A Buss Ride - ECN Electrical Forums

From Sierra-Electrician (aka Rob)

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A real nice find in Sunnyvale, CA
This 2" run is from a separate metered service, it passes through this
service and goes under ground with no connector to the PVC...as if that
matters.
The service it passes through was installed 3 years ago and was
inspected.

ARE LIVE BUSS BARS DOWN THERE!?!?! Is that metal raceway? Or is that just a neutral/ground buss and/or plastic raceway?
That looks real scarey!

Its a Sq D I-Line M/M + Dist, the busing you see is the "A", "B" & "C" phases. Its 120/208V 3P, 4W.
The raceway is 2" alum flex secured with ty-raps to the gear structure. There is about 1" clearance between the conduit and the bussing.

Rob

I just had a (one) beer...it must have been exceptionally potent- I think I see where someone snaked flex through some switchgear, right along some hot busbars.

This cannot possibly be the case- no one can be thet ignorant / stupid / daring / lucky.

Either that, or it is special "Bangalore" flex.

Would it be corect to assume that whoever installed the 2" run could lose their license ?

Why bother with the flex in the first place? At least if the raw THHN's were exposed in there it would be safe. However I remember anything entering a panel must terminate there as well?

Is that flex conduit metallic or plastic ?

Whichever clown who installed that conduit, must have used 8 out of it's 9 lives.

If that conduit is metal, that's illegal to run it across live busbars in such close proximity without any form of insulating shielding.

Nah Ray,
It looks like that cheap stuff we used to get here for Air Con installs.
Half the quality of Betta-flex and easily crushed by an over-tightened cable tie.
Even Vacuum cleaner hoses have more mechanical strength. [Linked Image]

From Sierra Electrician

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The raceway is 2" alum flex secured with ty-raps to the gear structure. There is about 1" clearance between the conduit and the bussing.

Sure looks like flex when it makes that bend and goes upward at the side of the enclosure.

RUN away, very far away!

Edited to fix UBB

[This message has been edited by CaOperator (edited 06-02-2006).]

These are easily the most terrifying pics I've seen on ECN.

Flex can be a dangerous raceway in the hands of the insane.

Good Lord!,
That is Aluminium flex!. [Linked Image]

Ray,

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Whichever clown who installed that conduit, must have used 8 out of it's 9 lives.

Cats have 9 lives, I'm not sure about clowns though, even a cat would have the intelligence to stay away from this. [Linked Image]

The pre-made 90º in the 2nd picture speaks volumes as to what kind of electrician has done work there. The inexperienced one! Who buys 3/4" (maybe 1") EMT 90º's?

I second that Mike, [Linked Image]

Not sure how many lives a clown has [Linked Image]