What wire to use instead of Romex

Because of HOA rules/regs, I cannot use Romex. Wires in the garage must be inside conduit.

That also may be the AHJ (Authority having Jurisdiction) electrical code in your area as well. In Chicago IL only EMT conduit is allowed in residential housing. MC or AC/BX, nor flexible metal conduit is allowed. Going from memory in NY City, NY Romex is not allowed.

You need to contact the Electrical Contractor you will be using. He will know what you can use. Also have a copy of the HOA requirement for him to read.

As for using EMT conduit I would suggest you ask the Electrician to twist the Hot and Neutral conductors together before pulling them in the conduit. Pull the EGC, (Equipment Grounding Conductor) along side the twisted pair when installing the branch circuit wiring in the EMT conduit. The EGC could be #12awg green insulated solid copper wire if you use #10awg copper wire.(FWIW, the electrician may tell you you don’t need an EGC insulated conductor in the conduit. Per NEC the EMT conduit is an approved EGC. It’s your call... I would have him install the EGC insulated conductor anyway.  

 

Solid core wire only for the Hot and neutral conductors. Tell the electrician you want solid wire not stranded. He is going to resist the suggestion. Hold firm.

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The run from the main panel in the garage to my living room above is relatively short - maybe 25 or 30 feet.

Did you guesstimate Up, over, across, and down?  

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Some reading material for you:

An Overview of Audio System Grounding & Interfacing

 Read page 16, and pages 31 thru 36.

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Integrating Electronic Equipment and Power

Read pages 11, 12, &13. 

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10 AWG Solid Core Copper w/Insulated Stranded Ground.

MC cable is not made that way. All solid conductors or all stranded conductors. 

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Twist the hot and neutral together before pulling the wires and run the ground along side.

Nothing in the NEC code says he can’t twist the Hot and neutral single conductors together before pulling them in the conduit. If the electrician says NEC does not allow it get him to tell you the Article and section... Now the AHJ, has the final say though.

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Romex is perfectly acceptable too as far as code is concerned, but not a good idea to put inside conduit.

NEC code doesn’t prohibit pulling NM sheathed cable, (Romex trade name) in EMT conduit.

For #10-2  Romex in the garage area the electrician would use 3/4" EMT conduit.  

EMT conduit

Example, #10awg THHN/THWN solid copper wire   

  

I’ll just shrug my shoulders and smile when he shakes his head and/or rolls his eyes.

Who is paying who for doing the Job? 

What he should be thinking. If you got the money, I got the time...

What are you going to say if he tells you #12awg wire is used for a 20 amp circuit? Not #10 wire. Solid #10 ??? Stranded is all you need. 

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Did you take the time to look these over?

Some reading material for you:

An Overview of Audio System Grounding & Interfacing

 Read page 16, and pages 31 thru 36.

 Just go to page 31, 32, 33, & page 35. Note, page 35 in the chart shown, the hot and neutral conductors twisted together tested the best, followed by MC cable.  

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Integrating Electronic Equipment and Power

Why use MC cable over Romex? 

Why twisted twisted pair is better than MC.

Read pages 11, 12, &13. 

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FWIW, NEC code is bare minimum electrical safety standards. NEC could care less how your audio system sounds. 

Is the electrical wiring installation electrically safe? Code is satisfied.

 

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A. Use the pre-made steel-clad with all three solid-core wires twisted

 If the HOA will allow it in the garage. Continuous unbroken run from the Electrical panel to the wall outlet.

Problem? I’m not sure where the Electrician will buy the steel armored MC cable. Maybe at an electrical wholesale house??? He may have to buy a 250ft roll, $$$

My guess is the electrician will say he can only get the aluminum armored MC cable.   

 Example  

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Southwire, 10-2 MC aluminum armored cable Website.

Quote:

 " THHN/THWN conductors rated 90°C dry available in sizes 14 AWG through 2 AWG, and a green insulated grounding conductor. The conductors are cabled together and a binder tape bearing the print legend is wrapped around the assembly. Aluminum interlocking armor is applied over the assembly."

End of quote.

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Go to page 12

Metal Clad (MC) is manufactured in both steel and aluminum with twisted conductors that help reduce AC magnetic fields. Although the steel jacket helps reduce AC magnetic fields, the twisting of conductors has the greatest effect on reducing these fields.

Another benefit is the constant symmetry of the phase conductors with respect to the grounding conductor which greatly reduces voltage induction on the grounding wire.

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Make sure he doesn’t buy AC/BX cable! You don’t want that stuff to feed you audio equipment!

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FYI, though Anti Short bushings are not required by NEC code for MC cable, I highly recommend you tell the electrician you want them installed anyway. If he says you don’t need them. Tell him, you want them anyway. They are cheap and it will take the electrician about 15 seconds to install one. 

Example:

Pretty simple to install.