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Joined: Oct 2000
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I noticed something strange in this panel. It looked like the service conductors were not in conduit. There were three holes drilled neatly through the stud with a wire in each one and a square hole had been cut in the panel. I had the carpenter open up the wall and ...............Can you believe it? This is what we see daily in an area with no codes, permits, or inspectors. Comments?

Bob
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

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[Linked Image]

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 51
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3rd pic. looks like alot of HVAC disconects I see on new installations!!! No Really.
By the way is that the subpanel or vice-versa (3rd. pic.)?

[This message has been edited by BElder (edited 12-15-2004).]

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 914
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What's wrong with that? It was working wasn't it?

Man, that's some pretty crappy wiring. It's too bad many homeowners don't understand how dangerous this could be and either do it theirself or allow someone else to do this, endangering thier family's lives.

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
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Neither is a subpanel, BrElder.
Looks to me like:
The service conductors are tapped with the big split bolt connectors, and the wires come right into the LOAD side of the Square D 2 pole breaker enclosure [Linked Image] in PARALLEL with the 2 Romexes. If you"ll look at the last pic, you can see that the bare equipment grounds from the romexes were tapped into the service neutral, and paralleled into the panel's neutral bar.
If you really see things like this, you might consider contacting the CSLB about some disciplinary action being taken against the EC's that do this kind of work. [Linked Image]
Morons that do work like this can kill people.

Joined: Nov 2003
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Call me naive but I can't really believe an EC did this. [Linked Image]


John
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 24
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You guys are being a bit too hard on the installer. You didn't notice the Surge Protector in the bottom of the panel? Seems pretty conciencious to me; protecting the homeowner from power surges and all that! [Linked Image]

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 45
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This "service" was installed in the house at the time it was built, about 15 years ago, by the owner/builder. The 3/0 service conductors are about 20 feet long and are not OCPD protected or in conduit. Also notice the lack of a GEC. After going the wrong way through the 100A breaker, one of the #10 UF goes about 150 feet to the other end of the house and outside to feed a sub panel in a pump house. The #6 NM feeds a second sub panel. We don't know where the other #10 goes yet. We are still going through the house trying to find and repair as much as we can. The sad thing is that this is probably a million dollar home and the present owner knew nothing about what was lurking in the walls when he bought it. I will post some photos of the other problems as we find them and then post some more after we are finished with the repairs and upgrades.
WireWrestler

Joined: Aug 2001
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That's some bad wiring. [Linked Image] I suppose it would be stupid to think that the installer cut slots between the holes drilled in the side of the panel for the feeders, so I take it we have some eddy currents around the entry points as well. [Linked Image]

Joined: Nov 2002
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Is that foil lined thermal insulation behind that wiring? Something for the splices (if the electrical tape falls off) to contact and short to....

Joined: Jun 2003
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If Joe Tedesco had seen that mess first he would probably of passed out [Linked Image]!!!

Pierre


Pierre Belarge
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