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. Can you identify the specific Code violation(s) in this photo? Note: Submitted comments must include specific references from the 2017 NEC.
Hint: Better call the “light” department.
December Winner
Paul Johnson, P.E., an electrical engineer for Suregate, Inc., in McHenry, Ill., was our lone winner this month. He knew that the white PVC plumbing pipes and the copper water lines installed directly below the panelboards violate the “dedicated space” requirements in Sec. 110.26(E)(1). The requirements of this Code section are designed to create a space dedicated for installations of switchboards, switchgear, panelboards, and motor control centers. For indoor installations, the space equal to the depth and width of the electrical equipment must be kept clear from the floor to the structural ceiling, or 6 ft above the electrical equipment, whichever is lower. Foreign systems, such as these plumbing pipes, are not permitted to be in this zone. The “dedicated space” required above and below electrical equipment is needed to allow the electrician to easily install raceways and cables into the enclosures without interference. This space is also designed to keep any foreign system from causing damage to the electrical equipment. A leaky drain pipe, dripping condensate line, or a pinhole in a water line could cause significant damage to the electrical equipment. I jokingly tell electricians that this type of problem can easily be fixed with a reciprocating saw.
‘Tell Them What They’ve Won...’
Using the 2017 NEC, correctly identify the Code violation(s) in this month’s photo — in 200 words or less — and you could win an Arlington Industries FLBT4400SS countertop box kit, which includes a stainless steel trap door cover and a 20A decorator-style, tamper-resistant receptacle. E-mail your response, including your name and mailing address, to [email protected], and Russ will select three winners (excluding manufacturers and prior winners) at random from the correct submissions. Note that submissions without an address will not be eligible to win.