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:thumb: designers love plyable metals LOL

Plenum actually has little to do with Plenum rated anymore......I am fighting the same battle now. Wide open space, and the fire marshall is telling the customer they need plenum...I will never figure these guys out. 5000 sq feet of OSB in the place and they are worried about a few PVC cables.....

Help me out here. I always thought that if a space had duct work (inclosed ventilation) that you didn't need to run plenum. If the space was open(No duct work)and the air in the open space was used as return air then you had to use plenum wire.

Am I right or wrong?

You are correct but you also have to remember that there are often other codes that come into play besides the NEC that affect the installaton of wiring. Cities, towns and states are also free to ammend the NEC with their own requirements. Most now have adopted the National Building Code (BOCA) which is where the draft stopping of holes (won't call it fire stopping) comes from.

There is also a movement to minimize the amount of toxic smoke producing materials used in construction and some jurisdictions prohibit the use of plastics like PVC. I think that is what Z Man is seeing. I know a city I work in will not allow the use of plastic pipe since a deadly hotel fire years ago.

-Hal