ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum What's Wrong With This Service??

408.36(A)
408.34(A)

Yes, this is service equipment, but it is in violation of these sections. The six disconnect rule does not apply here.

Ah, yes, now for the scary part. If the double-lugged 10/2 NM went to a 30A fusible disconnect, it would be in violation, but not so bad, comparatively speaking.

It in fact went to a GE main-lug panel inside the house, with five 1p 20A breakers feeding lighting & appliance circuits, and two 1p 40A breakers feeding a dryer receptacle (no handle tie).

It's kind of dusty.

They must have used the EGC as the neutral, if the wire was 10/2 NM. Black one phase, white the other phase, that leaves only the bare EGC wire for a neutral for the lighting circuits.

How far did that NM wire go into the house? Maybe someone thought that they could apply a "tap rule" if it was short. But that wouldn't work as there's no overcurrent protection on what was tapped... Besides, the loads would exceed the ampacity of that wire anyway.

So those 10's are at utility potential and a bare being used as a neutral...

I guess it wouldn't be much different from installing a FPE 30A 2P in there... like it would trip or something...

But think of the energy you'd save with this house though.... That 10/2 Romex would keep the house warm all winter by simply using a few ordinary appliances!

Randy

Is this from the 2005 Code?

Is a 25yr+ old installation supposed to comply with the 2005 Code?

It might have been compliant before the "modifications" were made
(Well, Ok, except for a couple of things )




[This message has been edited by electure (edited 11-17-2005).]

Electure:

Yes, this is '05 NEC. My understanding is that the six-disconnect rule existed long before this service was likely built, otherwise, why would split-bus equipment have existed?

I didn't actually go back and look up the lineage of these two Code sections.

Pulling off the shelf at semi-random, the '71 NEC, I find language substantially similar to 408.36(A) in the '05 NEC, with an exception that would seem to apply to split-bus equipment:


This exception would seem to allow a split-bus panel but not a main-lug panel as shown in the photo.

Here's 408.36(A), Exception 2, from the '05 NEC:

For existing installations, individual protection for lighting and appliance branch-circuit panelboards shall not be required where such panelboards are used as service equipment in supplying an individual residential occupancy.

This would seem to grandfather this installation, although the '71 NEC does not seem to have permitted it. When it may have been legal to install such a panel as service equipment I do not know. I do know that AHJs around here will grandfather a split-bus, but not one of these.

(BTW the 6-disconnect rule is in the '71 NEC.)

I wrote up about 3 pages of violations for the buyer. Between this and other code violations found by the home inspector, the buyer was able to get $5000 in concessions from the seller.

They wanted to move in on the day of the closing, but I was unable to schedule a service upgrade until a week later. So what did I do? I double-lugged the two branch circuits onto one 20A breaker, and moved the 10/2 to the remaining two breakers, so the 10/2 was in fact a 20A feeder. For a week they lived with the lights dimming every time the fridge or AC would start. Then I came back and built a new 125A service.

Look closely at the GE panel. You already know that there is no separate equipment grounding conductor. So where is the main bonding jumper?