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
According to the requirements of 440.63, an attachment plug and receptacle is permitted to serve as the disconnecting means for a single-phase room air conditioner rated 250V or less if (1) the manual controls on the room air conditioner are readily accessible and located within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the floor or (2) an approved manually operable switch is installed in a readily accessible location within sight from the room air conditioner.
2002 NEC Section 110.26(B) requires clear working spaces about electrical equipment, and no storage is permitted, even trash storage is not allowed. When normally enclosed live parts are exposed for inspection or servicing, the working space, if in general open spaces, must be suitably guarded. See also, 230.70(A)(1) where a service disconnecting means is required to be installed at a "readily accessible" location either outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors.
The requirements of 210.52(C)(1) make it clear that when working in the kitchen of a dwelling unit you shall install receptacle outlets at each wall counter space that is 12 in. wide, or wider. In addition, the receptacle outlets shall be installed so that no point along the wall line is more than 24 in. measured horizontally from a receptacle outlet in that space.
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.