Electrical Dilemmas (Remodel)

[Michael Roback]

I have two electrical dilemmas going.

First, I am running a over cabinet whip in one location where there is a beam. I don't want to drill up and through the beam to get the whip out. The easiest thing to do is notch the front of the beam 1/2" and then bend the romex to bring the whip straight out of the wall. Problem is, the configuration of the beam does not allow me to put on a dottie plate. I don't suppose that bending the romex will be a problem, even though I know you aren't supposed to bend it alot. But I am concerned about the dottie plate.

Secondly, I am doing some last minute electrical corrections before tile. I had to change some other cabinet lighting whips. I ran everything, but I cannot get inside the small cutouts to put a romex staple 14" from the box on either whip. The whip is connected to a box on top of the cabinet and well as under the cabinet (wired receptacles) as well as to the splice box. Can I get away without anchoring the romex to a stud?

[Toller]

What is a dottie plate?

I took a piece of #14 romex and bent it back and forth about 50 times. When I cut it open the wires were fine. It is amazingly durable stuff.

[Childfree Scott]

You could try using stranded wire instead.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Childfree Scott :

Not unless it's in conduit. Hint: you can't get stranded romex cable. Using lamp or extension cord is a no-no.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Michael Roback :

If the beam is exposed and isn't going to be covered with anything, you really don't need a metal nail shield (I assume that's what you mean by "dottie plate"). You _may_ need to protect the wire itself whilest its outside of the wall (if it's deemed as "subject to physical damage"), but you don't need a nail guard.

Do you really need to go through the beam? Notching bottom edges of beams is a bad idea. Why not come through the wall a bit lower? If it's going directly into a permanent cabinet, you really don't need to protect the romex at all.

Yes. There's a general exception for fishing cable not requiring it to meet the "cable clamp every 5', within 12" of boxes" rule (within reason). An inspector is unlikely to balk at something like this once you explain how you got to this situation as long as the rest of the job is done right.