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Question:

electrical wiring question....?

ok...all the wires in my quot;atticare encased in this silver metal casing....when i opened a bathroom wall...the wires were also like that.....at the fuse box...they all leave like that........sooooo, can i assume all my wires are encased like that? does that make them pretty safe from rodents chewing? (yup-been watching Billy the Exterminator) why were they done like that? tx for any info....

Answer:

That casing is called greenfield mainly used in commercial wiring. It does make the wires safe no rodent eating through that stuff. Its wire like that to protect the wiring. Feel blessed it was wired like that. That type of installation is high dollar wiring. additional info Starting in the 1920's, some wiring was manufactured in flexible metal cable. This Greenfield or BX wiring proved much better than the knob and tube wiring because it shielded the wires from damage. The armored cable on Greenfield wiring lacked a grounding wire; the metal coils of the cable provided the ground.
First when houses were electrically wired, they used what was called knob and tube. Next came BX,or flexible metal tubing which is what you have. Plastic wiring or Romex is the last and most commonly used type of wiring for homes. Don't mess with the flexible metal wiring. There are certain requirements when you cut and enter the metal into a metal outlet box. One of the most important things is a red fiber bushing called a cherry and I do not think they are available any more. I have some that I keep in my antiques closet. LOL
I don't think they would all be like that. Usually just exposed wires would be encased.
hi kate in Engand we call it trunking but ime pretty sure its the same stuff, we also cal lit conguate but ime not sure the spell on that is right anyhow we have it white in the uk not sure what your question is but i can only say that its used mainly for protection against animals and more often than not...people hope ive helped danx
In the U.S. it WAS called BX and is now called MC, standing for metallic clad. (If the lines are flex-able). This stuff was used to protect from damage. This is usually used in commercial applications, but is perfectly legal (if the proper connectors were used) in residential applications. It sounds like you are doing a remodel. If so, you will need a EXPERIENCED electrician to modify the runs for you. Don't let anyone tell you it is against code. It is simply overkill.

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