ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum Non-Electrical Contractors....

Reno allows non-electrical contractors to run up to ten feet of wire in order to install their equipment.

I was at a house recently, where three different skilled trades made a mess of things. Three contractors, three different wiring methods, three bad installs.

The first pic is of the panel. Coming off the panel are the controls for the well pump. While hard to see - it was sprayed when the house was painted - the pump is fed by that dangling UF.





I know, you 'eagle eyes' out there also noticed the PVC, with the plumbing ell, coming from the panel. This powers the sewage pump. Here's some more of this run:





Finally, the HVAC guy MIGHT have an install that is only ugly, but legal. Too bad he didn't make his electric as neat as his line set!





Just kidding! His line set is concealed in that corrugated downspout stuff!

Skilled trades you say, John?.
I don't believe you.
Is that an un-supported and uncovered length of Romex in pic no. 2?, running through the garden?
Hope there is a good GFCI on that circuit.
Clowns.

That down-spout stuff has to be the worst looking shoddy thing I have ever seen.
If someone installed that on my house they would be back PDQ to replace it with something that doesn't look like it was stolen from a woodworking shop.

If ya look in the background in pic 3, ya can all see the reason that this install is either gonna pass with the AHJ - - or you are as safe as being in the arms of Jesus when it's on.

Why didn't someone turn Jesus away from this rubbish?.
He can only forgive so many people.

That PVC run isn't actualy legal. The L.B. cover must be accessable.

I like how they ran that liquid tight straight in to the a/c unit with no connector...I bet the inside of that unit is worthy of another pic!

Mike, the "unsupported romex" is actually UF -underground feeder - a continuation of the run to the well pump.

I confess that I did not look too closely at the A/C ... I was there on a sewage pump problem. My work did not involve anything 'outside the pit.'

A curious detail in the pit was that the pump was powered by the panel that you see. The alarm, however, was powered from another panel, on an entirely different service (meter), on a different building.

Rumor has it - I don't know this for a fact - that this was actually the home of the head of one of the local contractors' groups (We have at least four).

What's that round thing on the wall below the pump control in the first picture? Just curious.

The round thing is a combined intake / exhaust for a natural gas powered heater.

:-| My own house has a plumbing 90* line side of the incoming underground service - a 2" 90*!- I'll submit a pic. asap, as we're building a new place and using the "existing"
Hpp.(location) I want to record it for a before/after when I change it all (I was a little surprised -but relieved (financially)- to find that the local AHJ doesn't require the service to be attached to the house itself.
-since the utility contractor shows up after inspection I guess he can do whatever he wants (my guess is that the service is about 15 years old - wasn't allowed THEN either)