Cable to sauna; Overlugging?; How far can you crawl?

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tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Non-metallic sheathed OK for sauna?

Clearance for A/C disconnects under deck - is 4' enough of headroom?

Main disconnect and meter are in remote area (townhome). Main distribution panel (photo below) also services a sub panel. The main grounding lug is tripled-lugged - see photo below. Does not look right to me (triple-lugging?) - am I correct? DSCF4786.jpg DSCF4737.jpg DSCF4729.jpg
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
The main grounding lug is tripled-lugged - see photo below.
Looks to me like it might be an unpermitted ground-neutral bond too, unless that white wire is really just a ground. :)
If not, it should be landed on the neutral bus instead of in the ground lug.
If it is a ground, it is the wrong color.
 
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Volta

Senior Member
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Non-metallic sheathed OK for sauna?
Not if considered a damp location. 334.12(B)(4).

Clearance for A/C disconnects under deck - is 4' enough of headroom?
Not if considered likely to be examined while energized. 110.26(A)(3). Debatable if non-fusible in some areas.

Main disconnect and meter are in remote area (townhome). Main distribution panel (photo below) also services a sub panel. The main grounding lug is tripled-lugged - see photo below. Does not look right to me (triple-lugging?) - am I correct?
Sure. Not right. 110.14(A).
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Non-metallic sheathed OK for sauna?

Clearance for A/C disconnects under deck - is 4' enough of headroom?

Main disconnect and meter are in remote area (townhome). Main distribution panel (photo below) also services a sub panel. The main grounding lug is tripled-lugged - see photo below. Does not look right to me (triple-lugging?) - am I correct? View attachment 8244 View attachment 8245 View attachment 8246


Is the location of the electrical junction box a wet or damp location as even the box doesn't look like a listed box for a damp location? is there a disconnect (which can be just a switch) GFCI protection?

Are those disconnects within sight of the A/C units? I believe those disconnect are the Square D ones that have what looks like a QO two pole breaker in them but the breaker is not an over current device as it just acts like a switch, I believe 110.26 will apply to them.

As far as the panel goes, I don't believe that those lugs are listed for more then one conductor, also you have both grounded and grounding landed on the neutral bar which is a violation, also it looks like single conductors that are outside of the panel to its left, also the cable feeding this sub panel looks like a triplex or quad-plex URD which unless it has an USE listing is not allowed as a chapter 3 wiring method and USE is not allowed to be used in the interior of a building See: 338.12

From just seeing this I would suspect many other violations.

Are you the inspector or just landed this mess in your lap?
 

tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Is the location of the electrical junction box a wet or damp location as even the box doesn't look like a listed box for a damp location? is there a disconnect (which can be just a switch) GFCI protection?

Are those disconnects within sight of the A/C units? I believe those disconnect are the Square D ones that have what looks like a QO two pole breaker in them but the breaker is not an over current device as it just acts like a switch, I believe 110.26 will apply to them.

As far as the panel goes, I don't believe that those lugs are listed for more then one conductor, also you have both grounded and grounding landed on the neutral bar which is a violation, also it looks like single conductors that are outside of the panel to its left, also the cable feeding this sub panel looks like a triplex or quad-plex URD which unless it has an USE listing is not allowed as a chapter 3 wiring method and USE is not allowed to be used in the interior of a building See: 338.12

From just seeing this I would suspect many other violations.

Are you the inspector or just landed this mess in your lap?

Sauna - generally dry, though I know that sometimes people through water over the hot rocks of this type of heater to add humidity.

If you crouch down from the A/C compressors, these disconnects are in sight - about 25 feet away.

I am just the inspector looking at the home for a client interested in buying it.
 

tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Looks to me like it might be an unpermitted ground-neutral bond too, unless that white wire is really just a ground. :)
If not, it should be landed on the neutral bus instead of in the ground lug.
If it is a ground, it is the wrong color.

White wire is connected to the sub-panel in the photo below. DSCF4735.jpg
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
In terms of the triple lugged wires it appears you have different sized wires under one lug. AFAIK this is never permitted.

The nm cable in my opinion is subject to damage and should be protected but I can see it as being allowed if one does not consider it subject to damage.

I don't see the a/c disco clearances as necessary to meet 110.26 however the a/c unit under the deck like that may be a problem. The top of those units need to breathe.
 
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