I have a mid-circuit recepticle box. Most of the wiring I've seen has the tap for the recepticle in the recepticle box itself. I was wondering if it's OK practice to make the tap in an accesible junction box about 18 feet away from the recepticle box? This way I'd only have to run 2 wires instead of 4 from the junction box to the recepticle box. I don't see my 2002 NEC addressing this.
(More detail here if you need it: All concrete house. All wiring is in IMC with the conduit itself acting as ground. The branch circuits are run in exposed conduit along a concrete ceiling. To get to wall boxes the conduit branches off, penetrates the concrete block wall, and drops down (concealed) thru the cores until it connects to the outlet and switch boxes embedded in the wall. The recepticle box I refer to is one of these. The junction box I refer to is on the ceiling.)
One disadvantage I can see to it this is: to anyone servicing the outlet, it might look like an end-of-circuit, rather than mid-ciruit outlet.
I'm not splitting hairs. There are many outlets to which I have to apply this decision.
What I describe about the tap might be allowed, but is it good practice?
--wahzoo
(PS. Unrelated, but I've yet to decide whether install a grounding wire. I understand it's redundant in my situation, but safer.)