# Tray Cable EGC



## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Tray cable is pretty versatile stuff, article 336 lets you use it without the tray. I was thinking about using some 9-conductor #14 tray cable for an install I have coming up. It would be a lot nicer than dealing with multiple cables. 

However it looks like you can only get three wire + ground or four wire + ground, the higher count cables don't have a green wire, I guess because everyone uses the tray as the EGC. 

It seems like this will rule out my nice neat and simple TC run since I can't re-identify a #14 wire as EGC ... is there any way around this that I am missing?


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

splatz said:


> Tray cable is pretty versatile stuff, article 336 lets you use it without the tray. I was thinking about using some 9-conductor #14 tray cable for an install I have coming up. It would be a lot nicer than dealing with multiple cables.
> 
> However it looks like you can only get three wire + ground or four wire + ground, the higher count cables don't have a green wire, I guess because everyone uses the tray as the EGC.
> 
> It seems like this will rule out my nice neat and simple TC run since I can't re-identify a #14 wire as EGC ... is there any way around this that I am missing?


Well I’m definitely in the weeds as a hack because I’ve definitely phase taped a conductor in tray cable as a ground. I used #14-12 several times as control cable in r-mix plants, but sometimes in conduit as it was way faster to pull one cable rather than 12 individual wires.
My work was “maintenance” so it wasn’t inspected, just a “does it work now” inspection.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

460 Delta said:


> Well I’m definitely in the weeds as a hack because I’ve definitely phase taped a conductor in tray cable as a ground.


It's hard to get excited about that kind of thing you know is safe and can't see how it could make any trouble in 100 years.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

splatz said:


> Tray cable is pretty versatile stuff, article 336 lets you use it without the tray. I was thinking about using some 9-conductor #14 tray cable for an install I have coming up. It would be a lot nicer than dealing with multiple cables.
> 
> However it looks like you can only get three wire + ground or four wire + ground, the higher count cables don't have a green wire, I guess because everyone uses the tray as the EGC.
> 
> It seems like this will rule out my nice neat and simple TC run since I can't re-identify a #14 wire as EGC ... is there any way around this that I am missing?


It should be out there. Google "tray cable ICEA Method 1, Table E1"
Quick look, seems Reynolds has it, I'm sure others as well.

ICEA Method 1, Table E2 , is the one without Green.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

emtnut said:


> It should be out there. Google "tray cable ICEA Method 1, Table E1"
> Quick look, seems Reynolds has it, I'm sure others as well.
> 
> ICEA Method 1, Table E2 , is the one without Green.


That does turn up some hits - thanks!


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Oops , looks like the Reynolds with green is max 2 pairs 

Hopefully Google finds something else for you


_edit*_ This looks promising ... https://www.okonite.com/media/catalog/product/files/4-20.pdf


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I found this one, they show two cross references on there - omni and general - I can probably get the general from a local distrib 






14/9 FREP Non-Shielded Tray Cable - 600V - E-1 - Black - Cut to Length - AF161409


14 AWG 9 Conductor - Non-Shielded - FREP Control Tray Cable - CPE Jacket 90C UL Type TC-ER - FR-EPR XHHW-2 Insulated Conductors - 600V E1 Wiring - Black - Cut to Length



www.onestopbuy.com


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

BTW, it looks like conductor #9 will be green with a black stripe, but I think you can re-identify anything but white, grey, green, and green with a yellow stripe. 👍


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

splatz said:


> BTW, it looks like conductor #9 will be green with a black stripe, but I think you can re-identify anything but white, grey, green, and green with a yellow stripe. 👍
> 
> 
> View attachment 154462


Just be sure to land the wire with the stripe in the back towards the panel 😉.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Teck cable comes with a bare EGC. Just sayin'.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

It sounds like this would fit your requirements, looks like they offer 3-25 conductor cables:

Flexible Multi-conductor Control Cable: 14 AWG, cut to length (PN# V60135-1) | AutomationDirect

We've had good luck ordering from AD in the past.


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## MotoGP1199 (Aug 11, 2014)

Cow said:


> It sounds like this would fit your requirements, looks like they offer 3-25 conductor cables:
> 
> Flexible Multi-conductor Control Cable: 14 AWG, cut to length (PN# V60135-1) | AutomationDirect
> 
> We've had good luck ordering from AD in the past.


Thats good cable. I've ordered from AD before, the stuff I got was all southwire, the cut to length was on a nice plastic reel and arrived in 2-3 days with free shipping.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

splatz said:


> Tray cable is pretty versatile stuff, article 336 lets you use it without the tray. I was thinking about using some 9-conductor #14 tray cable for an install I have coming up. It would be a lot nicer than dealing with multiple cables.
> 
> However it looks like you can only get three wire + ground or four wire + ground, the higher count cables don't have a green wire, I guess because everyone uses the tray as the EGC.
> 
> It seems like this will rule out my nice neat and simple TC run since I can't re-identify a #14 wire as EGC ... is there any way around this that I am missing?


We ordered 1000s of feet of multiple wire in flexible metal conduit.
It was for a lock job.
It coincidently had the exact colors and the 7 conductors needed to run for a residential Generac air cooled unit.
I have 10 spools of it, some full, some with just 50' or 100' on it. If I hear of a contractor friend of mine landing a Generac air cooled job, Ill make sure they get a spool of it.
Some of it is direct bury Tech cable-looking stuff with a jacket on it. The hard part is finding the fittings for it.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

splatz said:


> BTW, it looks like conductor #9 will be green with a black stripe, but I think you can re-identify anything but white, grey, green, and green with a yellow stripe.
> 
> 
> View attachment 154462


Why not just use conductor #4?

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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Forge Boyz said:


> Why not just use conductor #4?


Oh yes I'll use that for the EGC, I meant I can use green with a black stripe as a hot.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

splatz said:


> Oh yes I'll use that for the EGC, I meant I can use green with a black stripe as a hot.


Ah! Yes. Of course.  brain cramp there.

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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Cow said:


> It sounds like this would fit your requirements, looks like they offer 3-25 conductor cables:
> 
> Flexible Multi-conductor Control Cable: 14 AWG, cut to length (PN# V60135-1) | AutomationDirect
> 
> We've had good luck ordering from AD in the past.





MotoGP1199 said:


> Thats good cable. I've ordered from AD before, the stuff I got was all southwire, the cut to length was on a nice plastic reel and arrived in 2-3 days with free shipping.


That looks good, I think I have seen this stuff before. There's one green-yellow in there, right? 

Edit: Yep, this stuff was used for one of the component assemblies in the machinery. It has one green-yellow ground. It should work nicely!


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

We use tons of the grey flex WTTC these days, but to be honest we've been doing installs with regular TC for years and no one ever said boo about green tape or green shrink on like an orange wire or something.


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