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. Joe Tedesco, who has a knack for finding shoddy electrical work, did the dirty work and found this mess. Now it's your turn to identify the violation.
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Think you know how this installation violates the NEC?
Ron House, owner of West Sound Electric, Inc. in Bremerton, Wash., recently forwarded these photos to us. “Here's an interesting example of a residential service entrance gone bad that my residential division manager happened upon recently,” says House. “Only one phase was tapped at the rather unique service entrance fitting, and the fused disconnect was jumped between phases.”
I can’t seem to find any rules in NEC Art. 230 that were complied with at this particular installation. The seal is intact, at least it looks that way, and the entire installation looks like it was done by a person hiding in the bushes!
The scope of Article 230 states, "This article covers service conductors and equipment for control and protection of services and their installation requirements. FPN: See Figure 230.1."
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About the Author
Joe Tedesco
Tedesco served the industry in many roles during his career. He was a director, senior electrical code instructor for National Technology Transfer, Inc. and American Trainco, Inc.. He was also a codes, standards and seminar specialist for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and an electrical field service specialist for the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. He ran his own business as an NEC consultant and is a Massachusetts licensed master electrician and journeyman electrician and certified electrical inspector (one and two family 2A; General 2B, and Plan Review, 2C). Tedesco also wrote articles for CEE News and EC&M (Code Violations Illustrated and What's Wrong Here?) for more than 15 years and helped launched the Moving Violations video series.