What's Wrong Here?

Whats Wrong Here?

June 18, 2009

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. Joe Tedesco, who has a knack for finding shoddy electrical work, did the dirty work and found this mess. Now it's your turn to identify the violation.

Joe Tedesco

I found this section of metal wireway in the attic of a tall building during an electrical inspection. The wireway was not only missing its covers, but at some point in time someone had used this area as a trash receptacle. This would no doubt add fuel load in this space if a fire were to break out in this area. In addition, the blocks used to support the conductors are not a recognized method of installation.

Find the Answer

The rules for this type of raceway installation can be found in Art. 376. Section 376.2 defines metal wireways as "sheet metal troughs with hinged or removable covers for housing and protecting electrical wires and cable." The conductors in this type of wireway are laid in place after the complete wireway system has been installed.

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About the Author

Joe Tedesco

Tedesco served the industry in many roles during his career. He was a director, senior electrical code instructor for National Technology Transfer, Inc. and American Trainco, Inc.. He was also a codes, standards and seminar specialist for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and an electrical field service specialist for the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. He ran his own business as an NEC consultant and is a Massachusetts licensed master electrician and journeyman electrician and certified electrical inspector (one and two family 2A; General 2B, and Plan Review, 2C). Tedesco also wrote articles for CEE News and EC&M (Code Violations Illustrated and What's Wrong Here?) for more than 15 years and helped launched the Moving Violations video series.