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. Can you identify the specific Code violation(s) in this photo? Note: Submitted comments must include specific references from the 2014 NEC.
Hint: Flamingos would be jealous.
Tell Them What They Have Won...
Using the 2014 NEC, correctly identify the Code violation(s) in this month’s photo — in 200 words or less — and you could win an Arlington Industries TVL508 Low Profile TV BOX™. E-mail your response, including your name and mailing address, to [email protected], and Russ will select three winners (excluding manufacturers and prior winners) at random from the correct submissions. Note that submissions without an address will not be eligible to win.
JANUARY WINNERS
Our winners this month were: Richard Anderson, a journeyman electrician (Level 1) with RK Mechanical Service in Arvada, Colo. ; Jamie Bobnick, a project manager for Pleasant Valley Electric, Inc., in Ithaca, N.Y.; and Tad San Nicolas, a senior estimator for Gould Electric, Inc., in Wildomar, Calif. All three correctly identified the problems with this residential lighting installation.
Section 250.24(A)(5) does not permit a grounded neutral conductor to be connected to non-current-carrying metal equipment parts or to equipment grounding conductors on the load side of the service disconnecting means, as was done at this location. Splicing the neutral to the equipment ground in this manner could also create objectionable current flow on the equipment ground, which would be a violation of 250.6(A). Another problem is the equipment ground wire is not properly attached to the fixture mounting bar. It is loosely wrapped around an 8/32 fixture mounting screw. This violates the rules of 410.42, which requires exposed metal luminaire parts to be connected to an equipment grounding conductor or insulated from the equipment ground and other conductive surfaces or be accessible to qualified individuals only. This loose bonding connection would also not be classified as a low-impedance ground fault current path, as required by 250.4(A)(5).
