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).]

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.

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 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.
Morons that do work like this can kill people.

Call me naive but I can't really believe an EC did this.

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!

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

That's some bad wiring. 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.

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

If Joe Tedesco had seen that mess first he would probably of passed out !!!

Pierre

What is meant by "...no codes, permits, or inspectors." ??

What "area" is this in?

Outside USA?

Different planet?

Does every country in the world (Earth) have a NEC?, just curious.

BP

This mess is in Illinois. Most counties have no codes or inspections. Most of the larger cities and a very few counties do. There is a bill working it's way through the state legislature that would institute statewide licensing and permits. I can't wait. Text of the bill is here:http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB1004sam004&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=1494&DocNum=1004&GAID=3
WireWrestler

In the U.K. we have the "IEE Wiring Regulations."

The name is rather misleading though, for at least as far as domestic wiring is concerned, there has never been any legal obligation to follow them.

I was more or less joking about the 3rd pic. but the double & triple lugging is a constant problem. EC's that do it ? I dont think so.(HVAC Contractors) I dont know about you but my biggest problem as a contractor was getting employees who even cared about the quality of there work!!!


[This message has been edited by BElder (edited 12-20-2004).]

I almost passed out when I saw this picture:

Courtesy Brian Goodman

A panel doing double duty as a roach/fly zapper?

Neat! Where can I get one of those?

What is that solid #8 ground wire doing in that 200 amp panel with those bugs

What county in IL?

(Just being curious, soming from "Conduit alley" along the Lake Michigan shore...)

We work in Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, Carroll, and Stephenson counties. All of them have no rules. Winnebago and Boone are the only ones where we work that have permits and inspections but anyone can do electrical work.
WireWrestler

Here in Austria we got the TAEV (impossible to translate the full wording, it's like technical conditions for hookup with explanations of the codes, given out by the general association of power companies), it's basically a practice oriented commented version of the laws beneath.