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Posted By: Admin Panelboard Issues - 12/27/04 10:33 PM
(submitted via Joe Tedesco)
Quote
While troubleshooting an open ground condition on a circuit in my home, I looked in my panel for the first time...jaw hits floor.

Dorbell transformer inside panel (at bottom)
1 pri lead from x-former wrapped around a wire at breaker, other lead wire-nutted to one of the ground wires sticking out of wire bug
Nothing about this panel very neat or workmanlike
Black friction tape on service neutral
Many grounds too short to reach GND/Neut bar, all wire-bugged to #10 GND of dryer cable
Too much outer jacket insulation on main cable, leads too long
30A dp breaker for hot water tank, using 12-2 w/ gnd wire
Panel not clearly or properly labeled
Master bedroom, livingroom, bathroom, and 1 duplex receptacle in small bedroom all on one circuit (20A) with all 15A receptacles, 15 of them
No separate lighting circuits
White "hot" lead for hot water tank not re-identified
One strand of grounding electrode conductor peeled back and wrapped around other strands (couldn't fit all of them in the hole?)
Front porch light and rest of small bedroom receptacles on same circuit (at opposite ends of house)


Barry P.
western NY state
[Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited 12-27-2004).]
Posted By: velect Re: Panelboard Issues - 12/27/04 11:02 PM
That looks like SER cable not SEU. So why would they use the bare neureal and not the insulated white wire which has been cut off
Posted By: bp-redbear Re: Panelboard Issues - 12/28/04 12:17 AM
VELECT and/or others:

Please tell more on the SER/SEU cable issue, I do not recall seeing any conductors cut off. I did look at it pretty closely. The un-insulated conductor actually looked to me as if it was really for use as a grounding conductor? I know very little about service cable. Thanks.

This pic was posted maybe 2 months ago on this forum titled "Lots of panelboard problems here", by Joe. I took the pic, it's my house.

Was it so awful, Joe, that you couldn't resist posting it again? I'm sure you've seen worse! Thanks, again, though.

I have since cleaned up this panel:

Cut all extra wire out, routed wires neater.
Removed bell transformer.
Wrapped white tape over the black tape on the grounded conductor.
Re-identified white wire from breaker with red tape, until I can run some #10-3 and use the red and black.

Had an updated picture, but lost it in a computer crash.
Will take updated photo when I am able to borrow a digital camera again.
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