National Electrical Code Top Ten Tips: Article 402, Fixture Wires

Please note, we do quote from copyrighted material. While the NFPA does allow such quotes, it does so only for the purposes of education regarding the National Electrical Code. This article is not a substitute for the NEC.

These are the 10 NEC Article 402 items we deem most important, based on the pervasiveness of confusion and the potential costs of same.

Don’t dismiss flexible cords and fixture wires as not deserving your attention. There's a reason why the NEC covers them in two separate articles. Flexible cord requirements are in Article 400 and fixture wire requirements are in Article 402.
The NEC does not consider these "a wiring method." You cannot use fixture wires where Chapter 3 wiring methods are required.
Just as Article 400 provides a large table listing flexible cords, so it provides Table 402.3 to list fixture wire requirements.
If you need to know the ampacity requirements for fixture wires, look no further than Table 402.5.
The smallest fixture wire you can use is 18AWG. Anything smaller is a Code violation.
You must size your raceways so they allow you to install and remove fixture wires without damaging the insulation.
Observe the fill percentage of Table 1, Chapter 9. See [300.17] for additional details. If all conductors in a raceway are the same size and insulation, refer to Annex C for the maximum quantity per raceway type.
If you read [402.10] and [402.11], you'll see that you can use fixture wires to connect luminaires. Don't read into this any more than it says. You cannot use fixture wires as branch circuit conductors.
In addition to using fixture wires for luminaires, you can use fixture wires for Class 1 control and power-limited circuits [725.27(B)], nonpower limited fire alarm circuits [760.27(B)], and elevators and escalators [620.11(C)].
You will find the requirements for using fixture wires for motor control circuit taps in [430.72(A)].

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National Electrical Code Top Ten Tips: Article 402, Fixture Wires