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
This motor came with a flexible cord and cap. Someone made splices to the leads outside the motor terminal housing and just wrapped it up with electrical tape. The Code requires you to splice or join conductors with splicing devices identified for the use. Then, you must cover all splices and joints (and any free ends of conductors) with insulation equivalent to that of the conductors, or with an insulating device identified for the purpose. The NEC does not recognize this taped splice (out in the open) as an acceptable installation, unless you use it during temporary wiring as covered by 590.4(G) and 400.9.
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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.