I'm curious about what could happen if I were to directly bury NM wire. Is that a safe option, or should I consider alternatives like using conduit or different types of wire for underground installation?
2 Answers
Honestly, if you're already digging, why not just throw the wire in conduit? It's super cheap and significantly safer than leaving live wires exposed underground. Even if you're not digging to code depth, conduit is way better than just burying NM wire. It's just not a good idea to have 110v wires in the dirt like that!
Burying NM wire directly is actually a code violation, and it can lead to some serious issues. The wire's sheath can degrade over time due to factors like soil settling and even plant roots or burrowing animals damaging it. Instead, you might want to consider using UF wire or running THWN in conduit for much better protection.
Right? It baffles me that someone would risk that.