Metal-Clad (MC) Cable is used every day in the electrical industry. The true conduit benders hate it. The value engineering people love it. MC Cable is really a great product, has a wide variety of uses, and can be installed to look good. Let’s take a closer look at this industry workhorse: Metal-Clad Cable.
MC Cable Definition
MC Cable, by most common definition, is a factory assembly of one or more insulated circuit conductors enclosed in an armor of interlocking metal tape or a smooth or corrugated metal sheath. The smaller cables should be unsheathed by using an armored cutter like the famous “Roto-Split”. The fittings must be listed and identified for use. If the manufacturer provides anti-short bushings, they can be used. The bushings are not an NEC requirement since the listed MC connectors provide the conductor protection from sharp edges.
New for the 2017 NEC Code-cycle is section 330.15, entitled “Metal-Clad Cable: Type MC Exposed Work.” This new Code section requires an exposed run of MC Cable to closely follow the surface to which it is mounted while enjoying a new permission that allows the MC cable to be installed on the underside of floor joists.
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