Awash in Violations
“We obviously didn’t do it. Done by in-house maintenance. Breaker feeds blower in the tunnel. Correct amperage, wrong style.” That was the quote I received from the electrician who sent me this photo. I don’t blame him for wanting to remain anonymous after discovering this mess at a car wash in Massachusetts. It looks like “Hack-n-Smash” Electric Co. may have been in a rush to get it done. They may have gotten the power on, but boy did they create a real mess and a few NEC violations in the process.
Installing a breaker that was obviously way too big and not designed for this enclosure violates the installation and use requirements of Sec. 110.3(B). With the metal cover cut away so much, it leaves the energized terminals of the circuit breaker exposed and at risk of be contacted. Section 110.27(A) requires these live parts to be guarded against accidental contact by being installed in an approved enclosure.
The circuit breaker blanks missing at the top have also created a shock hazard by leaving the bus bars exposed. Section 408.7 requires any unused openings for circuit breakers to be closed with identified circuit breaker closures or circuit breaker blanks.
A Buried Treasure
A knowledgeable apprentice sent me this photo of the wiring he discovered inside of a wall. He knew there were some major problems with this installation. For starters, we can point to the lack of securement for the NM cables. Section 314.17(B) requires NM cables to be secured to the box where metal boxes are used. Section 314.17 requires conductors to be protected from abrasion where they enter a box. Passing conductors through individual openings with no bushings or protective sleeve could easily damage the conductor insulation. Passing conductors through these individual openings is also a violation of Sec. 300.20(A) because they are no longer grouped together. Section 300.20(B) allows slots to be cut between these openings, but I don’t think that is a viable option here since it would result in an entire section of the box being removed due to the square layout of the openings. I would love to know how this box is grounded, since the equipment grounding wires pass through the hole where the grounding screw should be installed. I’m not sure of the exact size of the box, but I am sure it doesn’t have enough volume for the conductors and devices as required by Sec. 314.16.
