WELDING CABLE CODE CHANGE REQUEST [RE-wrenches]

Mon Sep 2 12:56:28 PDT 2002

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Hi Wrenches,

It is getting close to time to send the request to the NEC to allow listed 
welding cable for battery connections.

An earlier posting on the subject, which I am just now getting around to 
answering, makes it seem like it isn't necessary to get permission to use 
cable such as Super Excelene Welding Cable.  It is UL listed as chemical, 
grease and acid resistant and suitable of 600 volts and 90 degrees C.  It 
has a weather, ozone and sunlight resistant jacket.  It is abrasion resistant.

It would appear that an inspector should accept it, as it is clearly an 
excellent choice technically.  It should be acceptable as stated in Bill's 
post below.

>Drake,
>
>If Super Excelene is listed for the environments you say it is, then use it.
>Make sure you have a copy of listing information on hand if the inspector
>asks for it. No need for an exception in the code.
>
>Bill.

But there is a problem with the wording in the NEC Handbook. The difficulty 
is that the NEC Handbook specifically bans the use of welding cable in its 
comments.  Please see the quote below.

"690.74 Battery Interconnections.
........ Welding and "battery" cables are not allowed or described in the 
NEC for this use. ...... "

We therefore still do need to get the wording changed, if inspectors are to 
allow this excellent material.

For those who haven't voiced their desire to allow the use of Listed 
welding cable, you can down load the form at:

http://eagle-access.net/solar/

Go to the bottom of the page to "Welding Cable Petition" and click where it 
says "click here."  Print the form, fill out the top, sign the bottom, and 
mail it to me at:

Electrical Energy
3138 Lyle Ct.
Denver, CO 80211-3886

If you have any problems (or questions), please e-mail (or call) me, and I 
will snail mail you a form.  My phone number is:

303-477-4739

Thanks,

Drake

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Electrical Energy [mailto:solar at eagle-access.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 9:17 AM
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: RE: Hypalon Cable [RE-wrenches]
>
>
>Hi Bill,
>
>At 11:12 AM 7/22/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> >Here is a testimonial I just received from a colleague on welding cable:
> >
> >"When I was installing new batteries in my system
> >a few months ago, I found a 1-foot piece of unlisted Excellene
> >welding cable that had the insulation cracked all the way through in
> >numerous places
>
>Can you produce the cable?
>
>I am quite sure that nothing in the battery environment did that to the
>cable.  I personally soaked a piece to Excelene in battery acid for 5
>months, and there was no sign of degradation.  The information is
>documented in Home Power #80, "Welding Cable Acid Test."    Check out the
>data in the article, on my web site  http://eagle-access.net/solar/
>
>A major myth about welding cable is that since it usually doesn't have a UL
>mark on the sheath, it is not UL listed.  Listed welding cable is not
>required to have a mark on the sheath.  The mark is on a tag on the reel,
>or a marking on the carton it comes in.
>
>Excelene has several varieties of UL Listed welding cable.  Super Excelene
>Welding Cable is UL listed as chemical, grease and acid resistant and
>suitable of 600 volts and 90 degrees C.  It has a weather, ozone and
>sunlight resistant jacket.  It is abrasion resistant.  For details on UL
>listings of welding cables, see the Wrench Realities in Home Power
>#84,  "The Great Welding Cable Debate Continues."  This article is also on
>my web site at http://eagle-access.net/solar/.
>
>Welding cable is a very appropriate material to use in battery boxes, and
>for connecting inverters and disconnects to batteries.   The only issue
>concerning it has to do with words on paper.  There is no technical reason
>not to use is.
>
>It is widely sold and used for this purpose to this day.  Problems began
>when a well known employee of Sandia Labs, a Lockheed - Martin operation,
>decided to make an issue about welding cable.   Maybe we should ask, "why
>is the nuclear industry writing the solar code, and how sympathetic is this
>industry to the success of PV?"
>
>Drake
>
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