Romex wire running through the same hole as plumbing vent?

Question

Hello guys. I haven't been here lately since I'm spending all my time fixing the house I just bought. So I'm doing the bathroom wiring today and I came upon a few things that surprised me wiring wise. I'll try to add pictures if the app lets me.

1. Some of the old bathroom wiring was run parallel to the bathroom vent. It's new Romex not BX cable so I want to leave it, but... Is this acceptable code wise? The wire is touching the metal plumbing in some places along the run.

2. The same wiring looks to be fished through behind the galvanized vent pipe that goes through the roof. It's touching the galvanized pipe. Is that acceptable?

Pictures below

Is this acceptable by electric code? I don't want the inspector to come out here for an inspection and give me a hard time about this. I spoke with the guy once and I don't wanna call him and ask either as to not annoy him before the inspection... So what do you think? It looks ok to me. The wires are not pinched or anything. On the other hand I'm just an investor doing the work... Your opinions are greatly appreciated!

Nicholas B. · Answer

NEC really only specifies that your electrical cable must have it's own support. It can't be in contact with any sharp edges, but there's nothing prohibiting it from touching a pipe.

Nothing in your pictures looks unsafe or problematic. It's actually quite common. The cable is supported by the romex staples, so I'd say you're good.

Matt R. · Answer

Disclaimer: I am not a professional electrician.

Having thicker wire on a lower-capacity breaker - like 12 gauge on a 15 A breaker - is actually OK.  Sometimes this happens when all you have with you is a spool of 12 gauge and you don't want to go to the store for some 14 gauge.

If you get really crazy with it, like running 8 or 10 gauge wire for a 15 A circuit, you might find that the wire doesn't want to fit under the terminal screws on the outlets or switches on the circuit.  But using 12 gauge instead of 14 gauge is fine.

Somewhat related: in some cities, the local code calls for 20 A breakers and 12 gauge minimum wire, even on single-family homes.  In that case, you need to use at least 12 everywhere.  I bought a house in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was like this - I wondered why most of the breakers were 20 A until I looked up the city code.

Loren Thomas · Answer

There's no code violation running through the same hole as plumbing. There's a matter of craftsmanship, but that's subject to opinion I suppose. When this happens it's good to wrap the plumbing with electrical tape to insulate it, but not required... not that your situation would allow it anyways.

Doing your own electrical in a bathroom is pretty easy, anyone can do it. We live in the information age, anyone with self education skills and an internet connection can move mountains.

PS, Hit me up if you have specific electrical questions.

Dustin Strahle · Answer

Touching the pipe is perfectly ok. running through the same hole is iffy, I dont think there is a specific code on that (never had to look that one up) but would depend on the inspector himself.   Take a drill with a spade bit and drill a few holes over lapping one another, kinda make a channel for the wire to move over into.  Simple 5 min fix that will safe a potential setback.

Account Closed · Answer

@Jake Recz  One of my favorite sayings is: "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing "

Picture this:  You sell or rent this house to someone.  There is an electrical fire and someone dies. There is an investigation and they find this:

"That was my first wiring project in my life. Before this all I knew was that the black wire is hot... I'm pretty proud of myself :)"

Even if there is no fire or death, would you buy or rent a house where the electrical work was done by a person with no previous electrical experience or license?  Would you want your family to live there?  I sure wouldn't.

So while I applaud your initiative and hard work I caution you to consider your buyer's or tenant's safety when performing repairs.

Don Meinke · Answer

Here is what I see in your pics.  You have the wall open,you have great access to what you can see.  Do it right the first time and save yourself a ton of headache and future problems.  Take ALL of that metal pipe out of there now.  There are two kinds of metal pipe,,,,those that leak,,,and those that are going to leak,,,including vent stacks. It plugs up 10 times as fast as PVC also.

Even IF you have to make access to MORE of it.  I always start at least on the basement floor and build my plumbing tree on up from there.  Last one I did was for my son at his house.  Was remodeling his bathrooms and where his sink drains joined the cast iron stack were rusted completely closed  (which was most prevalent with this galvanized pipe where it entered the cast stack).  Also the galvanized horizontal pipes are now rusted and gunked up 75 to 90% from old age.

Anyway it was a tricky tree as I was building it for my son.  Had a sink drain and a laundry drain down low and 2 stools a shower and 2 bath sinks tied in all at the same level at 1rst floor level.  Took vent out all the way up and out roof.  Included a few clean outs it didnt have before.  Up sized the laundry drain for modern washers. (2" now,,,old spec was 1 1/2" or some were even 1 1/4") Whole project didnt cost much.  I told son down side is its going to be a touch noisier than his old cast,,but upside should be no clogging nor spouting a leak or three.  Old pipe had some seeps which is NOT a good sign of whats to come,,,and if anything happened AFTER the walls were back in, would be 'not good' AND real expensive.

I started out NOT replacing this as I could easily have and now regret it,,,do it right!!!

JT Spangler · Answer

There's nothing wrong with this, by code. It's common in commercial and industrial spaces, in fact, to use the copper supply plumbing as part of your ground grid.

That said, inspectors often have their own ideas about what they want to see, so don't be surprised if you get one who wants things run somewhere different.

Marc M. · Answer

I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that's not up to code. I can just envision a municipality preventing electrical from touching any conductive materials in the event the insulation gets chaffed and whatever it's touching becomes energized. Probably wouldn't ever be an issue but I could see it being forbidden. The NEC would be a good starting point.

Steve Babiak · Answer

Agree that lighter gauge is easier to work with. There will be times when a 15A circuit is required to be wired with 12ga wire, due to the length of the wiring run and the voltage drop that would occur if 14ga were used.

Romex wire running through the same hole as plumbing vent?

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