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. Can you identify the specific Code violation(s) in this photo? Note: Submitted comments must include specific references from the 2014 NEC.
Hint: Loser by a technical knockout (TKO)
September Winners
I received a lot of responses on this photo. Thank you to all who participated. Our winners this month include: Brad Whitfield, an electrical worker in Suffolk, Va.; Daniel Meadows, president of Meadows Electrical Contractors in Decatur, Ga.; and Ed Eisenhauer, a safety specialist for Milwaukee VAMC in Milwaukee, Wis. Each of them was able to correctly identify the foreign pipes intruding into the dedicated space above the panelboard along with some other problems.
Section 110.26(E)(1) spells out the requirements for the “dedicated space” needed for indoor switchboards, switchgear, panelboards, and motor control centers. The space directly above this panelboard is reserved for the electrical installation, and no other foreign systems can be located in it. This dedicated space extends up to the structural ceiling or 6 ft above the panelboard — whichever is lower.
Another violation I can point out involves the metal cables secured with cable ties to the EMT above the panel. This is a violation of the general requirements found in Sec. 300.11(B).
Lastly, the gaping hole in the sheetrock above the panelboard needs to be properly firestopped using approved methods in accordance with Sec. 300.21. I’m guessing this hole may have been made by the person snaking in those metal cables.