What's Wrong Here?

What's Wrong Here?

Jan. 1, 2003

These mechanical fittings and hardware connect bare equipment grounding conductors. This was found on a show-and-tell table in a hardware store.

Joe Tedesco

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

Gary Nuzzi, owner, Neptune Electric, Wall, N.J.; John Kelly, retired electrician, Leesburg, Fla.; and Paul Huddas, controls engineer, Atlas Technologies, Fenton, Mich., correctly identified the simple violation in this photo: The device used to make the connection was neither listed nor labeled for the purpose depicted. NEC 250.8, Connection of Grounding and Bonding Equipment, states “grounding conductors and bonding jumpers shall be connected by exothermic welding, listed pressure connectors, listed clamps, or other listed means. Connection devices or fittings that depend solely on solder shall not be used. Sheet metal screws shall not be used to connect grounding conductors to enclosures.”

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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.