The National Electrical Code (NEC) sets the gold standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. Understanding and abiding by its guidelines could mean the difference between coming home safe at the end of the day or not coming home at all. Because the Code is so important to electrical professionals, EC&M readers continually rank the NEC as their top area of interest.
For the past 12 months, NEC Consultant Russ LeBlanc has been taking readers into the field with him in our exclusive “Moving Violations" video series. Anyone who watches these videos has undoubtedly been left wondering what the heck the installer was (or wasn't) thinking. However, the past year’s coverage features some situations that are worse than others.
EC&M editors have picked the following five clips as the most memorable of 2016. Watch what not to do, and receive a brief lesson on each specific NEC violation and solution.
Hidden Treasure
In this episode, Russ shows us how someone installed this not-so-flexible metal conduit right on top of a metal junction box. This violates requirements outlined in Art. 314 of the 2014 NEC.
Not All Surprises are Good
Here, Russ is surprised to find these exposed bus bars in a panelboard where you typically find circuit breakers. This is a clear violation of Sec. 408.7 of the 2014 NEC.
Wild and Clip Free
Russ finds a violation of the support requirements for EMT. He shows us a 25-ft horizontal run of pipe without a single support. The installation is a clear violation of the requirements set forth in Sec. 358.30 of the 2014 NEC.
Lack of Support
In this episode, Russ discovers a non-supported box hanging in the middle of a rat’s nest of metal clad (MC) cables. This is a violation of Sec. 314.23 of the 2014 NEC.
Red Alert
This violation has Russ seeing red when he finds a circuit breaker that’s protecting a fire alarm branch circuit. Although the breaker is clearly red in color, its markings don’t quite meet the requirements set forth in Sec. 760.121(B) of the 2014 NEC.
