What’s Wrong Here? Hint: A White-Washed Wall Panel

Hint: A white-washed wall panel

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Which wires are the white wires? Well in this panel, all the wires are white now. In fact, almost everything is white! The wall painters apparently took no care when spraying the paint on the walls. They covered all the wires, terminals, and busbars with paint. Yes, the electrician should have taken better care of this panel before the painters showed up. The panel cover was removed so it would not get painted, but the electrician forgot to protect the inside of the panel. He could have used cardboard or some sheet plastic and tape to cover the panel before the painting began. The contaminated busbars are now ruined, and in accordance with Sec. 110.12(B) will need to be repaired or replaced. The paint on the busbars will result in poor connections to the breakers and could result in arcing and sparking. The breakers were installed on the contaminated busbars after the painters finished painting, which is why the breakers look shiny and new. I suppose the white paint on the ungrounded conductors could be considered a violation of Sec. 200.7(A)(3) too. This panel is going to require a “do-over” to remove all the paint contamination.