I was reviewing my pictures, when it occurred to me thet these three panels have a lot in common.

The panels are from three different businesses, where a change in tenant led to my being called in to sort things out. I might even have posted these, as part of different threads, to highlight various issues.

But ... look at the common practice of cables (different types) entering the panels without benefit of any fitting. Do you think these are works of the same "artist?"

Real quality! Is that (orange & yellow) flex cord??
Lack of ground bars?? (Sub-Panels??)
Nice 'extra' touch running the grd conductor in front of the cb's to hold them in??

John

HotLine, the bottom panel is from I job I almost walked away from maybe two years ago.

In the bottom pic, the orange cord is an extension cord used to power a 30A water heater. The Yellow is new Romex, run through a HUGE PVC pipe. The black is large gauge Romex, used for an air compressor; it is run alongside a pottery kiln.
(Ultimately, I got this tenant shut down and evicted).

In the top pic, the yellow cord was some sort of SE or Romex ... I didn't look that close at it ... that was used to power a welding receptacle.

If they are, he sure gets around a lot.

Small industrial units are the playground for the hack or the DIY tenants themselves. Many of these tenants are bottomfeeders, and the idea of hiring a real electrician to do their work for them just runs contrary to their nature.
Cord is the weapon of choice. Other favorites are romex or romex inside of flex and 14/2 MC cable.
I often have to make units like these leaseable after a tenant moveout. The number of KO seals, cover plates and CB filler plates I go through is staggering.

In the top pic, there's a white on the Bryant MH-T 1515 in Ckt #3 position... Did someone attempt to get 240V from a twin?

Scott, you're certainly right on the industrial units... I always dreaded getting calls to those things, especially the multitudes of them in south Santa Ana (think Edinger Ave/Grand Ave area )

The one cardinal sin here.
Putting any cable into a panel without a bushing.
The word slack doesn't even cover it.
Second sin, painting it to look like EMT when it wouldn't fool the nearest clown.
Good Lord!.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-31-2006).]

It looks like the yellow cable in the top picture is 10/3 ST, and the black cable in the second picture is 12/3 or 10/3 ST or SO.

It dosen't look like the yellow cable was painted to disquise it, but rather that the whole wall/panel was sprayed grey.

Is it just me or is there no white wire coming into the panel from the NEMA 5-15 outlet (GFI?) under the panel in the 1st pic? I'm with techie on the paint thing.. I think someone got a paint sprayer and decided to have some fun

Excellent catch, Lotzahell! Yup, the receptacle used a red whire for the 'neutral.'

Every time I think standards can't possibly get lower, along comes something to correct me. It's almost like these guys compete with each other ... "how can I do it worse/"