Electric - UF Cable inside?

[Russ Filtz]

Need to wire up the 220 in my new garage. I have some 10-2 (plus bare ground) I was going to use for a well pump. Can I use this inside to string through the attic above my garage? My area doesn't require conduits, so the rest of the house wiring is just laid over the rafters.

The UF cable just says for outdoors use for direct burial. Is this just a "better" grade of cable and can be used inside, or are there other factors like the type of sheathing used and how it off-gasses in a fire, etc.?

[Jim Becker]

I don't know if you "can" use it for your application, but I can guarantee you're not going to "enjoy" using it...it's a bit tougher to deal with the terminations due to the thick plastic encasing the conductors, especially with harder to bend #10.

[Bryan Somers]

I dont know of any reason you cant use it inside as long as you dont need a neutural but like Jim said that stuf is harder to work with.

[Mike Seals]

No problems with the cable. The underground is just better casing. The main thing to remember is what you are trying to run off of it. A number 10 is good for 30 amps so insure you have a 30 amp double pole breaker to protect the wire. Breakers serve one pupose, protecting the wire, nothing more.

Conduits serve two purposes, one to guide the wire and two, to protect it from damage. Other wise pulling a wire in conduit will reduce the load rating due reduced air flow around the conductors.

[Russ Filtz]

Thanks, I'll probably just use the UF up in the attic, terminate in a pull box, then drop individual conductors down a conduit into the garage space.

Only powering the TS right now with 220, so 30A should be plenty. The third wire is a "bare" ground wire, not neutral, encased in the sheathing.

[Jim O'Dell]

Russ, I used UF when I wired my shop because I got a great deal on it. The HD closest to me was moving and I got a partial roll (200+ feet) of 10/3 w/gnd at 75% off regular price. Also found some rolls of 12/2 w/gnd at Lowes at about half off. But Jim B. is right. Tough to work with. Not so much pulling it, unless it's really cold, but cutting and stripping the ends was a battle! Jim.

[Mike Seals]

Posted late last night, didn't catch the bare ground. You can use it, but be warned, any inspector will fail the wire. The bare grounds are for safety grounds not neutrals. It will work, but you'll have no safety ground. Houses ran for years without the safety grounds and most houses built prior to the 70's have no provisions for the safety ground.

For some ones future good, get some red and white phasing tape and cover the bare ground on boths ends with the white tape and the white (hot) with the red tape. Nothing more disturbing than to look in a box and see a white wire landed on a breaker.

If it were me, and since it's a new garage, I would bite the bullet and get some 10-3 with ground and do it the correct way. This way you'll have the safety ground in place for any future power requirements and a little added sense of security knowing that it done right. Plus if you ever decide to sell the house, you won't have to repull for the new owners. No telling where copper prices will be by then, but you can bet they are going to be higher than today.

[Art Mann]

You don't need a neutral with 240V outlets. I don't know of any tools, or appliances for that matter, that require it or have a place to connect it. The two power wires and safety ground are all you need. The one exception I can think of is where you are plugging in a generator to your service panel. You would also need it if you were wiring in a subpanel, but I can't think of a reason why anyone would install a 30A subpanel.

[Mike Seals]

Your right Art, I was thinking he was feeding his garage with the 220 as a sub panel, my mistake. If all he wants is a 220 outlet then three wires is all he needs.

But then we get into this shady area of what is ground and what is neutral. I've seen plenty of instances where a 220 volt appliance will have a 120 volt relay, timer or motor. Do we then say that ground is now a neutral. Of course not, but that is why I was talking safety grounds and neutrals. It's a matter of semantics. And for some reason I got it in my head that he was feeding the garage for a small sub panel and was going to feed other devices.

Oh well, size ten doesn't taste too bad with fresh coffee.

[Russ Filtz]

Mike, Art's right - I'm just pulling a single outlet for my TS. The bare will be used as a "true" ground, not a neutral! Thanks all.