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 2017 NEC.
Hint: Expand your mind.
April Winners
Our winners this month are Scott McAllister, owner of McAllister Engineering Services in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and Gary Winn of Winn Electric LLC in West Chesterfield, N.H. They both knew that Sec. 240.24(E) prohibits these circuit breakers from being located in this dwelling unit bathroom. They also knew that having to stand in or on this bathtub to reach these overcurrent devices is a violation of the clear working space requirements of Sec. 110.26(A)(3). The space in front of this panelboard needs to be clear all the way to the floor.
I would like to send a huge “thank you” to Dave Everson, a commercial electrical inspector for the City of Superior, Wis., for sharing this photo. He is one of the nearly 37,0000 members of the “Electrical Code Discussion” group on Facebook whose members often share material with me for our EC&M readers to enjoy. In Dave’s own words, “We were looking at a home a coworker was looking to buy. Being an electrical inspector, I had to find the main panel. Even I was a little shocked when I saw this one.”
‘Tell Them What They’ve Won...’
Using the 2017 NEC, correctly identify the Code violation(s) in this month’s photo — in 200 words or less — and you could win an Arlington Industries FLBT4400SS countertop box kit, which includes a stainless steel trap
door cover and a 20A decorator-style, tamper-resistant receptacle. E-mail your response, including your name and mailing address, to [email protected], and Russ will select three winners (excluding manufacturers and prior winners) at random from the correct submissions. Note that submissions without an address will not be eligible to win.