Ecmweb 4790 608ecmwwhpic1
Ecmweb 4790 608ecmwwhpic1
Ecmweb 4790 608ecmwwhpic1
Ecmweb 4790 608ecmwwhpic1
Ecmweb 4790 608ecmwwhpic1

What's Wrong Here?

July 1, 2006
Hint: Someday, my chance will come.

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

Ron LaRosa, president of R&L Maintenance, Inc., in Oak Park, Ill., made reference to these three Code sections when citing violations for this installation.

  1. “110.11 — Equipment cannot be installed in an environment that will have a deteriorating effect.

  2. “110.27 — It appears this disconnect does not have a door interlock, which would prevent you from opening it with the switch in the closed position, and coming into contact with live parts.

  3. “300.6 — Electrical equipment and materials must be protected against corrosion.”

Charles L. Rogers Sr., SSA Regional Engineering / Smith Group, Social Security Administration — Region 4, Atlanta, offered these comments. “No lockout means; I question the 3-phase circuit to single-phase equipment; the conductors are routed through restricted space; electrical continuity is in jeopardy because of rust; phase conductors may not be properly identified; and equipment is failing because of corrosion.”

Tony Helms of the BCF Group, El Cajon, Calif., added these comments. “Bad connections at terminations. The un-switched white conductor is unused. Equipment grounding is questionable because of rusted out dirty switch enclosure, and it is corroded too!”

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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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