What's Wrong Here?

Feb. 26, 2006
Hint: Use your nose to help sniff out this violation.

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.

Answer:

Reese Stuve, a plant electrician with Hutchinson Technology in Eau Claire, Wis., found air sniffer tubes for HF gas and 24V warning strobes in the same junction box and wireway. He also noticed that the tubes are actually spliced in the junction box.

This installation violates the requirements of 300.8 of the 2005 NEC, which provides guidelines on the installation of conductors with other systems. The rule reads as follows: “Raceways or cable trays containing electric conductors shall not contain any pipe, tube, or equal for steam, water, air, gas, drainage, or any service other than electrical.

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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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