TL;DR
Armored cable is factory-assembled wiring in which insulated conductors run inside a flexible spiral of interlocked steel or aluminum, the assembly known as Type AC and by the old trade name BX. The metal jacket physically shields the conductors and, with its internal bonding strip, serves as the equipment grounding path, which distinguishes it from MC cable, whose armor needs a separate grounding conductor inside.
What it means
Armored cable is factory-assembled wiring in which insulated conductors run inside a flexible spiral of interlocked steel or aluminum, the assembly known as Type AC and by the old trade name BX. The metal jacket physically shields the conductors and, with its internal bonding strip, serves as the equipment grounding path, which distinguishes it from MC cable, whose armor needs a separate grounding conductor inside. NEC Article 320 governs its use; supports are required every 4.5 feet and within 12 inches of boxes, and anti-short bushings protect the wires at every cut end. It is common in older urban housing stock and in exposed runs needing protection.
Where it sits in the glossary
Armored cable is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
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See also
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