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Running cables through boxes

MHRestorations
My colleague asked me to ask this question as we almost came to blows over it... he was apparently taught you can't run a cable THROUGH a box it doesn't terminate in... (imagine a row of sockets on an RFC... his method would have you cutting the cables at each box and jointing them?)  I... failed to see the logic and said rude words about the person who taught him. Has anyone else ever heard of this?


The argument given was that you couldn't remove an intermediate box if there was a cable running through it, but how often does a circuit need modification, and even if it does, the person removing the box should be capable of jointing the cable, or, as there'd be remedial making good to be done, replace the severed length of cable? (we're talking buried in walls in tubing or capping, house badger style, not proper surface conduit work, where he agreed that no cutting would be necessary as you can unthread and rethread the cables)
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    I have quite routinely done tthis - actually I have put back boxes and cover plate on a wall to serve no purpose other than to reveal a route, and make a buried cable then be in a 'safe zone'. In effect the back box becomes rather  like an inspection elbow would be for conduit.


    It is very rare you need to take a box out of the middle of a run and if you do, either split the box (tin snips to slot and bend out a section from the front to the holes, then tuck the cable behind and reflatten the box)  or cut and rejoin the cable.

    But normally a box change implies some catastrophic event requiring new cables anyway.

    The bigger barrier is that the box gets too full if say there is a single socket too, but no regs related objections.


    I now await a storm of folk telling me this is wrong and why   ?
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  • 0
    I have quite routinely done tthis - actually I have put back boxes and cover plate on a wall to serve no purpose other than to reveal a route, and make a buried cable then be in a 'safe zone'. In effect the back box becomes rather  like an inspection elbow would be for conduit.


    It is very rare you need to take a box out of the middle of a run and if you do, either split the box (tin snips to slot and bend out a section from the front to the holes, then tuck the cable behind and reflatten the box)  or cut and rejoin the cable.

    But normally a box change implies some catastrophic event requiring new cables anyway.

    The bigger barrier is that the box gets too full if say there is a single socket too, but no regs related objections.


    I now await a storm of folk telling me this is wrong and why   ?
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