Illustrated Catastrophes: Everything's Coming Unglued

June 19, 2015

More Code catastrophes uncovered and corrected in these faulty installations

Everything's Coming Unglued

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The first violation I would like to point out with this installation is the lack of proper support for the PVC pipe. According to Sec. 352.30, you must support ¾-in. PVC at intervals not exceeding 3 ft. There are no clips to be seen anywhere on this run of pipe. This lack of support created extra strain on the coupling connection, which actually caused it to pull apart. Of course, this broken pipe may not have happened if the temporary lighting string didn’t use the PVC as a means of support. Using PVC as a support for this cable and luminaire is a violation of Sec. 352.12(B). Similarly, Sec. 300.11(B) only allows raceways to support cables, other raceways, or non-electrical equipment where the raceway is specifically identified for this purpose. This PVC is not identified for this purpose.

Another item of note is the sharply bent cable inside the broken PVC. It’s actually NM cable. Because this installation is located outdoors in a wet location, using NM is not permitted. Section 300.9 states the interior of raceways installed above grade in wet locations is considered a wet location. Section 334.12(B)(4) prohibits Type NM cable from being installed in damp or wet locations.

Sleeve Me Alone

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The most significant safety concern here is the lack of firestopping around the MC cable and EMT where it has penetrated this fire-rated wall. Section 300.21 requires electrical penetrations through or into fire-rated walls, floors, or ceilings to be firestopped using approved methods in order to maintain the fire resistance rating of the assembly. No firestopping was used in this installation. The Informational Note for this Section provides guidance on where to find more information about maintaining the fire-resistive rating for various assemblies, including building codes and construction material directories.

The next violation I can cite is the coil of communication cable that is taped to one of the EMT sleeves. This is a violation of Sec. 800.133(B), which prohibits communication cables from being “strapped, taped, or attached by any means to the exterior of any raceway as a means of support.”

In addition, if you focus on the background of the photo, you’ll see several MC cables and a box that are not properly supported. Section 330.30(B) generally requires MC cable to be secured at intervals not exceeding 6 ft. MC cables of 10 AWG and smaller must be secured within 12 in. of each box. Boxes must also be supported in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 314.23.

About the Author

Russ LeBlanc | Owner

Russ started in the electrical trade as an apprentice in 1985. He worked his way up to become a Journeyman Electrician and then eventually became a Master Electrician and Licensed Construction Supervisor. In 1999 Russ become an Electrical Instructor for The Peterson School of Engineering in Massachusetts where he developed his passion for teaching, and quickly became Department Head of Electrical Instruction. Russ has taught thousands of apprentices, electricians, engineers, inspectors, and other electrical professionals during his career as an instructor. He continues to provide electrical professionals with Electrical Code seminars, Arc-Flash Awareness training seminars and educational material through his LeBlanc Consulting Services in North Reading, MA whose specialty is educating electricians. He has been an active member of the NFPA Electrical Section and has authored hundreds of National Electrical Code proposals and comments which have become Code rules to improve the safety for the electrical industry. Russ is also an IAEI certified Electrical Inspector.

Please visit www.russleblanc.net for more information.