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
One picture shows two black conductors marked with white tape terminated on a grounded conductor (neutral) bar. Red and blue conductors are then used as branch circuit neutrals. The other picture shows a single black conductor with green tape terminated on the equipment grounding terminal bar. Blue conductors are then used as grounds. This work was found inside a 120/240V single-phase panel.
As per the conductor identification requirements of 310.12, “(A) Grounded Conductors. Insulated or covered grounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 200.6. “(B) Equipment Grounding Conductors. Equipment grounding conductors shall be in accordance with 250.119. “(C) Ungrounded Conductors. Conductors that are intended for use as ungrounded conductors, whether used as a single conductor or in multiconductor cables, shall be finished to be clearly distinguishable from grounded and grounding conductors. Distinguishing markings shall not conflict in any manner with the surface markings required by 310.11(B)(1). Branch circuit ungrounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 210.5(C). Feeders shall be identified in accordance with 215.12. “Exception: Conductor identification shall be permitted in accordance with 200.7.”
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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.