Ecmweb 4799 603ecmwwhpic1web
Ecmweb 4799 603ecmwwhpic1web
Ecmweb 4799 603ecmwwhpic1web
Ecmweb 4799 603ecmwwhpic1web
Ecmweb 4799 603ecmwwhpic1web

What's Wrong Here?

March 26, 2006
Hint: Are these conduits properly installed?

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.

Find the Answer

Randy Dettloff, a superintendent with JLT Electric Construction in Schaumburg, Ill., found this installation in a parking lot near the company’s offices. Section 410.15(B) in the 2005 NEC permits metal or nonmetallic poles to be used to support luminaries (lighting fixtures) and as a raceway to enclose supply conductors, provided six conditions are met. But there’s no chance that any of the six conditions of this rule have been met here.

Most of the older types of underground wiring methods, sometimes called "parkway cable," have lived a long life, only to disintegrate because of corrosion. I see this all over the country. This is just another situation where physical damage caused by vehicles and/or vandals can lead to potential electrocution hazards.

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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.

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