ECN Electrical Forum
Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

It seems guys never quit trying to outdo each other.

This passed a ceiling inspection just as it is.




[This message has been edited by electure (edited 01-04-2004).]

that's just sooooo obvious isn't it?

where are all those 2nd yr apprentices when they're needed anyways?

~S~

How come there is no cover on this box?

Pierre

Pierre — I'll bet the cover was blown off—found 60’ away—waiting for three extension rings to be added.

Sorry to get philisophical, but...

Are many electricians totally lacking in proper training?

Is pride in workmanship gone?

Do people just not care???

It's all about the money CT.

Russell

[This message has been edited by ga.sparky56 (edited 01-04-2004).]

At least they used a 5S box!

To me, the idea of grabbing a hand full of Red Wirenuts - PLUS A FEW BIG BLUES - with intentions of making up a single 5S box, is on the lines of 40 foot bungee cord-30 foot bridge (30 foot jump).

Why some prefer to bring everything into one J-Box (and in the ceiling too!), is odd.
Must be something fun and exciting about standing on a Ladder for 45 minutes, weaving ones body around a bunch of ceiling stuff, make up 15 circuits + EGCs, and force 45 wires + 15 Wirenuts into a tiny box - then mash a blank cover on against all the spring tension (unless the install is Sans Cover - as in the example image).

There's gotta be something Really Cool about it because it's seen so much!

Scott35

p.s. Scott (electure);

Have you ever worked in Bell, CA.?
If the project with the Slightly overfilled box is in this area, that could explain why ceiling Inspection passed (OK to close ceiling).

Hey, it's not full yet! I saw several unused KO's. Didn't Greeenlee just come out with a new hydraulic box cover installer?

Looks like one big blue to me!.
I'd hate to fault-find a mess like this!.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 01-05-2004).]

Did the "installer genius" use those saddle type connectors for armored & metal-clad cable? Look at the top of the box. Give him points for that.

I wanna know where you can buy these....anyone have a part number/brand name?

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 01-05-2004).]

wanna borrow my hammer.

The saddle type connectors are made by Arlington. This particular model snaps into the knockout, rather than having a locknut.

Scott35, This isn't Bell, but is up in the SF Valley (where we had a giant earthquake).

The saddest part of this (to me) is that there were only 2 boxes and 6 light fixtures in the whole of this installation, and the guy missed this. The little Black Box in the upper right KO is a lighting relay pack.

Scott 35, I've never worked in Bell yet, but...
The socialist republic of Lomita has an inspector that wouldn't bat an eye to this!
I did a rewire of a private school there & I almost busted out laughing in front of him...
We called for rough wall inspection, He shows up & the first thing he asks me is "What's that putty on your boxes?" I explained that it was a "FIRE PAD" & it was there because of the rated corridor. His reply "Oh." moving right along he stops & looks puzzled at a lighting whip coming from the ceiling... "Why is your flex so small?" he quieried... "It's MC Cable... It comes with the wire already in it" I reply... "Hmmmm, Sounds expensive!" he says... (I'm starting to loose it at this point)But I tell him that it saves on labor... finally we get to the back & he fingers around in one of the switch boxes & asks "Where's your ground?".. I pull the green pigtail out & he then takes me over the top.... "Oh yeah, it's the green one!".... The superintendant & I look at each other & almost lost it completely!!! I can't fathom how a person so lacking of even the BASIC knowledge of our trade could become an official! Later on I called him to look at the switchgear & he asks me what he's looking for it it!!!!! Looking back at this, I'm not sure if to laugh or cry!!!

Lostazhell;

LOL at the "socialist republic of Lomita" terminology!


Scary story regarding that certain Inspector. Must make all the rest of the Inspectors a little mad, huh?

Scott35

BTW, Welcome to ECN!
What part of So. Cal. are 'ya from?
I am in Orange County - near Disneyland.

Scott35

Thanks for the welcome Scott =)
I'm about 15-20 mins from you in Huntington Beach (Land of the Stainless Steel Ground Rods!) Back to that inspector... I found out later that he was a combo inspector for plumbing also.... Funny though, the plumbers told me he was clueless in that trade as well! I wonder if he just happened to be related to one of the uppity ups in the city?
My opinion is he was just a drywaller that took a mail order course for inspector.

Randy

Stainless steel ground rods????

Swedejr- Yeah, Huntington Beach, CA requires stainless steel ground rods if you do a service changeout here... Something to do with the salinity of the soil.. I guess it decomposes the copper rods or something... but its funny that this is the only Orange county city that does require them Joe has an unfair advantage with these pics, being from Mass... The older buildings have had more chances for hatracks to screw em up!... On that box, at least the wires seem to actually have enough length to make it OUT of the box... A few of em might even hit that golden 6 inches... (This is all looking at the glass ½ full though..).. If all the grounded phase conductors were stuffed together in one blue wirenut I'd swear I saw that same box in a 24 hour Fitness remodel..

Are those 2- 3/4 emt's coming in from the top???

Huntington Beach has some very smart ideas.
There's a requirement that any metallic conduit installed outside be painted with a marine grade paint (after all, they were the original Surf City [salt water]).
There's also the Noodle/Ground test. You will pull the Neuts from the bar on a resi, or pull that "crazy" neutral link that never get used from a comm/ind service.
You'll test each one to ground in front of the inspector.
You're not gonna get any kind of rough unless all your grounds are terminated, that means no "conduit inspections" in your walls.

I just wish half of the towns around here had half the smarts of HB, we'd be 4 times ahead...S

Scott... From what I've heard from some other electricians that have done some work recently here, EMT wasn't being allowed outdoors anymore... PVC, IMC or RMC were the allowables. I think I remember one of our guys being required to use schedule 40 for a rooftop run for a new a/c condensor on a tilt up... I've never had the noodle ground test done for an inspection in HB yet, but they were very thorough when they checked everything..

I believe the "outdoor EMT" issue is because the compression fittings, up until very recently, weren't actually listed as "Raintight", although they're used as such everywhere.(Except HB, where the inspectors stay current on things.)
Bridgeport now has Raintight listed fittings. They've got an additional gland nut and a sealing washer.
The EMT will probably be OK again...along with that $70 a gallon marine paint.
I've always used PVC80 on the roofs there because of physical damage...S

The EMT thing to me was more about coughing up $70 for the paint.. The inspector seemed mostly concerned about the EMT keeping its physical integrity through the elements I'm with you on the schedule 80 where subject to damage... This run was mostly supported along the wall of the mechanical enclosure away from pretty much anything that would damage it. Are there any local inspectors to us that use this forum??? (Orange/LA Counties)... BTW one of our guys in the valley just received final approval on a canopy lighting remodel from "Howard Stern" of the LA Building Dept

[This message has been edited by Lostazhell (edited 03-01-2004).]