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.
Find the Answer
Robert McCullough, director of the Ocean County Construction Inspection Department, Toms River, N.J., correctly identified the following Code violations in this photo.
“110.14 Electrical Connections — improper connection of dissimilar metals; 110.14(A) — The terminal is not approved for more than one conductor, although it appears that the aluminum EGC doesn't even terminate in the lug; 408.20 — The installation requires a terminal bar; 250.12 — It looks like the paint wasn't removed from the panelboard enclosure to ensure good electrical contact; 250.8 — The screw attaching the lug appears to be a sheet metal screw; 250.119 — A bare EGC seems to be coming out of the yellow wire nut spliced to a black wire going to the lug. Because a washer is placed under the screw, the screw may be smaller than the hole in the lug and thus would not be a secure connection. Finally, the term ‘subpanel’ is not recognized in the NEC.”
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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.