# Extension cords and zip wire



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I've seen an entire detached garage/workshop wired with old extension cord pieces. Panel and the whole nine yards. That's about the most extreme I've seen with my own two eyes. You catch the odd piece here and there in lots of older houses. There must have been a plumber in my area about 40 or 50 years ago that installed a lot of sump pump receptacles with rubber cord. I see that installation quite frequently. The wackiest zip cord install I think I've seen was some alarm guys who pulled zip cord into underground conduits for a series of post indicator valve tamper switches for fire pump valves at a big factory. Nothing critical about that circuit, might as well use junk wire, huh?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

We have alot of different types here, and some are from various places in the far east where they use zip cord extensively. I rip lots of that out. Also I get to demo lots of Japanese "romex" cable. It has Kanji writing on the sheath. Some of these guys like to install outlets without bothering to use a box, they just cut a hole in the drywall and use screw anchors to fix the ears of the receptacle to the drywall then screw on a plate. Homeowners could not even begin to compete with some of the stuff foreign "electricians" do around my town. But please don't take me wrong, I'm not zenophobic. It's part of the alure of living here, all types from all over.


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## jwhite (Jan 16, 2007)

how about cat e.

my wife and I just looked at a home that we were thinking of buying.

A light fixture in a room that was built into the garage was mounted in the ceiling and plugged into a ceiling outlet. Cat 5 was run from the rec box down to a switch, in order to switch the hot. It was twisted into two sets of four strands.

the home inspector walked right by it. I had to point it out so he could write it down.


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## jwhite (Jan 16, 2007)

i forgot to mention that the switch was not in a box. it was screwed to the stud with two screws through the washer holes on the side of switch oposite the wire terminal screws.


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