Romex Hanging In Attic

An attic that is accessible which is defined by the nec as having a permanently installed stair or ladder in place must have protection for any cables that run across the top of the attic floor joists or within 7 feet where they run across the face of rafters or studs.

Romex hanging in attic.

A pull down attic ladder does not count. I m thinking of installing some 3 pipe hangers such as below on the underside of the rafters to help with running 12 2 nm b romex cables for now and in the future. A good rule of thumb when working with electricity is to wear insulated rubber sole shoes and to always keep one hand in your pocket. Nm cable must be supported by framing when running through walls ceilings and floors.

If there is access above the light in an attic or kneewall space you can remove the wire from the existing fixture box and install it in a junction box. Adding a new ceiling light direct wiring an attic fan or installing any other type of overhead electrical fixture requires access to electricity. My attic is non accessible so i know for a fact that i must protect the romex with guard strips or bore holes 1 25 from the face of the joists when running perpendicular to the joists and when i run parallel i must staple the romex to the face of the joists. Hi all i have to run some romex in my attic.

The national electrical code nec outlines specifications for securing nm cable and other electrical wiring. It is ok to touch the outer jacket with your bare hands provided the insulation is not damaged. I d put one above the light fixture and one near the attic access hatch for each room. Most of the wiring in a modern home consists of runs of nonmetallic sheathed cable or nm cable also known by the popular brand name romex.

You can then splice on a new piece of wire make sure it is the same wire gauge and run the new piece from the junction box back to the fixture box.