Ecmweb 2425 409ecm15pic1
Ecmweb 2425 409ecm15pic1
Ecmweb 2425 409ecm15pic1
Ecmweb 2425 409ecm15pic1
Ecmweb 2425 409ecm15pic1

What's Wrong Here?

Sept. 1, 2004
How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify himself? 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

Dave Trydahl, lead electrician, American Service, Inc., Big Pine, Calif.; L. Waraiza, master electrician, Dallas Electrical & Data Services, Dallas; and Toby Gagnon, electrician, Gagnon Electric, Saco, Maine, all correctly identified the following Code violations associated with the September photograph.

Per 300.6, Protection Against Corrosion, “Metal raceways, cable trays, cablebus, auxiliary gutters, cable armor, boxes, cable sheathing, cabinets, elbows, couplings, fittings, supports, and support hardware shall be of materials suitable for the environment in which they are to be installed.”

In addition, the requirements of 300.6(B), In Concrete or in Direct Contact With the Earth, also apply. “Ferrous or nonferrous metal raceways, cable armor, boxes, cable sheathing, cabinets, elbows, couplings, fittings, supports, and support hardware shall be permitted to be installed in concrete or in direct contact with the earth, or in areas subject to severe corrosive influences where made of material judged suitable for the condition, or where provided with corrosion protection approved for the condition.”

The requirements of 314.23(G), Enclosures in Concrete or Masonry, also apply to this installation. “An enclosure supported by embedment shall be identified as suitably protected from corrosion and securely embedded in concrete or masonry.”

And last but not least, the rules of 314.29, Boxes and Conduit Bodies to Be Accessible, are also applicable. “Boxes and conduit bodies shall be installed so that the wiring contained in them can be rendered accessible without removing any part of the building or, in underground circuits, without excavating sidewalks, paving, earth, or other substance that is to be used to establish the finished grade.”

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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