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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Answer:
Congratulations to the following three readers who correctly identified the problems associated with this installation: Rich Varner, project manager/estimator, Varner Electric, High Point, N.C.; Richard Barnett, owner, Barnett General Contracting, Covington, Va.; and Benjie Linkous, P.E., consulting engineer, Hurd & Obenchain, Inc., Roanoke, Va.
These respondents correctly pointed out three Code violations.
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As per 314.19, “Screws for supporting the box shall not be used in attachment of the device contained therein.” As you can clearly see in the photo, the box mounting screws are also holding the receptacle in place.
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As per 314.25, “In completed installations, each box shall have a cover, faceplate, lampholder, or luminaire (fixture) canopy, except where the installation complies with 410.14(B).” The requirements of 410.14(B) do not apply to this installation.
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Although it's difficult to see in this photo, it appears there is no ground pigtail present in this installation. This is a violation of 404.9(B), grounding provisions for general-use snap switches.
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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.