Is this legal?

[JAG]

My friend had an electrician come to his house to repair a light set on a post in his front yard.

The light is set up on a brick post. The electrician ran white romex from where it comes out of the front of his house (behind some bushes) along the corner of the garden (buried under the dirt) and up the side of this brick post into the bottom of the lamp.

He lives in Nassau County, Long Island, NY. Is anyone familiar with electrical code there? Besides it looking crappy to have this white wire running along an otherwise nice-looking garden, it seems to be a potential hazard when the gardener comes and cuts this wire with his tools, lawnmower, etc.

Assuming this is not legal, how should it have been done?

[Art Begun]

Sure it isn't low voltage?

romex

bushes)

[Stormin Mormonn]

White romex decays when exposed to sunlight. Oughta been grey UF.

[Steve]

Did he pay this electrician or was it done as a favor?? And if he paid him, how much??

You get what you pay for and if you don't then Shame on the customer for excepting sloppy work.

Steve

[Art Begun]

Give me a break. An electrician is supposed to be a licensed professional. If the customer cannot afford to get the job done right the electrician should refuse to do the job.

[Wade Lippman]

[Doug Miller]

Unless it's a low-voltage installation...

At least one violation of the National Electrical Code here: the cable must be protected from physical damage by conduit, wherever it's exposed above ground (and, IIRC, for at least 12" below the surface too).

There may be another NEC violation, too. NEC does not permit standard romex cable for underground use. Type UF cable is required for direct burial. Since UF and romex look somewhat similar, it's possible that the guy actually used UF. Look at the cable sheath to know for sure. It's marked on there somewhere. Type NM, NMB, NMC, etc are "romex". If it's Type UF, it will be marked as such.

Absolutely that's a hazard. It's definitely a violation of the NEC. Whether it violates local code or not, I can't say. Talk to your local electrical inspector.

Type UF cable, protected by conduit at both ends wherever it's above ground or less than 12" below the surface.

-- Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

[JAG]

Definitely not low voltage. It connects to a timer switch inside the house and uses a regular 120 volt light bulb.

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Hey Art , they have a word for this in the world and it's call a hack. They don't care a long as they get paid. There is Licenced Hacks and Licenced Professionals. You talking about a professional and he got a Hack.

TURTLE

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

Stormy , If it was UF cable would it be alright to run on top of the ground and side walk?

TURTLE