How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify? Here's your chance to moonlight as an electrical inspector and second-guess someone else's work from the safety of your living room or office. It's your turn to identify the violation.
Hint: Bad bonding decision
Find the Answer
The bonding conductor for this building’s communications circuit was incorrectly attached to a foot-lug, which was then secured to a cover screw on this metal junction box. Although 800.100 does require bonding between the power system and the communication system, it does not permit this type of connection.
Section 800.100(B)(2) provides seven options for establishing this bonding/grounding connection in a building with a grounding means, but without an intersystem bonding termination. These options include attaching this bonding conductor to:
• the building’s grounding electrode system, or
• the first 5 ft of the grounded interior metal water piping system, or
• external connections to power service enclosures, or
• non-flexible metal service raceways, or
• the grounding electrode conductor or its metal enclosure.
Any bonding device terminal installed shall not interfere with opening an enclosure, nor shall it be mounted on a door or cover. This junction box may be grounded but is not part of the service equipment. It contains only branch circuit conductors. Ironically, the power service equipment was located in the same room as the communication service just a little further down the wall from this junction box. But the installer decided to take a shortcut, which led to this Code violation.