to cobble from some scrap (wire that the previous Meth addict owner used to run his operation with) to create my ground. Not ideal (Code) but it will work.

And that being said, Could I just create a ground by putting a ground post in where these wires come out? I guess it would create a ground loop? (2 Hots, a Nuetral and then tying to the 6 ft grounding rod).
Carl

NO, sir

 

[whitedogone]

To the OP. Can you post a pic of the labeling on the cable? Let's get this right. It's not worth anyone's safety or the longevity of the run to get it installed incorrectly. WDO

 

[Danno1]

I just finished wiring a new house, and with #6 and larger all that is available is stranded. I think you will be fine with stranded. It is easier to handle, not as stiff as single strand,

I bought #6 AWG Romex a year ago to wire a welder. Solid conductors.


.

 

[ray66v]

There is no rule against romex in conduit so long as you don't exceed the fill requirements and so long as you are not in a "wet" location. That's an old wive's tale.

Maybe, but in 1984 I had an inspector for the state of Ohio, tell me I could not run one 12/2 Romex wire through 1/2 conduit, in a commercial building.

He said, if I did not remove the outer jacket, he would pass it.

He was cutting us some slack by letting us run a few Romex wires through the attic without conduit. So, I did not argue.

He insisted the same wires that ran down the inside of the finished walls, be in conduit. :confused2:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Maybe, but in 1984 I had an inspector for the state of Ohio, tell me I could not run one 12/2 Romex wire through 1/2 conduit, in a commercial building.

He said, if I did not remove the outer jacket, he would pass it.

He was cutting us some slack by letting us run a few Romex wires through the attic without conduit. So, I did not argue.

He insisted the same wires that ran down the inside of the finished walls, be in conduit. :confused2:

Commercial codes can get pretty complex. I'll stick with residential wiring and let the gurus argue the commercial stuff.