ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Interesting method

This thread neatly sums up 90% of the topics in this forum. We see pictures of folks doing stuff the wrong way, using materials in manners never intended - and the matter made to look worse by progressively narrower rule interpretations.

We can also guess as to the context: Untrained folks expected to work miracles while satisfying contradictory demands.

We want it done NOW, CHEAP, Fast - and by the lowest paid folks in the economy. We don't want to waste money on tools or materials, inconvenience anyone for any time.

To me, it's pretty obvious: when you adopt third-world attitudes, you get third-world results. True "Yankee" ingenuity is nipped in the bud because it's "outside the listing and labeling," (or just "unlisted") while hackwork thrives because 'the inspector will never see it.'

Under those circumstances, hackwork becomes a virtue- and is preferred to doing things correctly. Shame is replaced by pride.

OK, enough rambling. I'll follow this post with several more, each addressing a individual picture.

OK, about that first picture, the receptacle mounted over the countertop ....

There's nothing 'wrong' you can see, though you can make some pretty good guesses.

I'll overlook the plug separating from the gray cord, as that is an appliance cord, and was not the responsibility of the installer. Nice as it might be to have the receptacle placed to let the cord lay flat, it's not always possible to guess just where the appliance will sit, or what sort of plug will be used.

We can't see if there's a box used. If there is, I doubt there's room for two cables to enter (box fill violation) or if there are the required pigtails and free conductor length. There certainly isn't space for a GFCI receptacle, but that protection might be provided elsewhere.

Were this a commercial kitchen, the entire box / cover arrangement would raise sanitary and cleaning concerns.

It took some skill to route the cables through the small holes made in the backsplash. I see no problem with the cables being exposed - I do not see them as subject to damage. The recess provided by the counter's backsplash protects the cables.

We have no way to guess where those cables go.

A better choice would have been to use an 'old work' box to place the receptacle in a larger box, inside the wall. Again, our installer may not have even known such boxes exist, or have any idea how to install one. There's still the matter of getting power to the box.

I think we can see how this could easily become an involved job. Indeed, the latest NEC version has a specific provision that provides for a particular method in this case that involves an extension cord, and would have formerly been considered 'hack.'

The second picture shows a fan, and emergency light, and an extension cord plugged into a receptacle mounted on the surface of a block wall.

I wonder how power is supplied to tat receptacle? Such a box would usually have a visible pipe going into one of the sides.

Perhaps the power comes from the box behind the emergency light. Then, what looks like a cord feeding the light might be some MC feeding the box below. In that case, the MC needs some strapping.

A closer look at the pipe feeding the permanently mounted fan reveals a cord & plug coming out the end, and plugging into the receptacle. This leaves us with the pipe (metal raceway) not being continuous- which brings into question the grounding of that pipe. Remember, it needs grounding at both ends. We also have that cord & plug being used in place of a permanent method. Far better had they simply run the pipe all the way to the box.

Apart from the 'detail' violation of a flexible cord being used where fixed wiring should be used, a common problem is that the cord used is of a smaller wire size than is allowed.

The extension cord sailing through the air is not, of itself, a violation.

Again, this location might require GFCI protection, and that might be provided elsewhere. We have no way to tell.

http://gfretwell.com/electrical/easy%20water%20heater%20disconnect.jpg

I see a water heater powered by the use of a length of Romex, using a cord & plug into a receptacle.

Had they uses a proper flexible cord, they might have had my approval- but that practice is generally considered to be an improper use of flexible cords. We've discussed this topic extensively before. UL considers the use of a cord & plug to be a violation of 'listing and labeling' if the water heater is larger than 5 gallon.

But, no, they used Romex- and of the correct size. So far, so good. Alas, they blew it when they got to the receptacle.

The plug is not designed to grip Romex, so the cable will come out - much as we saw with that grey cord in the first pic. Of greater concern to me is that I recognize the plug to be a model rated for, at most, 20 amps. Water heaters generally draw 30 amps. I speculate that a 120v pattern was also used, setting the stage for a 120v appliance to be plugged into a receptacle supplying 240 volts. You'd have to unplug the heater to see if this is the case.

A closer look at the heater suggests that it just might be a 5 gallon, 120v heater. If that's the case, the only violation is using a plug on Romex.

The last two pics show lighting.

The ceiling fan light - I see no issues. Quite a few fans come made this way; we're just missing the decorative cover that hides this design.

As for the closet light ... what can you say? Cord probably goes through a doorway, and is pinched whenever the door is closed. The exposed splices are required to be in a box. Incandescent bulbs need to be enclosed and mounted away from flammable closet contents.

I see a pipe, though- and not clothing. Incandescent lighting might be allowed.

Reno:
Thanks for the posts....

The box by the microwave is a shallow 'Wiremold' box.

The e-light is compliant off of the lighting circuit in the EMT conduit. The feed down to the 4" box is MC/BX and flopping in the breeze.

As I said, a 100+ room hotel, found on a CCO inspection for change of ownership. There are numerous other issues, all involving 'handyman/maintenance guy work, most with cord.

That said, yes all done without permits, all by non-professionals. You get what you pay for. "It works"!!
Sorry, apply for permits, via a licensed professional, correct all the issues, have inspections, and then we will talk about the CCO.

Sooner or later...it catches up with ya!!

Gregs ceiling fan light kit looks like the support for the socket may be just the wires, but it's hard to tell from the pic.

The closet light is a classic!

The water heater is another. Must have been fun getting the 10/2 in the cord cap.

If you look closely you can see the metal clip support for the fan light. I have seen similar supports on table lamps.

Greg:

OK, how about you reveal what is up with the fan light kit??

That is just a lamp holder screwed into the fan J box cover and they drilled 2 holes in the cover, no bushings, for the fixture wires. They used a regular 1/4-20 screw, not the 1/8 NPT threaded tube so they could not route the wires up that way.

One of their house warming gifts was the listed fan light kit of their choice at the home store.

I wired them in a real closet light but we left the water heater alone. I know the 6-20 plug and the Romex is not right but water heaters don't last that long here and we will fix it when they get a new one.