Whats Wrong Here?

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.

Joe Tedesco

May 21, 2009

The lack of a proper expansion fitting in this exposed run of rigid nonmetallic conduit led to the opening you see in the lower right of this photo. This PVC conduit contains feeder conductors connected to an onsite generator.

Find the Answer

Section 352.44 calls for expansion fittings to be installed where the length change in a straight run of PVC between securely mounted items such as boxes, cabinets, elbows, or other conduit terminations, in accordance with Table 347-9(A), is expected to be ¼ in. or greater. The thermal expansion characteristics of PVC rigid nonmetallic conduit is shown in Table 352.44.

In addition, this particular exposed conduit does not appear resistant to sunlight effects, as noted in 352.100, nor does it meet the "securing and supporting" requirements of 352.30.

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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.